Pokémon Pokemon Do-Over

[MarkL1987]

Episode 19: The Ghost Of Maiden's Peak

A figure stood on a high peak during a moonlit night. It was a stone figure of a young woman with a red flower in her hair. The same girl then appeared outside the statue, but in the form of a ghost.

"I've been waiting for you." Said the ghost. "Come back to me. Return to your beloved. I'm waiting for you." As the ghost said these words, it transformed into a round ghost and changed its voice, indicating that things weren't as they appeared to be.

Meanwhile, Ash and friends were on a ferry sailing from the resort of Porta vista to continue their Pokemon journey. Misty suddenly spotted a landmark.

"Hey! Look over there!" she cried Pikachu looked with her, as did everyone else.

"Great. That must be Maiden's Peak!" cried Ash. "That's where we get off. We'll be landing soon."

"It must be that time of year again." Said Lucy. "Summer's end." Brock let out a sigh.

"It wouldn't matter to me if I never saw land again, I just wasted another summer." He said.

"But we had a whole summer full of adventures." Said Lucy. "There was the whole being shipwrecked experience, our stay at Porta Vista, and much more."

"For kids like you, summer means playing on the beach, splashing around and having fun." Said Brock. "But for me, summer means bathing suits and beautiful girls to wear them! Now bikini season's over and I'll have to wait another year to meet a girl!"

"Over dramatic, much?" said Lucy.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was slowly sailing along in the ocean.

"We're really tied to the end of our rope." Said Meowth.

"No room, and no room service." Said James.

"Stop whining." Said jessie. "We don't have a cent, and at least this beats swimming."

Later, the ferry made landfall.

"Maiden's peak welcomes the passengers arriving from Porta Vista!" cried the announcer. "We invite you all to attend our annual Summer's End festival, now in progress!"

"Cool! A festival!" cried Ash.

"It looks like fun." Said Misty. "Let's check it out!"

"I'll ride the Ferris wheel all alone." Said Brock.

"You don't have to go alone." Said Lucy. "I'll go on the ride with you." But just then, she, Brock, Pikachu and Eevee noticed someone off to their left.

"Who's that?" Brock asked. They saw the maiden standing still and looking towards the ocean.

"Whoa. What a knockout." Said Brock.

"Yeah, Eevee, I think we'll definitely have to go on the Ferris wheel with Brock so that he has some company." Said Lucy. Brock was getting knocked down by people getting off the ferry. Pikachu then noticed that the girl turned into a ghost again and disappeared with a smile.

"Hey, she's gone." Said Brock.

"Pikachu?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'What was that?'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I have no idea.'

"Cheer up, Brock!" cried Ash. "We're at a festival!"

"Ash is right! No need to be a party pooper." Said Lucy.

"Yeah! Let's have some fun." Said Misty.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket pulled themselves up onto the dock.

"There's a festival!" cried James. Jessie let out a chuckle.

"People spend a lot of money at these festivals, but they never pay attention, so they drop their change all over the place!" she exclaimed.

"Meowth want a cotton candy!" cried Meowth.

"Money is sweeter." Said James. He looked to his left and saw the same girl that brock had seen.

"Sweet!" he cried. Jessie gave James a light smack.

"Stop daydreaming!" she cried. "Stop daydreaming! That festival is waiting and I can smell money!" Meowth ran off with jessie.

"I can smell corn dogs." He said. James turned to look at the girl again, but she had disappeared. At the festival, a parade was going on and everyone in Ash's group was having a great time. Everyone except for one, that is.

"She was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen." Said Brock. Everyone looked to him and wondered what he meant when an elderly woman appeared.

"Hey, you!" she yelled. Brock turned instantly.

"Are you the…" he said. But instead of the girl he had seen, he instead saw the face of the elderly woman, which made Brock scream.

"You're not the beautiful…" he said.

"Who's not beautiful?" said the elderly woman. She got a magnifying glass and used it to get a closer look at Brock.

"Beware, not of an old beauty like me, but a beautiful young woman. Or you'll meet a cruel fate." She said.

"That girl on the rock! I have to meet her!" cried Brock.

"I must be the beautiful girl he's talking about." Said Misty. "But I'd never hurt Brock."

"I was talking about an elegant young woman, not some scrawny little blabbermouth like you!" cried the woman.

"Scrawny?!" cried Misty.

"Real scrawny." Said Ash. That remark was greeted by a whack from Lucy.

"I don't have to stand here and be insulted!" yelled Misty. "Let's get out of here!" Misty grabbed Brock and Ash and walked off angrily, with Lucy following behind.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was looking around for dropped change.

"Nothing! There's no money anywhere at this festival!" cried Jessie.

"Not a quarter, nickel or dime." Sighed James. "Not even a penny."

"What kind of cheap festival is this?" asked Meowth. "We have to keep looking until we find something!" Sure enough, James found something.

"A penny!" he cried.

"Hold it right there!" yelled the elderly woman. James thought someone wanted the coin, but ended up seeing the old woman instead.

"I dropped this." Said James.

"I've been watching you." Said the woman. "You're up to no good! And there's no good in your future."

"Who? The police? The sheriff? The FBI?" said James.

"I see a young and beautiful woman who will lead you to a cruel fate." Said the elderly woman.

"I don't need a fortune teller to know that." Said James. "Some woman is always causing me trouble, it's a curse." He let out a sigh.

"Who do you mean?" asked Jessie. A familiar voice was soon heard.

"Good afternoon." Said Officer Jenny. "I'm with the local police department and I know exactly what you all are doing." Team Rocket let out a panic.

"I see you found some change that someone dropped." Said Jenny. "Whenever any amount of money's lost, even if it's just a penny, it must be reported to the authorities." James put the penny in her hand.

"Thank you for being an observant citizen." Said Jenny. "Now, if you'll just follow me, we'll file a report at the station."

"The station?" James asked worriedly. Jessie panicked because she knew jenny would pull up their files and arrest them upon realizing that they were Team Rocket members.

"We don't want to get in your way, so just go ahead and file it without us and keep the change, okay? Bye-bye." She said. She grabbed James and Meowth and quickly ran off.

Meanwhile, at the fabled Maiden's Peak…..

"Welcome! To celebrate the Summer's End Festival, we will now display the Shrine of the Maiden's greatest treasure! For two-thousand years, this painting has hung within the Shrine of the Maiden. Once each year, it is removed from the shrine and displayed to the public during this festival. As I unveil the painting, please gaze with reverence." Said an unknown voice. The painting was unveiled, and everyone in attendance was amazed.

"Who's that?" asked Jessie.

"She's cute." Said Meowth. James gasped.

"It's her!" he cried.

"But it can't be!" cried Brock. Both James and Brock were shocked that the girl in the painting was the same one that they had seen earlier.

"She's so incredibly beautiful." Brock remarked.

"Brock always does this around a girl, so what makes this one any different than all the other girls he's seen?" said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'There's literally no difference at all.'

"Exactly, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"She's the girl of my dreams, don't wake me up!" cried James. He and Brock tried to approach the painting for a closer look, only to be stopped by the announcer.

"Stay back! The woman in the painting perished over two thousand years ago!" he cried.

"Two thousand years?" Brock repeated.

"She was in love with a brave and handsome young man, but he left her and sailed away to fight in a war." Said the announcer.

"I'll wait for you forever!" cried the maiden. "Come back to me! Farewell!"

"And she did wait for a very long time, hoping to see his ship on the horizon." Said the announcer. "But her true love never returned to that place again. Still, she waited and waited, never moving from that spot. Until, finally, her body was turned into stone, just like the cliff upon which she stood. To this day, she waits for her love to return."

"Just tell me, where is this rock?" asked Brock.

"Maiden's Rock isn't far from this shrine." Said the announcer.

Later, the heroes and Team Rocket were looking at Maiden Rock.

"So that's Maiden Rock." Said brock. "It's the most beautiful rock I've ever seen!"

"I don't care if she's made of stone or not, I'm still in love with her!" cried James.

"If she was my girlfriend, I'd make sure she was never out of my sight!" cried Brock.

"No one would even steal from me! Not even team Rocket!" cried James. "I'll fight them to keep her safe!" Jessie held onto him to keep him from falling over the ledge.

"James, you're insane!" she cried. "Why would we steal a thing like that?!"

"We could steal that other thing!" cried Meowth.

"What thing?" said Jessie.

"Pokemon are valuable, but so are works of art." Said Meowth. "Let's swipe the painting!"

"If we grab that painting, we could make a bundle." Said Jessie.

"Jessie! Before you grab it, gab hold of me!" cried James. Jessie grabbed James, only to be pulled down into the water with him.

"Team Rocket is really slipping." Said Meowth.

Later that night…

"That statue isn't going anywhere, Brock." Said Lucy.

"No matter how long you wait, a rock is a rock, Brock." Said Ash.

"Yeah, let's go back to the festival." Said Misty. "This is boring."

"Why don't you all go back?" said Brock. "I want to stay here a little bit longer."

"You remember where we're staying tonight, right?" asked Lucy.

"The Pokemon Center near the port. I'll make it back by curfew." Said Brock. Ash picked up his backpack and looked at Brock strangely.

"Are you sure you want to hang around here still?" asked Lucy.

"Don't worry about me, Lucy." Said Brock. "I'll be okay."

"If you say so." Said Lucy. Dark clouds passed by the moon.

Later, the clock struck eleven, which was curfew time at Maiden's Peak.

"I'm getting worried, guys. Brock still isn't back yet." Said Misty.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Said Lucy. The gates over the Pokemon Center windows and doors began to close, as per curfew orders.

"Wait!" cried Ash. "Lucy, let's go out and look for him." However, they were stopped by Nurse Joy.

"Hold it! Don't you kids realize that it's your bedtime?" she asked.

"Yes, but….." Ash started.

"Staying up late is bad for your skin, makes you irritable and ruins your appetite. I won't allow it." Said Joy. "Now get to bed this instant!"

Meanwhile, at the Shrine of the Maiden, Meowth's alarm went off, telling him that it was heist time.

"Wake up you two! Time to steal the painting!" he cried.

"Our beauty sleep…." Murmured Jessie.

"Beautiful. I must meet you. I'm coming to you." Said James. The wind quickly picked up and clouds rolled over the moon. The doors to the shrine then blew open, and the Maiden's ghost appeared.

"What's that?" cried Meowth. The ghost spotted Meowth after he spotted it. He screamed in fright.

"Must be dreaming." He said. "Back to sleep, Meowth."

"My love, I'm waiting for you." Said the maiden. The ghost's voice woke up James.

"Who said that? Who are you?" said James. The ghost smiled at him.

"It's you! So it really was you!" he cried. The ghost nodded.

The next day, team Rocket and the heroes were looking for their missing group members at the shrine.

"Brock?" called Ash.

"Brock, where are you?" Misty called.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Where are you, Brock?'

"This is no time to be playing hide and seek!" cried Lucy.

"James?!" cried Jessie. "James?! If you're not here, at least tell us!"

"That's right!" cried Meowth. Both parties soon met up.

"Oh." Said Jessie.

"You guys again!" cried Ash.

"Yuck!" cried Jessie.

"Double yuck!" cried Ash.

"I finally found you!" cried Jessie. "Oh wait. None of you are who I'm looking for."

"Are you looking for somebody too?" asked Lucy. Jessie cleared her throat.

"Prepare for trouble, and make it double." She said. "Doing this by myself's a real drag. 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." Said James. Jessie suddenly stopped upon hearing James' muffled voice.

"Jessie?"

"James!"

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

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!"

"He looks awful." Said Jessie.

"Worse than usual." Said Meowth. Brock soon came flying out of the shrine.

"Brock, what happened?" asked Ash. James grabbed a hold of Jessie's leg.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Jessie. Right then and there, the elderly woman showed up.

"So, everything turned out just as I predicted." She said.

"Huh?" everyone asked.

"It's the old woman." Said Lucy.

"Obviously, these two have both seen the ghost of the Maiden." Said the elderly woman.

"Ghost of the Maiden?" they all asked.

"I love her. I love her. I love her." Said James with a big smile.

"Me too. Me too. Me too." Said Brock, who was smiling from ear to ear.

"They're possessed, Pikachu." Said Ash. Pikachu used a Thunder Shock attack on both Brock and James to get them out of their possessed state.

"Uh, who am I? I'm Brock." Said Brock.

"Brock's back!" cried Ash.

"Thank goodness." Said Lucy.

"I'm James from Team Rocket." Said James. He got up and started acting strange.

"He's back." Said Jessie.

"But not to normal." Said Lucy.

Inside the shrine…

"All men who pass this way fall under her spell." Said the elderly woman. "It's always the same story over and over, we find them here acting like zombies with the life sucked out of them, babbling like idiots. It's the work of that maiden's ghost! Still waiting for her young soldier to return! It's just as I warned you."

"Pretty bizarre, huh, Eevee?" said Lucy. She saw Eevee all curled up in fear. "Oh my." She comforted Eevee.

"It's all right, Eevee. I'm here. There's nothing to worry about." Said Lucy.

"So what? Who cares as long as I can be with her." Said Brock. Ash waved his hand in front of Brock.

"He isn't cured at all." Said Ash.

"GET A GRIP ON YOURSELF, BROCK!" yelled Lucy. "YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO BE WITH HER, EVER! JUST ACCEPT THAT ALREADY!"

"I'm scared! You have to do something!" cried James.

"There's only one thing we can do." Said the elderly woman. "We have stickers." She put one on James, and the other on Brock.

"These are anti-ghost stickers." She said. "You can all have one yourselves. However…"

"What's the catch?" asked Lucy. A cash register appeared out of nowhere.

"I can't just give these away for free." Said the elderly woman. Ash and Lucy fell over in disbelief.

Later, the heroes were placing stickers all over the shrine.

"I still can't believe that we had to pay for all of these." Lucy grumbled.

"Well, if it's the only thing that'll help." Said Ash.

"We'll stick stickers all over the place." Said Misty.

"This'll really work, right?" said James. Jessie placed a sticker on his mouth.

"Shut your mouth." She said.

Soon, night fell.

"Let's hope these stickers work." Said Lucy.

"Will she come?" asked Jessie.

"Oh, she'll come." Said Meowth.

"This better work." Said Ash.

"Let's hope." Said Misty. Outside, the wind picked up heavily, blowing away everything on the door and outside walls of the shrine and signalling the maiden's arrival.

"She's here!" cried the elderly woman. The door blew open, extinguishing the fire and sending the stickers on James and Brock flying.

"It's you!" cried Brock.

"I've been waiting for you." Said the maiden.

"Yes, and I've been waiting too." Said Brock.

"I'm scared! Really scared!" cried James.

"I wanted to meet you." Said the maiden.

"And I you." Said Brock. He and James started levitating towards the ghost.

"Brock!" cried Lucy.

"Why aren't the stickers working?" cried James.

"Maybe because…." Said Meowth.

"We got them…." Said Jessie.

"For free." Said Jessie and Meowth.

"Free? What do you mean free?" asked James.

"A two for one deal." Said Jessie. "We got one set free for every set they bought. It was a real bargain."

"You used freebies?" said James.

"Oops." Said Jessie.

"I can't believe you're letting that ghost get me just because you're both so cheap!" cried James.

"You don't want to go?" said Jessie.

"Of course I don't want to go!" cried James. "I don't want to go! I don't want to go!" He let go of the barrier and started floating away.

"Grab him!" cried Ash.

"Wait, Brock!" cried Misty.

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

"Hey! Let me go!" cried Brock.

"No, we want you here with us!" cried Lucy, who had grabbed a hold of Ash's waist.

"I don't want to go!" cried James.

"Hey, girl! You can't take him!" cried Jessie. "You haven't got a ghost of a chance!" Everyone then heard a sound, which was James rapidly climbing up the ledge. He spooked Misty upon reaching the top once he heard what Jessie had said.

"You really do care!" cried James.

"It's not cause of you." Said Jessie. "Girls like her disgust me. Always waiting around for her man as if her was her faithful pet. She can't stand the thought of losing him. She cries. But I'd say, "see ya later!" There are plenty more fish in the sea."

"I could sure go for some fish." Said Meowth.

"Yeah, great thinking, Jessie." Said Lucy. "But you're forgetting two important details about this girl. One, she's got psychic powers. Two, she's a ghost. That means no attack can hurt her!"

"I've been waiting! You cannot interfere!" cried the maiden. The ghost used her powers to call out evil spirits to frighten the entire group.

"What are those things?" asked Lucy.

"Not any Pokemon that I know of." Said Ash. He quickly got out his Pokedex.

"No Pokemon entry found."

"They're not Pokemon?" cried Lucy. The spirits continued to swirl all around everyone.

"Still searching." Ash pointed his Pokedex all around until it landed on the maiden.

"Pokemon entry found. Gastly, a Ghost Pokemon. It is usually invisible. It's specialty is hypnosis."

"Gastly?! You're really a Pokemon?!" cried Ash.

"And one that, besides Meowth, knows how to talk?" said Lucy.

"Excuse me!" cried Meowth.

"What? I consider that to be a good thing." Lucy said to Meowth.

"So you finally figured it out." Said Gastly as the maiden. "Sometimes I'm the ghost of the two thousand year old maiden.." (He turned into the elderly woman) "and sometimes I'm the mysterious old woman! But no matter the disguise, I'll always be….." Gastly revealed its true form.

"Gastly." Said the ghost type.

"Well, Gastly, time for a battle!" cried Ash. "Pikachu!"

"My hypnotic powers can work on other Pokemon too." Said Gastly.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Really? How?'

"Stop a rodent with a mousetrap!" cried Gastly. He turned into a mousetrap, which made Pikachu run away in fear.

"Mouse traps won't hurt Meowth!" Meowth cried.

"So, Meowth, you want to play games with me?" said Gastly. "Here's a cat toy that I think you'll enjoy!" He made a ball appear, which distracted Meowth since cats like playing with cat specific toys.

"Go, Ekans!" cried Jessie. Ekans charged.

"A snake's natural enemy is a mongoose!" cried Gastly. He transformed into a mongoose.

"Dinner time!" he cried. Ekans ran away in fear after coiling around Gastly.

"Your turn, James." Said Jessie.

"Uh, Koffing. Poison Gass attack!" said James. Koffing sprayed its gas. Gastly, however, stomped its foot on Koffing while wearing a gas mask.

"Smoking is prohibited!" he cried.

"My turn now." Said Ash. "Charmander, I choose you!" Charmander materialized from his Poke Ball.

"Char! Char!" cried Charmander.

"Well now, here's something for a fire type like you." Said Gastly. He turned into a fire extinguisher and started spraying, making Charmander run away in fear.

"Gastly has a counter for anything we throw at it. Including fire Pokemon!" cried Lucy. Gastly turned back into its original form.

"Who shall I defeat now?" he said.

"Squirtle, Bulbasaur, attack together!" cried Lucy. The two starters materialized.

"Attack together!" Lucy ordered. Squirtle and Bulbasaur charged at Gastly.

"What a bunch of nuisances." Said Gastly. "This should be easy." He made a giant Venusaur and Blastoise appear, freaking out Bulbasaur and Squirtle.

"Here are Bulbasaur and Squirtle's evolved forms." Said Gastly. "And just for fun, I'll combine them into one super Pokemon, Venustoise!" The two Pokemon fused together to make a mutant Pokemon.

"Try that on for size!" cried Gastly. After the fusing had finished, the Pokemon that had been sent into battle ran in terror.

"We can't win. It's too strong." Said Lucy. Misty stepped in holding something.

"Then how about this?" she said.

"What's that?" asked Gastly.

"It's a cross." Said Misty. "I also have garlic, a stake, and a hammer."

"What do I look like? A vampire?" asked Gastly. Bells started ringing in the distance.

"What's happening?" asked Ash. Gastly withered in pain from the bells.

"I may not be a vampire, but I hate sunlight." Said Gastly. "It's time for me to go until the next festival!" Gastly slowly started fading away.

"Don't forget the ghost of the Maiden. She and the old lady will return next year too!" he cried. He completely faded away right as the sun rose.

"Hey, look! The sun!" cried Meowth.

Later, the town's citizens and the heroes set boats with lanterns on them out to sea as part of a festival tradition.

"At the end of every summer, the visitors send out these tiny boats." Said Officer Jenny. "Each one has a candle to help light the way for any wandering spirits who can't find their way back home." On one of the boats, Gastly sat in the form of the maiden, but he then turned into the elderly woman.

"This summer is over, but your legend will continue to live on." Said Gastly. The real ghost of the maiden then appeared from her stone statue.

"Thank you, Gastly." Said the maiden.

"My pleasure." Said Gastly, who then turned back into his original form. "I enjoy keeping alive all the old legends that people have forgotten over the years. And if I do a good job of it, I make a few bucks as well." A cash register materialized.

"I'll see you again next festival." Said the maiden. "I'll be waiting until that day when my true love returns to me at last."

"Well, I am a ghost Pokemon." Said Gastly. "Perhaps one day, I'll meet the young man you love. And if I do, I'll remind him that his maiden still longs for him to return."

"Thank you, and goodbye." Said the maiden. She disappeared back into her statue.

Meanwhile, Brock looked at Maiden's Rock one final time.

"If only you were two thousand years younger." He sighed. "Maybe next year."

At the festival, the heroes and Team Rocket were celebrating the last day of the summer festival. Jessie and James were playing the drums and Meowth was playing the flute.

"I think I'm doing a bang-up job." Said James.

"Let's drum up some fun." Said Jessie.

"Do de do de do de do…" said Meowth. Nearby, Ash and Lucy were both looking at the entries for ghost types in their Pokedexes.

"A ghost Pokemon. Gastly." Said Ash.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Pretty spooky.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Gastly frightened me.

"I know how you feel, Eevee." Said Lucy. "That Pokemon actually creeped me out a bit too. I'm not sure if I want to catch one for Professor Oak." Misty soon showed up wearing a beautiful outfit.

"Sorry I'm late." She said. Ash and Lucy were amazed at how gorgeous Misty looked. She was wearing a pink flower kimono with a big red bow and she had a fan in one hand.

"Come on, you guys. Let's dance." She said.

"Uh, sure." Said Ash. Misty extended her hand to Lucy.

"You want to dance?" she asked.

"Don't mind if I do." Said Lucy. "Eevee, you and Pikachu dance with us too!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Okay!' He grabbed Eevee's paw so that they could dance with each other. They all danced together towards the crowd. And with that, the summer festival ended. Fall's in the air now, which means Brock won't be able to get back to the beach until next year. Keep your chin up, Brock. A lot can happen in a year. But for now, new adventures await our heroes just over the horizon.

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 20: Goodbye Butterfree?

Once again, we find Ash and Lucy on their continuing quest to become Pokemon masters. With their friends Brock and Misty with them, along with their partners Pikachu and Eevee, their next adventure is just on the horizon.

"Wow! Look at those rocks!" cried Ash.

"Pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Whoa.' The waves crashed into the rocks below as the group looked down in worry.

"That's a long drop!" cried Ash.

"We fall from here and it's game over." Said Lucy. Brock checked the map.

"This ridge is supposed to lead us right to Saffron City." He said.

"And to the next challenge at the Saffron Gym!" cried Ash. Just then, he spotted something over yonder.

"What are those?" he asked.

"They look like Butterfree." Said Misty.

"It has to be that time of year again." Said Lucy. "And I don't mean Christmas."

"Right, Lucy." Said Brock. "The Butterfree are celebrating their season of love."

"Love?" said Misty.

"Yeah. The season of love is when Butterfree lay their eggs, the Butterfree find mates and then lay their eggs across the sea." Said Brock.

"Across the sea?" said Ash.

"That's right." Said Brock.

"How cute!" cried Lucy.

"If you don't let it cross the sea, it will never have babies." Said Brock. Ash quickly got out his Poke Ball containing Butterfree.

"Babies?!" he cried. The group soon found a hot air balloon available to rent and decided to take to the air to let Ash's Butterfree find a mate.

"I'm surprised that there was a hot air balloon for rent out here." Said Misty.

"We'll probably see lots of other balloons once we get into the air." Said Brock.

"Ready for takeoff, captain!" cried Lucy.

"Hold on, everyone!" cried Brock. He pulled a lever and the balloon started to lift off the ground and gain altitude. Other trainers were just starting to set up their own balloons.

"What a view!" cried Ash. As they looked at the view, Pikachu and Eevee spotted something.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Look! Look!' They turned and saw a whole kaleidoscope of Butterfree.

"Look, there they are!" cried Misty.

"Good eyes, you two." Said Lucy.

"Let's go!" cried Brock. He steered the ballon towards the flock of Butterfree.

"All the Butterfree are pairing into couples!" cried Misty.

"Okay Ash, it's time." Said Brock.

"Oh, right." Said Ash. He got Butterfree's Poke Ball out.

"Butterfree, go!" he cried. His Butterfree materialized and flew into the kaleidoscope of other Butterfree.

"There he goes!" cried Lucy.

"Go out there and find your mate!" cried Ash.

"Good luck, Butterfree!" cried Misty.

"I hope he finds the right one." Said Lucy. Butterfree flew all around but couldn't seem to find a mate.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"Maybe none of the Butterfree is its type." Said Brock.

What do you mean by its type, Brock?" said Misty. "They all look the same to me."

"Girl Pokemon do sometimes look different compared to boy Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"If you're talking about any other Pokemon, then yes, you'd be correct." Said Brock. "When it comes to Butterfree, however, some of them must fly better than others, or maybe they have different patterns, I guess." Everyone heard Poke Balls opening, indicating that nearby trainers were getting ready to release their Butterfree.

"Look at all the different balloons!" squealed Misty.

"And look! They're all Butterfree trainers!" cried Lucy. "They must come at this time every year to release their Butterfree."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'That's a lot of Butterfree.

'Eevee." Eevee replied, which meant 'I've never seen that many Butterfree at once before.' The two Pokemon then spotted a young female Butterfree trainer.

"You just find yourself a nice mate, Butterfree. Go!" the trainer cried out. She tossed her Poke Ball and her Butterfree materialized. Brock was immediately entranced by the girl's looks. Pikachu and Eevee shook their heads.

"Pika." Sighed Pikachu, which meant 'Not this again.'

"So much for Brock waiting until next summer to find a girl." Said Lucy. Butterfree soon rejoined them, having had no luck finding anybody.

"Butterfree!" cried Ash. Brock quickly dashed over to Ash's Butterfree.

"Listen up, Butterfree, see THAT Butterfree that lovely young lady just released?" said Brock. He pointed out a special pink Butterfree.

"Right there! That's the one! Pick her!" yelled Brock. Butterfree looked at him in a perplexed way.

"Free?" it asked, which meant 'Why?'

"Don't you understand?" said Brock. "If two Butterfree fall in love, their trainers can meet, and they can fall in love too!" Lucy gave him a bonk on the head.

"Don't butt into Pokemon love affairs!" she snapped.

"But Lucy, if my Butterfree doesn't find a mate, it won't have babies." Said Ash.

"Go ahead then." Said Misty. Butterfree nodded and flew toward the swarm again.

"Go and get 'em, Butterfree." Said Lucy. "The perfect mate has to be out there for you somewhere." Butterfree looked around, and got smitten by a pink Butterfree, falling head over heels for it.

"Looks like Butterfree found someone it really likes!" cried Lucy.

"Yeah, love at first sight with that pink one." Said Brock. Butterfree started acting strange.

"Butterfree's acting kind of weird." Said Ash.

"It's doing a courtship dance." Said Lucy.

"Courtship dance?!" Ash repeated.

"It's Butterfree's way of saying 'I like you. I really want to be your Butterfree.' It's like a marriage proposal." Said Lucy.

"That's so romantic." Said Misty.

"If it's successful, the other Butterfree does a dance too." Said brock.

"It's doing something all right." Said Lucy. The pink Butterfree turned her head when Butterfree was trying to impress her. She flew upward with Ash's Butterfree close behind.

"What's going on?" said Ash. The pink Butterfree shocked everyone by slapping Ash's Butterfree with its wing, making him tear up. The pink Butterfree then flew away.

"Poor Butterfree got shot down." Said Lucy.

"What?! That's so mean!" cried Misty. "That's not fair at all!"

"Butterfree, where are you going?!" cried Ash. They spotted it flying down to the forest below.

"Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"Pikachu…" Pikachu sighed, which meant 'The poor guy.'

"Eevee…" Eevee replied, which meant 'You said it.' Brock landed the balloon and the foursome started searching for Butterfree.

"Butterfree! Hey, Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"Butterfree!" cried Misty.

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

"Butterfree, where are you?" said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Butterfree, please come out!' They kept calling Butterfree's name until they finally found him.

"It's Butterfree!" cried Ash.

"Finally, we found him!" cried Lucy. They all rushed over to Butterfree, who was hiding in a tree.

"Hey there, Butterfree, are you okay?" asked Lucy. Butterfree lowered its head in response.

"Why do you look so sad, buddy?" asked Ash.

"It was rejected by someone it loved." Brock answered. "That's a terrible shock. Believe me, I know the feeling."

"Only because girls reject you all the time, Brock." Lucy added. Brock glared at her. "What? It's true."

"Well, she's not wrong." Said Misty. Pikachu and Eevee went to speak with Butterfree.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Hey, tell Eevee and I what happened.'

"Free." Butterfree answered sadly, which meant 'She rejected me.'

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'Bummer. At least you tried.'

"Free." Muttered Butterfree, which meant 'I'm not good enough for her.'

"Pika! Chu!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Of course you are! You just have to try harder.' As Pikachu and Eevee continued to talk with Butterfree, Ash got his Pokedex out.

"Do you think Dexter might be able to tell us how my Butterfree can get that other Butterfree to be its mate?" he asked.

"Dexter's never been in love." Said Misty.

"That's because he's just a machine." Said Lucy. "Machines can't fall in love like people or Pokemon can."

"I just don't understand it, though." Said Ash. "My Butterfree's great. Why would any other Butterfree reject it? Butterfree, maybe you just have to show off your strength and let the others see how great you are. Show how powerful your Tackle is, or how you can use Stun Spore!"

"That's right, Butterfree! You've got to be assertive!" cried Misty. Butterfree looked up and over at Misty.

"Love is all about attacking your opponent first." She went on. "Get in a quick punch and surprise them, then, while they're still weak, take the lead and you'll beat 'em, hands down! Trust me, I know! That's the best way to win!" Brock and Lucy were both surprised by Misty's analogy.

"You mean it?" said Brock.

"Sure do. That's love!" replied Misty.

"Let's give it another try!" cried Ash.

"Hold it!" cried Brock.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"What's up, Brock?" asked Lucy.

"A new look might help." Said Brock. He tied a scarf around Butterfree's neck.

"Free." Said Butterfree, which meant 'Cool.'

"That scarf looks great on you, Butterfree." Said Lucy. Now that Butterfree had a new look, he took off into the sky once more with Ash and his friends close behind. Ash looked through a pair of binoculars.

"We have to find that pink Butterfree." He said. "Where did it go?"

"This is important to you, isn't it?" said Misty.

"I raised Butterfree all on my own, and I'll show them how good it is!" cried Ash.

"Looks like you're just as passionate about this as Butterfree is." Said Lucy.

"Maybe just a little bit." Said Ash. He then spotted the pink Butterfree.

"There it is!" he cried. "Now, Butterfree. This time, just have confidence in yourself. Go!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Go!' Butterfree flew towards the pink Butterfree.

"Butterfree! Show it your Whirlwind attack!" cried Ash. Butterfree used the attack, but the pink Butterfree wasn't impressed.

"Use your Tackle attack! That should do the trick!" cried Ash. Butterfree zoomed back and fourth using its tackle, but the pink Butterfree still wasn't impressed.

"Shot down again." Said Lucy.

"Pika…" Pikachu sighed, which meant 'Not again…'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Poor Butterfree.'

"I wish that pink Butterfree would give Ash's Butterfree a chance." Said Lucy."

"I think we all wish for that." Said Misty. A helicopter being piloted by Team Rocket suddenly flew in.

"What the what?!" cried Ash.

"Judging by the font on the front, I think I already know who's in there." Said Lucy.

"Prepare for trouble!" cried Jessie.

"Make it double!" cried James.

"Yep, I knew it." Sighed 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!"

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!" The trio lowered a Team Rocket colored Poke Ball from the bottom of the chopper. Jessie let out a laugh.

"Look at all the Butterfree." She said.

"All ours for the taking." Said James. The Poke Ball revealed itself to be a giant butterfly net that had been made specifically for the purpose of capturing the Butterfree.

"Let's do some "net-working"!" cried Meowth. He gave a laugh right after saying that.

"Look! They're stealing the Butterfree!" cried Misty.

"It's those twerps again." Muttered James. "No matter where we go, those kids are always in our way."

"But this time, they can't do a thing to stop us!" cried Jessie. Meowth gave a triumphant laugh.

"Hey, knock it off!" cried Ash.

"Stop, or you're going to disrupt their entire egg-laying season!" cried Brock.

"Can't you see these Butterfree are in love?!" cried Lucy.

"We're in love too, little girl." Said Jessie. "With all the pretty Pokemon!"

"Those Butterfree aren't free anymore." Said James. Ash growled.

"We have to stop them." He said. As the Butterfree were all captured into the net, Team Rocket simply laughed at the group.

"Leave those Butterfree alone!" yelled the quartet of heroes. Jessie gave another laugh.

"We're having quite a spree!" she cried.

"We're swiping all the Butterfree!" cried Meowth.

"There's never been a happier me." Said James.

"Can't we speed this thing up and catch them?" asked Lucy.

"I'm trying, but their chopper's a lot faster." Said Brock. Ash's Butterfree soon flew side by side with Team Rocket's chopper. James gave a triumphant laugh

"Nothing but net!" he cried. The chopper flew ahead and captured the pink Butterfree, leaving Ash's Butterfree behind. He promised the pink Butterfree that he would save her. He then started attacking Team Rocket's chopper.

"That's it, Butterfree! Use your Tackle attack!" cried Ash. Butterfree tackled the chopper, but without success.

"Ha. That little insect think it can stop us." Said Jessie.

"Butterfree looks wiped out, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Butterfree, Stun Spore, now!" cried Ash. Butterfree performed the attack but it got blown away by the chopper's rotor blades.

"That won't do any good, Ash." Said Lucy. "The rotor blades will just blow away any powder or spore that Butterfree tries to throw at it!" James laughed again.

"That was a stunning failure." He said. Ash grabbed a Poke Ball.

"I guess I'll just have to use Pidgeotto." He said.

"Wait a minute, Ash, you can't do that!" cried Lucy. "Just think how Butterfree would feel. It's trying its' hardest out there!"

"Lucy's right, Ash." Said Misty. "Just look at him!" Ash looked and saw that Butterfree was trying its heart out to stop Team Rocket and relented.

"All right." Said Ash.

"All right! What a catch!" cried Jessie.

"Now let's hit the sky way!" cried Meowth. The chopper left the same way it arrived.

"Our thanks to all of you who came to see Team Rocket's latest triumph!" Said Jessie. "We hope to see you again…"

"Next time we steal the show." Said James.

"They're making a break for it!" cried Lucy.

"Hey! Come back here!" cried Ash. Butterfree zoomed after Team Rocket.

"Butterfree! After it!" cried Ash.

"Here goes!" cried Brock. They followed Butterfree and the chopper to a rocky canyon area.

"I don't see Butterfree, or Team Rocket." Said Misty.

"But it was flying as fast as it could." Said Lucy.

"I bet it'll follow that pink Butterfree no matter where they take it!" cried Brock.

"No doubt about it." Said Lucy. They started calling out to Butterfree.

"Butterfree, where are you?!" cried Ash.

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

"Butterfree!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Butterfree!'

"Please, Butterfree!" cried Misty.

"Hey, Butterfree!" cried Ash. After spending some time searching, the group finally found and heard Butterfree.

"There he is!" cried Lucy.

"Butterfree! What happened?" said Ash.

"Free! Free!" cried Butterfree, which meant 'They went that way!' It pointed the group in the direction Team Rocket had gone.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Nice work!'

"Is the pink Butterfree over there?" asked Misty. Butterfree nodded.

"Show us the way, Butterfree!" cried Ash. At a warehouse further on in the canyon, Team Rocket was counting all the Butterfree they had caught.

"Ninety-eight, Meowth. Ninety-nine, Meowth. One hundred, Meowth!" cried Meowth.

"A very nice catch." Said Jessie.

"Just between us, isn't it nice to have one of our schemes actually work for once?" said James.

"It feels great!" cried Meowth.

"We're at our best when we're at our worst." Said Jessie. "We finally got it back!"

"When the boss hears about this, I'll be top cat again." Said Meowth. Just then, the windows broke.

"Hey! Somebody's busting in!" cried Meowth.

"Who is it?!" cried Jessie. Ash and company burst in and started to copy Team Rocket's motto.

"Prepare for trouble!" cried Ash.

"And you can make that quadruple!" cried Lucy.

"To protect the world from devastation!" cried Brock.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"To defend the beauty of truth and love!" cried Misty.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!" cried Brock.

"Ash!"

"Lucy!"

"Misty!"

"And Brock too!"

"Together we blast off at the speed of light!" cried Ash.

"Surrender now, because we'll win the fight!" cried Lucy.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's right!' Team Rocket looked at the heroes with deadpan looks on their faces.

"This was just…." Said Jessie.

"Too good…" said James.

"To last." Said Meowth.

"You better believe it!" cried Ash.

"Like I said, we're defending the beauty of truth and love!" cried Misty.

"Let's do it!" cried Brock.

"We gotta stop them!" cried Meowth.

"Today's the one day…." Said Jessie.

"You won't win!" cried James.

"Butterfree, go!" cried Ash. Butterfree zoomed in on team Rocket and began attacking them.

"Staryu, give Butterfree some support!" cried Lucy. Her Staryu materialized out of its Poke Ball.

"Staryu, Tackle attack!" cried Lucy. Staryu's Tackle caused Team Rocket to run away as Butterfree attempted to break the net open. He was determined to rescue his beloved and show that he was the one for her. The pink Butterfree admired his bravery and determination. Finally, the net broke free, allowing all the Butterfree to escape.

"The Butterfree are getting away!" cried Meowth. "Do something!"

"Take this!" cried Jessie. She smacked Staryu into a wall with a sledgehammer.

"Hang in there, Staryu!" cried Lucy. Misty sprayed some water on it to rejuvenate it. Brock opened the warehouse door.

"Hurry up! Fly away!" he cried to the Butterfree flock. The Butterfree flew out to freedom as Team Rocket frantically tried to catch them.

"Are you all right, Butterfree?" asked Ash.

"He looks pretty winded." Said Lucy. The pink Butterfree flew up to Ash's Butterfree until James tried to catch her.

"I'll catch you!" he cried. Ash's Butterfree used its Tackle attack on James and knocked him back, making the pink Butterfree blush over the act of bravery. Team Rocket refused to give up, however, and returned to their chopper to try and capture the flock again.

"We won't let them get away!" cried Meowth. The chopper took off, with Ash and friends hot on their trail.

"Stop! Come back!" cried Brock.

"Wait!" cried Misty. Team Rocket's chopper raced after the Butterfree.

"We're going to get every one of them back!" cried Meowth. The heroes and the pink Butterfree took off in their hot air balloons in pursuit of Team Rocket.

"Hurry! Faster!" cried Misty.

"There they are over there!" cried Ash. Sure enough, Team Rocket was still in pursuit of the Butterfree flock.

"The flock of Butterfree!" cried Misty. Team Rocket activated their giant net a second time.

"No! They're going to do it again!" cried Ash.

"Not if we have a say in it!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Give me a lift!'

"Free!" cried Butterfree, which meant 'Right!' Butterfree flew towards the chopper with Pikachu on his back, much to the surprise of Team Rocket.

"What's that?" said Jessie. Butterfree and Pikachu flew closer to the chopper.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Look out!' Pikachu jumped at the chopper, landing on its windshield. He gave a smug look and started to charge up an electric attack, much to Team Rocket's horror!

"It's gonna zap us!" they cried. Pikachu charged and released his attack, causing the chopper to explode and send Pikachu flying until it was caught by Butterfree while Team Rocket fell into a deep crevice in the canyon.

"We were so close this time!" cried Meowth.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Jessie.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"A successful rescue mission!" cried Lucy.

"That'll teach 'em not to play around with Pokemon romance!" cried Misty. Pikachu and Butterfree triumphantly returned to the group.

"You did it, Pikachu! Great work!" said Ash.

"Pika….." said Pikachu, which meant "Oh, it was nothing.' The pink Butterfree approached Ash's Butterfree.

"Look!" cried Lucy. Everyone watched the pink Butterfree coo and sing around Ash's Butterfree.

"Free! Free! Free!" cried the pink Butterfree, which meant 'You saved me from those awful people!' It then started dancing.

"Look at this!" cried Ash.

"Now the pink Butterfree is doing the courtship dance for your Butterfree." Said Brock.

"All right! Good for you, Butterfree!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Yeah.' Ash's Butterfree happily joined the dance.

Later on, after the sun had gone down and the group was on land again…..

"I guess you have to leave now, don't you?" asked Ash.

"They have to cross the ocean so they can start their family." Said Brock.

"We'll miss you, Butterfree." Said Lucy.

"Well, Ah, it's time." Said Brock. Ash nodded.

"Listen, pink Butterfree, this Butterfree you're leaving with is very special." Said Ash. "It was one of the first Pokemon that I ever caught, so I want you to take good care of it for me."

"Free." Said the pink Butterfree, which meant 'I promise.'

"Your babies are going to be beautiful." Said Lucy. The pink Butterfree took to the air, but Ash's Butterfree looked sad.

"I'll just tell the other Pokemon that you're on a trip, and that you'll come back someday." Said Ash. Butterfree began to tear up, but as it started flying away with the pink Butterfree, it started to remember all the battles it had fought for Ash, including in the Cerulean gym against Misty. The pink Butterfree also remembered the lengths that Ash's Butterfree had gone to save it from team Rocket. They then stopped and started to make a joint decision together.

"What could they be deciding?" asked Misty.

"Whatever it is, It has to be something important." Said Brock. "Otherwise, they wouldn't still be just floating in the air while the other Butterfree are all flying away." The pink Butterfree and Ash's Butterfree watched the flock fly far off into the distance before flying back to Ash's group.

"Well, this is kind of interesting." Said Misty. "They're supposed to have gone already, but it looks like they want to remain together with us."

"Does that mean Butterfree's staying?!" cried Ash.

"I believe so." Said Brock. Ash was over the moon upon hearing this.

"I guess your Butterfree couldn't bear to be apart from you." Said Lucy. "That's why it decided to come back with the pink one."

"Well, old friend, it looks like we're sticking together." Said Ash. "Now, there's still the matter of the pink one." The pink Butterfree looked at Lucy and happily flapped its wing at her.

"Me? Are you sure about that?!" cried Lucy. The pink Butterfree nodded.

"Okay then!" cried Lucy. She grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it at the pink Butterfree. It immediately got sucked inside, and then the ping sound was heard.

"Brock, do you think our Butterfree made the right choice to stay with Lucy and I?" Ash asked.

"If this is what they want, then I would say that yes, they certainly did." Said Brock. Ash and Lucy both smiled. Good friendships last forever, and it certainly looks like the friendship between Ash's Butterfree and Lucy's new pink Butterfree will be lasting for quite a long time.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Pokemon: Pikachu, Spearow, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Clefairy, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Krabby

Lucy's Pokemon: Eevee, Beedrill, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 21: Abra and the Psychic Showdown

A woman was comfortable sitting in a chair and watching the quartet of Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty.

"So, now. Time for us to play." Squeaked the doll's voice. Ash and company are proceeding with their Pokemon journey. As we find them passing through a dark and mysterious forest, it seems that danger lurks behind every shadow. It also seems that they've lost their way yet again.

"So THIS is the way to Saffron City, huh?" said Ash. "I knew we shouldn't have listened to Misty. Now we'll never get out of this forest."

"Speak for yourself, mister know it all." Lucy retorted. "Your own sense of direction is bad enough as it is! In fact, it's so bad that you wouldn't even be able to find yourself in a mirror!"

"Misty cracks mirrors!" Ash countered.

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

"I do NOT!" snapped Misty. "You're just being a big baby!"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Guys!'

"That's enough, you three!" yelled Brock. "You don't want to be standing here and insulting each other like this."

"Yes, we do!" cried Ash, Misty and Lucy. As Pikachu and Eevee tried to stop the arguing, everyone heard and saw a little girl giggling and bouncing a ball.

"Guys, look!" cried Lucy. They all turned to look at the little girl.

"Uh, hello! Do you live around here?" said Ash. The little girl took her ball and ran off into the forest.

"Hey! Please don't run away!" cried Lucy. They started chasing the girl into the forest.

"Wait! We need directions! Wait up…." Said Ash. They kept running until Ash fell off a cliff.

"Bulbasaur!" he cried. Bulbasaur materialized and used its Vine Whip to catch Ash.

"Phew." Said Ash.

"Ash, are you okay?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah." Said Ash. Bulbasaur pulled Ash up the cliff and back to safety.

"I wonder where that little girl ran off to." Said Misty.

"Beats me. But look over there!" he cried. He pointed to the lights of Saffron City.

"Oh wow. It's beautiful!" cried Misty.

"Saffron City." Said Lucy.

"Sabrina's the leader of the Saffron gym." Brock said to Ash. "If you and Lucy defeat her, you both win a Marsh Badge."

"It won't be easy, though." Said Lucy. "The trainers here all specialize in psychic type Pokemon."

"Who cares? We'll beat them anyway!" cried Ash. "Look out Sabrina, because Lucy and I are coming for you!" The group soon reached the entrance to Saffron City.

"Now this is what I call a city!" cried Ash.

"Yeah." Said brock. As the group entered the city, firecrackers unexpectedly went off.

"What in the world?!" cried Lucy.

"This has to be some kind of ambush." Said Brock. Two hula girls gave Ash a lei and a kiss.

"Congratulations, winners!" they cried.

"Winners?!" cried Ash. "There's something really fish about this."

"Why should we win a prize just for walking into town?" Lucy asked.

"There's a simple explanation." Said hula girl number two.

"It just so happens that you're visitors number one million, one million and one, one million and two and one million and three to saffron City!" cried hula girl number one. Both of them started to hula dance.

"Oh, boy!" cried Ash. "Looks like our luck is starting to turn good!" The hula girls led the heroes to a building.

"Right this way to the grand prize room." Said Hula girl number one.

"Please, step lively." Said Hula girl number two. The second girl was wearing rubber gloves and quickly snatched both Pikachu and Eevee. The voice proved to belong to James.

"Thank you for your Pikachu and Eevee." Said James. Everyone turned in surprise.

"Hey! You can't take…." Said Lucy. Jessie and James put their hands over Ash and Lucy's faces.

"You won a trip through the warp tile!" cried Jessie. She and James shoved Ash and Lucy into Brock and Misty, making them land on the warp tile and disappear.

"That was easy!" cried James. Ash and company in landed in another room.

"What's going on here?" said Ash. "If this is the grand prize room, then where are all the prizes?"

"Can't that stupid brain of yours ever put two and two together?!" cried Lucy. "The only thing that we won is this trap!"

"There aren't any doors or windows in this room." Brock observed. Jessie's voice was soon heard.

"Bingo." She said. "The only way in or out of that room is through the warp tile. There's no way to escape."

"What are you talking about?" said Ash. A television screen came down showing Team Rocket in disguise.

"Good evening." Said Jessie and James. "You're watching the premiere "Prepare for Trouble, Make it Double" Show!" They quickly removed the disguises.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Ash. "Ew! Gross! They both kissed me!" He ripped of the lei that had been strung around his neck. "Bleh! Bleh! Bleh! Bleh! Bleh! Bleh!"

"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!" While Team Rocket was reciting their motto, Ash and his friends simply sat on the floor and drank tea.

"Hey! Don't just sit there and ignore us!" cried Jessie and James.

"Their show is pretty boring." Said Lucy.

"It'll get cancelled soon." Said Ash.

"We're boring? Afraid of being forgotten?" said James.

"Just you wait." Said Jessie. "We'll pull of something that they or anyone else won't soon forget, because we have something that will grab their attention." She and James stepped aside to show Pikachu and Eevee tied up and gagged, with Meowth guarding the two Pokemon.

"Because now its time for our special guests'….." said Jessie.

"Farewell performance!" cried Meowth.

"You better give Pikachu back right now!" cried Ash.

"Same goes for my Eevee!" cried Lucy. The television screen abruptly turned off.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" cried Ash.

"Turn that back on!" yelled Lucy.

Inside the control room that Team Rocket had set up…..

"James, something's wrong." Said Jessie.

"Turn it on!" cried Meowth.

"We can't! Nothing's working!" cried James.

"That's what happens when you work with amateurs!" said Meowth. He then noticed something.

"Hey, you guys!" he cried.

"Can't you see that we're a little busy right now?" said jessie.

"Yeah, but who's the kid?" said Meowth. Jessie and James turned around and saw the same little girl the heroes had seen earlier.

"How did you get into this room, little girl?" said Jessie. "You don't belong here."

"You can't just come barging in here whenever you please." Said James. The little girl smiled and started glowing, which made Team Rocket freeze in place.

"I can't move! I'm frozen!" cried James.

"So am I!" cried Jessie.

"You want me to turn down the air conditioning?" said Meowth. The little girl untied Pikachu and Eevee and disappeared with them.

"James, I can't move!" cried Jessie.

"Me neither!" cried James.

Back in the trap room…

"Team Rocket, give me back Pikachu!" yelled Ash.

"And Eevee too!" cried Lucy. They then heard some laughter and saw the same little girl holding Pikachu and Eevee.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"So, it's you again!" cried Ash. The girl allowed Pikachu and Eevee to run back to their trainers.

"Are you the one who saved Pikachu and Eevee?" asked Lucy. The little girl nodded her head yes.

"Thank you! We owe you one!" cried Ash. The girl glowed again, much to everyone's shock.

"We better watch out." Said Misty. "That's no ordinary little girl!"

"So, what is she then?" said Ash. The girl pointed to the heroes and they glowed as she did.

"Hey, what's going on?!" cried Ash. The girl laughed again, and the heroes reappeared outside.

"How did we end up outside again?" said Misty.

"I think that little girl did this." Said Lucy.

"She must've done something to get us out of there." Said Ash.

"We should be okay, as long as we don't have to win anymore prizes." Said Brock.

"The only prizes I want to win are the ones on game shows." Said Lucy. She looked around and noticed a building right in front of them.

"What's that?" said Ash. A man who was jogging came up to them.

"You've come to Saffron City and you don't even know Sabrina's gym?" he asked.

"So, that's Sabrina's gym." Said Ash.

"If you and your friend are trying to enter the Pokemon League, then this is one gym I suggest that you stay away from." Said the man.

"But why?" asked Lucy. The man jogged back into the city without answering the question.

"Where's he going?" said Ash.

"I don't know, but he sure was weird." Said Lucy. "Plus, without Marsh Badges, you and I can't compete in the Pokemon League."

"Right, Lucy. Let's go." Said Ash. The group entered the gym.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" asked Ash.

"The lights are on, but nobody's home." Said Lucy.

"There's definitely something creepy about this place." Said Misty.

"Hey, guys, look in there!" cried Brock. Everyone took a look through the window and saw people in white coats doing experiments meant to determine if somebody had psychic abilities or not. One person was demonstrating this by guessing what shape was on a card without seeing it and another person was bending spoons.

"What kind of place is this?" said Ash. An unidentified man wearing a white lab coat and mask approached them.

"What are you all doing here?" he asked.

"Lucy and I have come to ask for a Pokemon match so we can earn a Marsh Badge." Said Ash.

"You two wish to challenge the great Sabrina?" asked the man.

"Sure do." Said Lucy.

"Excuse me, but what are all those people doing in that room?" asked Misty.

"You know so little, yet you wish to challenge the great Sabrina." Said the man. He held out a spoon and tried to make it bend, but only barely succeeded in doing so.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ash.

"You look like you've got a headache." Said Lucy.

"Fools! It's telekinesis." Said the man. "You can't control a psychic type Pokemon completely without using telekinetic powers."

"That's what you think." Said Ash. "Telekinesis is okay, but I have my own method of bending spoons." He tried to bend the spoons using just his raw strength alone. He succeeded, but at the cost of embarrassing the man as well as the rest of his group.

"Muscle over mind!" said Ash.

"Embarrassing." Said Misty.

"Just pretend we never met him before." Said Brock.

"That's just lame." Said Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'That's worse than lame. It's degrading.'

"Now, take us to Sabrina so we can start the match!" cried Ash.

"As you both wish." Said the man. He led them to the battlefield.

"Here we are." He said.

"This looks more like a temple than a Pokemon gym." Said Brock.

"Whatever it's like, I don't like it at all." Said Misty.

"Okay, now THIS is a little creepy." Said Lucy. The man bowed his head.

"Oh, great Sabrina!" he cried. "These strangers have come and two of them would like to challenge you. Though I don't know why you'd waste your time on this group of losers." He gave a laugh. The little girl from before appeared to the surprise of everyone.

"It's the little girl who brought back Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Lucy. The little girl looked at the heroes, but this time, her eyes were glowing red. The man started writhing in pain and glowed just as the girl had when she had saved Pikachu and Eevee.

"Forgive me great one! It's not my place to decide who you battle!" cried the man. He stopped glowing and ran out of the room in terror.

"I told you there was something strange about her!" cried Misty.

"Right, but who is she?" asked Brock.

"Are you really Sabrina?" said Lucy. The little girl started giggling.

"Sabrina! Me and my friend Ash demand official matches to compete for our Marsh Badges!" cried Lucy.

"I'd like to have a match with you two." Said the little girl. "I'll start with you, Lucy."

"That was easy." Said Lucy.

"But if you lose, you have to be friends and let me play with you." Said the little girl.

"Be your friends? Okay, you bet!" cried Ash.

"Be careful, you two." Said Misty. "Brock and I will watch from the sidelines."

"Hey, you gotta have a little more faith in us." Said Ash. "Even if she does have some sort of telekinetic powers, she's still just a little girl." The other got a look of shock.

"Just don't let your guard down, guys." Said Brock. The gate lifting Sabrina and the others lifted, and it was then revealed that the girl was just a doll, and the actual Sabrina was much older.

"Time for us to play." Said Sabrina. The doors closed behind the group as the match was about to start.

"So you're really Sabrina, the gym leader." Said Ash.

"Ash, Lucy, I hope you're both ready." Said Misty.

"Sabrina looks like a strong opponent." Said Brock. Sabrina levitated from her throne to the battlefield.

"How many Pokemon will we use, miss Sabrina?" asked Lucy.

"This will be a one on one battle." Said Sabrina. Her doll let go of the Poke Ball it was holding and it flew toward the battlefield.

"Come on out, Abra." Said Sabrina. Abra materialized. Lucy grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" she cried. Her brand new pink Butterfree materialized.

"Let the battle begin." Said Sabrina.

"Butterfree, use your Tackle attack!" cried Lucy. Butterfree flew in for a Tackle and struck Abra. Lucy expected a response from the psychic type, but was surprised to find that it was asleep.

"I don't get it." Said Lucy. "Why is there a sleeping Pokemon out on the field?" She took out Dexter in hopes of getting an answer.

"Abra, a psychic power Pokemon. It sleeps eighteen hours a day, but deploys telekinesis, even while sleeping."

"Telekinesis? That can make things completely unpredictable." Said Lucy. "Well, as long as it's asleep, we can get in as many attacks as necessary. Butterfree, use your Stun Spore!" Butterfree started spraying gold dust, but Abra vanished into thin air to avoid the move. It then reappeared behind Lucy.

"It teleported itself!" cried Misty. Abra continued to teleport all around, and no matter what Butterfree did, it couldn't land a hit.

"Don't give up, Butterfree!" cried Lucy. "Try your Whirlwind!" Butterfree flapped its wings in the hopes of getting Abra caught in the wind, but it teleported yet again. This time, to the top of the gym.

"This is no good. It'll just keep teleporting no matter what I do." Said Lucy. "Unless…." She started to think of something, and then it hit her.

"This has to be the answer." She said. "Butterfree, use your Psybeam all over the place!" Butterfree launched the beam out of her eyes, but Abra was still teleporting itself. Wherever it went, Butterfree changed the direction of its attack. But then Abra made the mistake of looking right into the beam and got hit hard onto the floor.

"Finally! Now, go for Sleep Powder!" cried Lucy. Butterfree sprayed sleep dust all over the now weakened Abra, which knocked it out.

"Yes! Great work, Butterfree!" cried Lucy. Her Butterfree flew happily around the arena in celebration. Sabrina recalled her Abra.

"That was an enjoyable battle, young lady." She said. "Your battling skills are some of the most impressive that I've seen out of anyone that's challenged me. I am pleased to award you a Marsh Badge as proof of your win here." Lucy gladly took the badge and held it up high.

"I got myself a Marsh Badge!" she cried, and struck a victory pose. She recalled her Butterfree and stepped aside so that Ash could have his battle.

"Your friend may have been lucky enough to defeat me, but that doesn't mean your fortunes will be the same." Said Sabrina. "Just like the last battle, this will be a one on one all out match." Her doll took another Poke Ball and levitated it into the air.

"I choose you, Kadabra." She said. A Pokemon larger than Abra and had a star on its forehead appeared.

"What's that?" said Ash. He got his Pokedex out.

"Kadabra, a Psychic Pokemon. The evolved form of Abra. It employs powerful telekinetic attacks."

"Be careful, Ash, Kadabra's really powerful!" cried Misty.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. Pikachu unleashed the attack, but both Sabrina's eyes and Kadabra's eyes glowed red. Kadabra quickly disappeared via Teleport and then reappeared behind Pikachu.

"How did….." Ash started to say.

"Like both Misty and Dexter said, Kadabra's extremely powerful." Said Lucy. "It can emit alpha waves strong enough to induce headaches, make clocks run the opposite direction and even cause devices to break. The more danger Kadabra faces, the stronger the waves become."

"But that means….." said Ash.

"Yeah, you and Pikachu are gonna have a tough time trying to win this, buddy." Said Lucy.

"We'll figure out a way." Said Ash. "Besides, it's against the rules for a Pokemon to leave the stadium during battle, even by teleportation. Pikachu, fill this whole stadium with lightning! Hit it with your best shock!" Pikachu used a powerful attack to surround the stadium, which almost caused Kadabra to be trapped. Before the stadium even had a chance to be surrounded, however, Kadabra used its' psychic powers to control the attack, much to the surprise of Ash and his other friends.

"Now what?" said Ash.

"Confusion." Said Sabrina. Kadabra redirected the attack towards Pikachu.

"Whoa! Kadabra made Pikachu's lightning bolts look like a dragon!" cried Lucy. Despite Pikachu's fast running, the attack nailed him.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"No!" cried Lucy.

"Psychic attack." Said Sabrina. Her eyes began to glow red. Kadabra's eyes also gave a red glow as it used telekinesis to force Pikachu to stand.

"That's right, Pikachu. Don't give up!" cried Ash. Pikachu then started doing something else under Kadabra's control.

"Look at this. Pikachu's dancing!" cried Ash.

"That's no dance! Kadabra's using its powers to control Pikachu's body." Said Misty.

"Huh?" said Ash. Kadabra then started slamming Pikachu up the ceiling.

"Pikachu!" Ash cried again. Kadabra brought the electric type down with another slam, then repeated the process over and over again.

"You better call off the match, Ash." Lucy suggested. "I don't think Pikachu can take too much more of this." Ash wanted to object, but he knew that Lucy was right. What good of a trainer would he be if he continued to let Pikachu get pounded repeatedly? He did the only sensible thing that he could do in this situation.

"That's it! STOP THE MATCH!" yelled Ash. He ran onto the battlefield and picked up his partner.

"Good call, Ash." said Lucy.

"Pikachu, are you all right?" asked Ash.

"Ka." Pikachu answered weakly, which meant 'Yeah.'

"I forfeit." Said Ash. Sabrina's doll spoke next.

"Be my friend." She said. "You promised I could play with you."

"Only if we lost." Lucy pointed out. "I won my battle earlier, so I shouldn't be subject to that promise."

"It doesn't matter." Said the doll. "Your friend there lost, and that means it's time to play." The doll's eyes glowed red as Ash, Misty, Brock, Lucy, Pikachu and Eevee were teleported away to what looked to be a small town neighborhood.

"Where are we now?" said Ash.

"It looks like we've been teleported again." Said Brock.

"Sabrina must've teleported us from the gym." Said Misty.

"But to where?" asked Lucy. "This place looks like a ghost town."

"Ghost town is right. This place is completely empty." Said Brock.

"I'll take a look around." Said Ash.

"We'll come with you, Ash." Said Misty.

"Since we don't know where we are, we should all stick together." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Good idea.'

"I wonder if there's anybody here to tell us where we are." Said Ash.

"Unlikely. As Brock said before, this place is totally empty." Said Lucy. "But I suppose we can check the houses anyway." The group entered a house that was right near where they had landed.

"Is anybody home?" said Ash. "Please, can someone help us?"

"Apologies for the interruption, but what my friend said was, is anybody at home?" asked Lucy. Ash spotted a table that was set up with tea and cake.

"Somone HAS to be here if they have the table all set up like that." Said Lucy.

"That cake looks delicious!" cried Brock.

"Sabrina wanted to play with us, but I guess we're having lunch first." Said Ash. He rushed for the table before being stopped by Lucy.

"It's not nice to start eating before everyone's seated." She said. She noticed Brock picking up the cake.

"Hey!" she cried.

"I'm sorry, but I just can't resist." Said Brock. He bit down on the cake, but hurt himself. He then let out a scream.

"This cake is fake!" he cried.

"Fake?" said Misty.

"I wonder what's in here." Said Ash. He opened the door to the bathroom and saw someone in there.

"I'm very sorry!" said Ash. "I didn't think anybody was home." Lucy sighed.

"That's why you don't walk in on someone when they're in the bathroom." She said.

"Pika. Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, look again.' Upon second inspection, Ash saw that the person was actually a doll.

"Something's not right here." He said.

"What's not right?" asked Lucy.

"Lucy, look! That thing in front of me is a doll!" Ash cried Lucy took a look at the doll.

"I think I know what's going on here." She said. "All of us are trapped inside a doll house."

"This is a doll house?!" cried Ash.

"That's why there's dolls everywhere in here and why the whole town is empty." Said Lucy.

"That's also why the cake and tea and all the other food are made out of plastic!" added Brock.

"How can that be?" said Ash.

"I think Sabrina's responsible for all of this." Said Lucy. Just then, they all felt what looked like an earthquake. The roof of the house opened up and a giant Sabrina appeared.

"Now I can play with you all!" the doll giggled.

"She's pretty tall for a little girl." Said Ash.

"Correction, Ash. We're the ones who got smaller." Said Lucy. "We all got shrunk to doll size!" Sabrina's doll laughed as Sabrina herself reached down for the group.

"Should we run for our lives?" said Ash. Brock, Misty and Lucy all nodded. The four of them started running for it, just narrowly escaping Sabrina's reach.

"She's just as big and dangerous as that Tentacruel we encountered in Porta Vista!" cried Lucy.

"How can we get away from her?" said Ash.

"The houses, the streets, they're all her toys!" cried Misty.

"Then that means….." said Ash.

"We're trapped inside her toy box!" cried Lucy.

"She must have used telekinesis to shrink us." Said Brock.

"When she said she wanted to play with us, she really meant it!" cried Ash. They continued running as Sabrina and her doll watched them.

"A dead end!" cried Brock. Giant thumps were then heard from behind them.

"What's that?!" cried Ash. They turned and saw Sabrina's doll walking and bouncing its ball.

"She's coming this way!" cried Misty.

"Uh oh!" cried Brock.

"We're gonna have a ball!" cried Ash.

"This is like what happened to Jack in Jack and the Beanstalk when he first saw the giant!" cried Lucy. The doll stopped and her ball stopped bouncing.

"I wanna play catch!" the doll cried. Sabrina tossed the ball and it began rolling toward the group.

"We're gonna get squished!" cried Lucy. The doll laughed, but before the ball could reach the group, the jogging man from before appeared in front of them.

"Listen! Let your minds rely on mine!" he yelled.

"That means focus on him!" cried Lucy. The ball got closer, but before it could hit the group, the man teleported them away from the toy box.

"That was fun! Let's play again sometime!" cried the doll.

Meanwhile, the group reappeared in Saffron City.

"I think we're out of the toy box!" cried Lucy.

"Yep, this looks like a real place to me." Said Brock. "We made it!" They looked and saw the jogging man standing in front of them.

"He must've saved us." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'He did!'

"Thanks for the help." Said Ash.

"Yeah, we would've been squished for sure otherwise." Said Lucy.

"But why did you decide to rescue us?" asked Misty.

"Sabrina is a dangerous Pokemon trainer." Said the man. "I was able to help you this time, but that won't be the case next time. You'll be trapped in the toy box for all eternity!" Everyone was shocked to hear that.

"Give up your crazy idea of challenging Sabrina." He continued. "Leave Saffron City and never come back here!"

"I can't do that!" cried Ash. "I have to win Sabrina's Marsh Badge so I can get into the Pokemon League!"

"I already beat her and got my own Marsh Badge." Said Lucy. She showed it to the man.

"You were very fortunate to defeat Sabrina, young lady." He said. "But as for your friend, he will never be able to defeat Sabrina and her psychic Pokemon."

"Yes I will!" cried Ash. "I just need to make a quicker attack before her psychic powers can kick in." The man's eyes started glowing red and used his own power to make Ash dance around. Lucy covered her eyes in disgust.

"Ash, what do you think you're doing?!" she cried.

"It's not me, Lucy! My body's moving by itself!" cried Ash.

"If you can't beat me, then you stand no chance against Sabrina." Said the man. His eyes stopped glowing and Ash stopped dancing, allowing Lucy to take her hands off her eyes.

"What do you mean? Are you able to use telekinesis too?" said Ash. "Please, teach me how to use psychic powers!" The man pushed Ash back with his power by pointing his finger.

"You normally have to be born with telekinetic power. You can't just learn them." He said. He started walking away, but Ash got up.

"Please, wait!" he cried.

"Forget about it, Ash!" cried Brock.

"You haven't got a chance against telekinesis!" cried Misty.

"That sure won't stop him." Said Lucy.

"I may not have telekinesis, but I still have the guts to take on Sabrina again!" cried Ash. The stranger's eyes glowed again and Ash was lifted into the air and thrown back.

"Wise up, kid. Not even I have the power to defeat Sabrina." Said the man. "Guts don't count in this contest. I'm telling you this for your own good." Ash got up again.

"Ash, don't!" cried Misty.

"You better call it quits!" cried Brock.

"Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Please.' The man stopped Ash in his tracks and forced him down to his knees. Ash forcefully crawled forward, however.

"He's really going through with this." Said Lucy.

"Ash, give it up!" cried Ash.

"Please! I need your help." Said Ash. "I have to defeat Sabrina for the Marsh Badge. You have to help me beat her. Please, show me how!" He finally collapsed at the man's feet.

"That's one determined kid." Said the man. He smiled and released Ash from his power.

"There may just be a way that you can beat her." The man said.

"How?" said Ash.

"Only one type of Pokemon can battle against psychic types." The man answered. "If you capture a ghost Pokemon from Lavender Town, you might have a chance." Lucy shuddered at the mere mention of Lavender Town.

"No! Not there! Anywhere but there!" cried Lucy.

"A ghost Pokemon from Lavender Town. Thank you." Said Ash. The man teleported away, and Ash collapsed onto the ground. Brock, Lucy and Misty rushed to his aid.

"Are you okay?" said Brock.

"You haven't got a chance against a Psychic Pokemon." Said Misty.

"Ha! Let's go! On to Lavender Town!" cried Ash. Lucy gulped.

"I was afraid he was going to say that!" she cried. Who is the mysterious bearded man? And what's the secret of Saffron City gym leader Sabrina? Will Ash be able to capture a Ghost Pokemon? Only the future can tell us the answers to those questions.

Meanwhile, Meowth was pulling a frozen Jessie and James by the ropes.

"Still can't move a muscle, huh?" he said.

"We're paralyzed." Said Jessie.

"Now I know how a statue feels!" cried James.

"Meowth! This is getting to be a real drag." Said Meowth.

"Maybe we should call the psychic hotline!" cried James.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 22: The Tower Of Terror

After being overpowered by Sabrina's psychic Pokemon in Saffron City, Ash learned from a mysterious man how he might be able to defeat her. Now he and his friends are on their way to Lavender Town to try and capture one of the Ghost Pokemon that reside in the dreaded Pokemon Tower.

"The fog's coming in and that's not good." Said Ash.

"Just what we need, a thick soup to make the road to Lavender Town seem even creepier than the place itself." Said Lucy. "I told you I didn't want to go there, Ash, but as always, you just had to be stubborn."

"Well there's no turning back now." Said Ash. "Anyway, we better be super careful so that we don't get separated."

"Everybody, hold hands and stay together!" instructed Brock.

"Okay." Said Misty. She took Brock's hand and Ash took Lucy's.

"Hey Ash, where are you?" called Brock.

"Up here!" cried Ash.

"What do you mean "here"?" said Brock.

"He means he's up ahead." Said Lucy.

"Ah, there you are!" cried Brock. He raced ahead and grabbed what he thought was Ash's hand, but he grabbed Pikachu's tail by mistake. Pikachu was surprised by this and gave Brock an electric shock. As a result, Brock gave a loud scream and yell, which frightened almost everyone.

"Brock, please be more careful." Said Misty. "Don't you know how scared it makes me when you yell like that?"

"Well, you guys, you sure scared me!" cried Ash. He gave a spooky laugh. Misty screamed.

"Say what?!" she cried.

"Are you okay, Ash?" said Lucy. "You sound like a ghost."

"Well, Lucy, that's because I am a ghost!" cried Ash. He turned to look at her while wearing a skeleton mask. "Bleh!" Everyone else screamed and panicked, and Lucy's face turned pale.

"I think I'm gonna hurl!" she cried. Ash gave a normal laugh.

"Sorry guys, I was just testing you." He said, and removed the mask. "If we're going to catch a ghost Pokemon, we have to learn to deal with fear. That's the only way we're going to be great Pokemon trainers." The reaction he got from his friends for that trick wasn't quite what he expected, as his friends were very annoyed at him.

"YOU MUST BE CRAZY!" yelled Misty.

"ASH KETCHUM, DON'T YOU EVER SCARE US LIKE THAT AGAIN!" yelled Lucy.

"CHU!" yelled Pikachu, which meant 'EVER!' He gave Ash a loud shock, and Eevee just glared at him.

"We've got enough things to scare us without your boneheaded jokes!" cried Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Not cool!'

"Eevee!" yelled Eevee, which meant 'Not cool at all!' Lucy was more furious with Ash than Pikachu and Eevee were, and she even bonked him on the head to prove it.

"That wasn't funny at all, Ash!" she cried. "You really scared us! I really wish you would think first and act later."

"I guess I'll just save the masks until next year's Halloween." Said Ash.

"I should hope so!" scolded Lucy. Soon, the group arrived in Lavender Town.

"There's Lavender Town. I'm glad we got here before it got dark." Said Ash.

"And in the distance is the famous Pokemon Tower." Said Lucy. "It's the home of all the ghost type Pokemon in this region. Although, I was hoping I'd never have to see this place again."

"How do you know about the tower, Lucy?" asked Misty.

"I've been there before, and it wasn't a good experience." Said Lucy. "There's a bit of a story behind this. I'll tell it to you guys on the way to the tower." As the group started walking toward the tower, Lucy began her story.

"It all happened on a Halloween night when I was seven." She said. "My dad brought me here for a little visit, and it started well at first. But then, we saw something, or someone, nearby. It looked like a woman in a white dress, and she seemed lost or something. We tried flagging her down, but she didn't answer. So we followed her for what seemed like forever, but it was really only an hour. Anyway, my dad and I stumbled upon the tower that you see in front of you, which my dad told me was called the Pokemon Tower. It was called that because the place was known to have ghost Pokemon living there. The door was open, so we walked right on in."

"What happened after that?" asked Ash.

"My dad let me explore the tower by myself." Said Lucy. "During the course of my exploring, I came across what appeared to be a room filled with child's play toys. I happily helped myself and started playing with all the blocks that were scattered about. While I played, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I thought it was weird, but when I turned around, nobody was there. So I went back to playing, all the while, thinking that what had tapped me was just something from my imagination. But a little while later, I felt that same tapping sound again. I turned around again, and this time, I found myself face to face with one of the ghost Pokemon. That was when I realized that it WASN'T my imagination at all. It was actually real. I screamed as loud as I could and ran all the way back down the stairs to the entrance where my dad was. 'What's wrong, honey?' he would ask me. 'Daddy, I saw a ghost!' I cried. My dad just laughed and told me that ghosts weren't real. But then out of nowhere, another one of them appeared where we were standing and tried to get me to laugh by making funny faces at me. Instead, I screamed even louder and we got out of there as fast as possible. Since then, I've been afraid of ghost type Pokemon. And that's why I didn't want to come here."

"You must've been scared." Said Ash.

"I was very scared, Ash." Said Lucy. "I hate ghost Pokemon, and I don't want to go anywhere near one." They soon heard some rustling around in the bushes.

"What's that?" said Ash. A Cubone soon appeared, but it was crying.

"Oh, you poor little thing." Said Lucy.

"I bet he's thinking about his mother." Said Brock.

"I do remember the Pokedex mentioning something about its mother being dead when we saw one a while ago." Said Ash. Lucy knelt down to Cubone's level.

"You miss your mom, don't you?" she asked. Cubone gave a sad nod.

"Such a small Pokemon like this shouldn't be out on its own." Said Brock. Lucy picked up the Cubone and hugged him tightly.

"I may not be your mother, Cubone, but if you'll let me, I promise that I'll take good care of you." She said. "What do you think?" Cubone stopped crying and smiled at Lucy.

"Looks like you just made a new friend, Lucy." Said Misty. Lucy got out a Poke Ball and tapped it on Cubone's head. The small little guy allowed himself to be sucked inside and caught.

"I think that's the sweetest thing I've ever seen." Said Brock. "I think you're a perfect match for Cubone."

"Thank you, Brock." Said Lucy. "I certainly think so myself." Cubone's ball teleported to Oak's lab due to her having six Pokemon on hand. The group then continued onwards to the tower, and by the time they arrived there, it had gotten dark despite the fact that it was obviously still the middle of the day. Lucy gulped nervously.

"Well, we've arrived." She said.

"Looks like it's always dark around here." Said Misty.

"This is the Pokemon Tower, where Ghost Pokemon hang out." Said Brock.

"I like what they've done with the place." Said Ash.

"It hasn't changed a bit since the last time I was here." Said Lucy.

"Okay, Ash, time for you to prove how great of a trainer you are!" cried Misty.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"We'll let you handle this one alone." Said Brock. Ash was speechless!

"Wait a minute! You promised you'd help me catch a ghost Pokemon when we got to Lavender Town!" he cried.

"I don't remember promising that!" cried Misty. She, Lucy and Brock all moved back.

"You know how to deal with fear, Ash!" cried Brock.

"Aren't you coming going to come in with me, Lucy?" asked Ash.

"No way!" cried Lucy. "I'm not going in there where all those ghost Pokemon are! I'm staying right here with Brock and Misty."

"Fine. Stay there if you want, but I'm not scared at all." Said Ash. "I'm not letting some stupid ghost Pokemon prevent me from being a great Pokemon trainer. Right, Pikachu?" Much to Ash's surprise, Pikachu curled up into a sleeping bad and fell asleep.

"Pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Good night.'

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. "On second thought, maybe Pikachu has the right idea. Let's do this in the morning." He got into his own sleeping bag, much to everyone's disbelief.

"Don't wake me up too early, okay?" he said. "Night, guys." Lucy wasn't having any of Ash's nonsense.

"Time to wake up!" she cried. She gave a loud bang on a gong, forcing Ash and Pikachu awake.

"That was kind of excessive, don't you think?" said Brock.

"Maybe I'll be braver tomorrow morning." Said Ash.

In the tower, Team Rocket was watching the group.

"There they are. I'm so glad they could make it!" cried Jessie.

"I'm no psychic, but I see success in our future." Said James.

"This time, Pikachu and Eevee are in the bag." Said Meowth.

"Let's get started." Said Jessie. James began running for the exit but fell through the old wooden floor.

"Hey!" cried Meowth.

"James, are you all right?" asked Jessie. She and Meowth looked down below them and saw James' face down on the floor below.

"The floor broke his fall." Said Meowth.

"These old places can be so dangerous." Said Jessie. The closet door behind her and Meowth opened, and when Meowth turned around, he spotted the face of a Gastly.

"What's that there?" he asked. The Gastly fully appeared, exited the closet, yawned and spooked Meowth, causing him to let out a scream.

"Meowth! Where are your manners?" said Jessie. "It's impolite to leave your mouth hanging open like that."

"Look behind you. Look behind you!" cried Meowth.

"What are you stammering?" said Jessie.

"Behind you! Look there! Right there!" cried Meowth.

"Behind me?" asked Jessie. She did look behind her, but the Gastly disappeared.

"There's nothing there." Said Jessie. "You must be seeing things."

"It was right there!" cried Meowth. The Gastly lowered itself onto Jessie's head and moved its mouth in sync with Jessie's voice.

"Don't tell me you're seeing things again." Said Jessie.

"Get away!" screamed Meowth. He mistakenly scratched Jessie instead of the Gastly, making her scream in pain.

"It slipped." Said Meowth.

"You numskull! You ruined my beautiful face!" cried Jessie. She hit Meowth with a mallet and knocked him around the room and then down to James below.

"It's only a scratch." Said Meowth. Jessie got out a mirror and sighed.

"A tragedy. My face. Perfection has been ruined." She said. The Gastly then appeared over Jessie's head again, making her scream and fall down to her teammates.

"You're right! This place is too dangerous!" cried James.

"Thanks for breaking my fall." Said Jessie. They soon fell through the old floor and into the basement, with their screams startling Ash and his friends.

"You guys heard that, right?" said Ash. Everyone nodded.

"It sounds really horrible in there." Said Misty.

"They must have some kind of torture chamber in there." Said Lucy.

"Tortue chamber?!" cried Ash.

In the basement, Team Rocket had landed and Jessie punched Meowth.

"This has got to be a nightmare." Said Jessie. Gastly soon appeared and frightened all of them to the point of fainting. The screams were heard by Ash and company.

"Those screams again!" cried Misty.

"I heard a different voice that time." Said Brock.

"Those voices are familiar. I feel like we've heard them before." Said Ash.

"Let's go inside and find out what they are." Said Brock.

"You two go in first, Ash." Said Lucy. She started pushing Ash and Misty, with Brock following.

"Pick on us, huh? Well, here goes nothing. I hope." He said. The friends carefully entered the Pokemon Tower.

"Hello there? Anybody home?" said Ash.

"It's kind of dark in here." Said Misty. The door closed on them.

"Now it's pitch black!" cried Misty. "Do something, quick!"

"Charmander, I choose you!" cried Ash. Charmander materialized out of the Poke Ball.

"Use Flamethrower to light up this whole area." Said Ash. Charmander obliged, but he got tired quickly.

"Maybe we should come back tomorrow when it's daylight." Said Misty.

"Have you ever heard of a ghost that comes out during the day?" said Ash.

"Look! I found a candle." Said brock.

"Charmander, light that candle for us." Said Ash. Charmander lit the candle, but accidentally burned Brock in the process.

"Light the candle, not me!" cried Brock. Ash and Misty followed Brock as he lit the way.

"Watch your step. There's a hole in the floor." Said Misty. Creepy laughter was then heard.

"Where are those voices coming from?" asked Misty.

Elsewhere in the tower, a Haunter and Gengar were watching a comedy on the television set when Gastly came in to join the fun.

"Might as well check this room first." Said Brock.

"Maybe we should just get out of here!" cried Misty. "No wonder Lucy didn't want to come into the tower with us."

"No way we can turn back now." Said Ash. "We have to go in!" The friends entered the room, which was revealed to be a dining room.

"Hey, Ghost Pokemon! If you're in there, say hello!" called Brock.

"I'm going to capture you!" cried Ash.

"Don't say that." Said Misty. "If they hear you, they'll know you're trying to capture them and they'll stay in their hiding spots. Lucy would say the same thing if she had come in the tower with us."

Outside the tower….

"I hope Ash is doing okay in there." Said Lucy.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Are you sure you don't want to go in the tower?'

"I'm positive, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'Let's explore the town on our own.'

"I don't think that's a good idea." Said Lucy. "I'm pretty sure Ash will be back soon, so we should probably wait for him."

Inside…..

"What's this?" asked Ash.

"It looks like….." said Brock. "This looks like some sort of fancy restaurant."

"It looks more like a party to me." Said Misty. "Or maybe it's some kind of reception."

"I don't think anyone would be wanting to have a wedding reception in a creepy place like this." Said Ash. He then noticed something hanging down from the ceiling.

"What's that string?" said Ash.

"It looks like there's something written on the card." Said Brock. "It says 'pull this.' Hmm, something seems fishy here."

"Not that old trick again." Said Misty.

"Well, why not?" said Ash. "If the sign says to do something, we should listen. Right, Pikachu?"

"Pika." Pikachu answered, which meant 'Right.'

"Wait! Don't pull that!" cried Misty. Ash pulled the string anyway, and out came confetti and streamers, along with a welcome sign.

"Are we…..?" said Ash.

"Being welcomed?" said Misty.

"If so, then by who?" wondered Brock. Misty then noticed the items on the dinner table starting to move.

"Look!" she cried. Everything at the table, including the chairs, started levitating into the air, scaring the three of them. Then, Brock was swept off his feet.

"Help me!" cried Brock.

"Bulbasaur, get brock down with your Vine Whip!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur materialized out of the thrown Poke Ball and wrapped his vines around brock, bringing him back to safety.

"Thanks, Bulbasaur." Said Ash. He recalled the grass type and the three of them jumped out the window onto solid ground outside.

"I can't believe we managed to escape." Said Brock.

"There's no way I'm going back into that tower!" cried Misty. "It's way too scary in there!"

"Me either!" cried Brock.

"Now do you guys see why I didn't want to come here?" said Lucy.

"But we can't catch a ghost Pokemon if we don't go back in." said Ash. "Right, Pikachu? Charmander?" Pikachu shook his head, and Charmander launched his Flamethrower at the group, making them duck.

"Charmander, knock that off!" cried Ash.

"I know those ghosts are scary, but that doesn't mean using your Flamethrower attack on us." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, Charmander, you guys aren't cowards, are you?" said Ash. "How can I beat Sabrina's psychic Pokemon if we don't go back in? Do you want to lose again?" Pikachu reminded Ash of his frightening experience battling Kadabra.

"Listen, you guys, if we're going to beat psychic Pokemon, we have to learn to overcome our fear. Understand?" Pikachu and Charmander nodded.

"Then let's give it another try." Said Ash. "Pikachu, Charmander, you two with me?" Pikachu and Charmander gave a nod of determination.

"Great! Then let's do it!" cried Ash. "Although, we could use a bit more help. How about you, Lucy? You with me?" Lucy shook her head.

"Sorry Ash, but you're going this alone." She said.

"Misty and I don't want to go back in either." Said Brock.

"If you're going to do this, you'll have to do it by yourself." Said Misty. "We'll just wait right out here for you." Ash, Pikachu and Charmander entered the tower together.

"Hello, everybody! We're back!" cried Ash. "We'd love to meet you! Feel free to introduce ourselves whenever you want!" More sounds were heard, slightly frightening Ash and his Pokemon.

"What was that?" cried Ash. He got his Pokedex out for a more clear answer.

"Ghost Pokemon often appear in a vapor form. Their true identity is shrouded in mystery."

"I guess we'll just have to try and solve that mystery." Said Ash. He then heard Team Rocket's voices, but he was unaware that they were also in the tower.

"They're down there!" cried Ash. "Time for us to get 'em! Pikachu, let's hit them with your electric attack!" Pikachu sent a powerful shock through the hole, hitting Team Rocket.

"Not bad. But we need more power." Said Ash. "Charmander, Flamethrower now!" Charmander launched a Flamethrower and it hit Team Rocket, creating a fireball.

"Now's my chance!" cried Ash. "Poke Ball, go!" Ash tossed the Poke Ball, and it hit someone's face.

"Ouch!" cried Jessie.

"I wonder if I caught it." Said Ash.

"It's that stuck-up brat again!" cried Jessie. "I'll get him if it's the last thing I ever do! Someday I'll make him pay dearly for what he's done!"

"She's got fire in here eyes." Said James.

"And in her hair too." Said Meowth. After noticing her hair was on fire, Jessie started to panic and run around frantically, creating another fireball.

"That's the second fireball." Said Ash. Jessie put the fire out and collapsed.

"He's going to pay for this!" she cried.

"Ah, the fireball's gone." Said Ash. "We'll get it next time." A Haunter suddenly appeared. Pikachu turned and saw it. He quickly warned Ash.

"Pika!" he cried, which meant 'Ash, look! A ghost!'

"Huh?" said Ash. He turned to look, but the Haunter had disappeared.

"You must be seeing things, Pikachu." Said Ash. He turned and saw Haunter staring him and the others in the face. Haunter pulled a face, frightening both Ash and Pikachu.

"Is this one of those ghost Pokemon?" Ash wondered. He quickly got his Pokedex out.

"Haunter, a Gaseous Pokemon. No further information available."

"Is that all?" said Ash. "Well we're still going to beat it anyway. Go, Charmander!" before the fire type could launch an attack, the Haunter disappeared and then reappeared behind Ash, tapping him on the shoulder without his knowledge.

"Don't bother me now, Pikachu. Quit it!" cried Ash. Haunter tapped his shoulder again.

"Cut it out!" cried Ash. He quickly grabbed haunter's hand while thinking it was Pikachu, only to get a fright when he saw who it actually was.

"I'm not afraid of you." Said Ash. "You just surprised me a bit, that's all. Charmander, you're on!" The fire type rushed forward.

"Charmander, Leer attack!" cried Ash. Charmander stared Haunter down with its Leer. The stare down got more intense until Charmander's expression changed from a serious one to a funny one, making Haunter burst out in laughter.

"Charmander, you're not supposed to make it laugh!" cried Ash.

"Char?" said Charmander, which meant 'I'm not?' Haunter then licked Charmander on the face, causing the fire type to be paralyzed.

"This isn't working. Charmander, return!" cried Ash. He recalled the fire type to his ball. Haunter made another funny expression.

"Do you really think we're afraid of you?" said Ash. Another ghost Pokemon rose, spooking him.

"I better find out about this one." Said Ash. He grabbed his Pokedex and aimed it at the Pokemon.

"Gengar. No information available."

"Not again!" cried Ash. Haunter and Gengar then put on a comedy act to try and get Ash and Pikachu to laugh, but were unsuccessful.

"I don't get it. They're weird." Said Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu agreed, which meant 'Very weird.' The two ghost types tried again.

"Are you guys trying to be funny? Your routine isn't really working for us." Said Ash. Haunter and Gengar were shocked and disappointed by the comments.

"I hate to say it, but their humor leaves me cold." Said Ash.

"Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Same here.'

"They look pretty sad." Said Ash. Haunter and Gengar started sinking into the floor.

"Hey wait! Don't go!" cried Ash. "Wait a second!" He and Pikachu started running after them, but couldn't catch them. Ash hit the floor face first, the chandelier that was hanging above dropped down and landed on top of Ash and Pikachu. The three ghost Pokemon appeared at the scene as Pikachu set off an electric shock that made the chandelier light up. The three ghost types applauded, as they thought it was a comedy act. They quickly realized, however, that both Ash and Pikachu were unconscious. Haunter got an idea and pulled Ash and Pikachu's spirits from their bodies. Ash and Pikachu quickly looked down and panicked.

"We're down there!" cried Ash.

"Pika! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'And we're also up here!'

"What's going on?!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Pikachu answered, which meant 'I don't know.'

"Haunter." Said Haunter, which meant 'We're alike now.'

"You're saying that we're alike now?" said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Then that means…'

"Oh no! We've been completely separated from our bodies!" cried Ash.

"Haunter!" cried Haunter, which meant 'Exactly!'

"But I don't want to be a ghost yet!" cried Ash. Haunter took Ash's hand and pulled him upward. Gengar pushed Pikachu upward, and Gastly simply followed behind. They went through every floor of the tower until reaching the roof.

"Wherever you're taking us, we don't want to go!" cried Ash. The three ghost Pokemon took them through the roof so they could see the view of Lavender Town.

"What a view!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'It's a beaut.'

Hey, look down there!" cried Ash. "It's brock, Misty and Lucy!" Ash let out a chuckle. "Time to have some fun."

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Fun?' The ghost Pokemon decided to show Ash and Pikachu how the three of them have fun.

Down on the ground…..

"Ash is taking a bit too long." Said Misty. "Maybe we should go in and see how he's doing."

"That's a good idea." Said Brock. Lucy refused to move.

"You're not getting me to go in that tower even if you offered me a hundred dollars." She said.

"So, you're really worried about me, huh?" said Ash in ghost form. Misty turned in surprise and looked at Ash, but couldn't see him due to his being a ghost.

"What's wrong, Misty?" said brock.

"I think I just heard a voice." Said Misty.

"Are you sure you're not hearing things, Misty?" said Lucy.

"Come for a ride with me, Misty." Said Ash. "You too, Lucy." He picked both of them up and lifted them up into the air. They screamed in horror as he took them for a ride.

"Misty!" Lucy!" cried Brock.

"Help! The ghost has got us!" cried Lucy. Ash gave a laugh.

"Okay, ride's over." He said. "Catch them, Brock." Ash dropped the two girls, but fortunately, Brock managed to catch both of them.

"Okay, what's going on?" said Lucy.

"Wait a second. That voice." Said Misty. She gasped. "I think something terrible's happened to Ash!"

"Well, let's go help them!" cried Lucy.

"But I thought you didn't want to set foot in the tower." Said brock.

"I know, but Ash is my friend. I have to save him." Said Lucy. She gave a very determined look in her eyes and on her face. As Lucy, Eevee, Misty and Brock rushed into the tower, Ash, Pikachu and the ghost trio flew over Lavender Town and had a grand time.

"Yeah! We're flying!" cried Ash. They flew into the forest surrounding the tower.

"Cool!" cried Ash. Haunter flew in front of the group and opened his mouth. Ash passed right through it, thinking that he was going to be eaten.

"You fooled me!" he cried. The group laughed at Haunter's antics, but soon went back inside the tower and entered the ghost trio's playroom.

"Look at all those toys!" cried Ash. "Wait, this is the room Lucy was talking about in her story earlier. It looks like fun, though."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Very fun.' Haunter pointed to the carousel.

"Haunt!" he cried, which meant 'That one's my favorite!' Gengar started balancing on a ball.

"Gengar!" he cried, which meant 'Watch this!' Gastly was swinging on a swing.

"Gastly." He said, which meant 'Back and forth. Back and forth.' Ash was taken by surprise.

"This whole time, you just wanted somebody to play with?" he said.

"Haunt." Haunter answered, which meant 'That's what we always want.'

"Was that all?" said Ash. "You just wanted to have fun, and not scare people?" he noticed Pikachu swinging on the swing with Gastly.

"I see how you must've been bored for a long time." Said Ash. "That's tough. Listen, I'm very sorry, but I can't stick around to play with you guys. There's still lots of opponents out there for me to battle, and I still have to earn a Marsh Badge from the Saffron gym. I have to fulfill my goal of being a Pokemon master. Sorry, but I have to go. I'll miss you all." The ghost trio were saddened by Ash's words and started crying.

Meanwhile, Eevee, Brock, Lucy and Misty dragged the apparent lifeless bodies of Ash and Pikachu out from under the chandelier.

"Ash! Pikachu!" cried Misty.

"Come on, wake up!" cried Brock.

"They're not moving!" cried Lucy. The three of them got teary eyes at the sight of their friends being gone permanently.

"Ash, Pikachu, can't you hear us?!" cried Lucy.

"Please, say something!" cried Brock. Above them, the ghost forms of Ash and Pikachu appeared, along with their new friends.

"Ash! Open your eyes please, Ash!" cried Misty.

"Please wake up, Ash!" cried Lucy. "If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny!"

"I guess it's time to go back." Said Ash. He and Pikachu returned to their normal bodies and woke up.

"Hi, Misty." Said Ash.

"Ash, you're alive!" cried Misty.

"Pikachu!" cried Brock.

"Ash! Thank goodness!" cried Lucy. She gave her friend a big hug. "I thought we had lost you for sure!"

"Sorry to worry you all." Said Ash.

"No sweat. We're just glad to have you back." Said Brock. Misty and Lucy wiped the tears from their eyes, and then Lucy bonked Ash on the head.

"Don't you EVER worry me like that again! You hear me?!" she cried. Ash simply looked at the three ghost Pokemon floating above and laughed.

Soon, dawn came and it was time for the group to leave Lavender Town.

"So, Ash, were you able to get your hands on a ghost Pokemon?" asked Misty. Ash sadly shook his head.

"It's impossible to catch them." He said.

"Then how do you expect to beat the psychic Pokemon?" asked Lucy.

"I guess I'll have to use my sense of humor." Said Ash. Everyone was confused by what Ash had said, but soon, Pikachu spotted something behind them.

"Pika!" he cried, which meant 'Look!' They turned and saw Haunter following them. It tried to be funny, which frightened the gang, especially Lucy. Ash simply smiled.

"Good one, Haunter!" he cried. Well, it seems that Haunter had so much fun playing with Ash that it's decided to go with him on his Pokemon journey. Maybe their comedy act will end up knocking out Sabrina's Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was being forced to ride on the carousel with Gastly and Gengar watching and laughing as Team Rocket screamed.

"I can't take anymore!" cried Jessie.

"Let me off! I'm dizzy!" cried James.

"Stop the ride! I wanna get off!" cried Meowth.

"Looks like Team Rocket's throwing up again!" they screamed.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Haunter, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 23: Haunter Vs. Kadabra

Last time around, Ash and his friends traveled to the Pokemon Tower in Lavender Town so that Ash could attempt to catch a ghost type Pokemon. He had a high flying adventure and even made some new friends. The ghost Pokemon hated to see Ash leave, so Haunter has decided to follow Ash to Saffron City. Now Ash is ready to face Sabrina again. Will he be able to defeat her, though? Let's find out.

"We made it, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

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

"Ready the bell, Ash, because it's time for round two for you at the Saffron gym." Said Lucy.

"I just KNOW we'll win this time!" said Ash confidently. "Right, Brock?"

"Brock?" said Lucy. They both turned and saw Brock and Misty standing away from him.

"Uh, if you say so." Said Brock.

"What's the matter?" said Ash.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'What's up?'

"It's because Ash has a Haunter now, isn't it?" said Lucy.

"I think I'm allergic to ghosts." Said Brock. "Kinda sorta feel dizzy." He gave a sheepish laugh.

"You're not scared of a little ghost, are you?" said Ash.

"I know that I'm definitely scared of them." Said Lucy.

"Who could ever be afraid of such a cute little thing?" said Misty. Haunter gave her a gentle nuzzle.

"See? It's cute." Said Misty.

"Cute. Right." Said Brock. Just then, Haunter licked Misty on her face.

"Uh oh!" cried Lucy. She and Ash gasped.

"It just crossed the cute line." Said a now paralyzed Misty.

"Haunter! Your Lick attack paralyzed Misty!" cried Ash.

"You better say sorry to her right now!" Brock scolded. Haunter started crying.

"Don't worry, Haunter. It's not really that big a deal." Said Ash. Haunter cheered right up.

"Haunter, in Saffron City is a trainer named Sabrina who uses psychic type Pokemon." Said Ash. "Ghost Pokemon are strong against psychic Pokemon. Will you help me defeat her?" Haunter agreed.

"Yes! That Marsh Badge is as good as mine!" cried Ash.

"Then let's push onward!" cried Lucy. The group soon arrived at the Saffron gym.

"Sabrina sure showed me up last time." Said Ash. "But now, the joke's on her! Wait, where is everyone? Brock? Misty? Lucy?" he turned and saw everyone standing back cheering him on.

"Give it your best shot, Ash!" cried Misty.

"Let us know how it turns out!" cried Brock.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Go get 'em, Ash!'

"Stop goofing around! Aren't you going to come in with me?" said Ash.

"Last time, she wanted to play with us and pretend that we were bowling pins." Said Lucy.

"And she almost got a strike, too." Said Brock.

"That won't happen again now that I have Haunter with me." Said Ash.

"Don't be too sure, Ash." Said brock. "What if Haunter's the one controlling you?" Ash just laughed.

"Haunter and I are pals." He said.

"No way Haunter's controlling my friend." Said Lucy. Haunter laughed at the very thought of controlling Ash.

"Haunter isn't worried at all." Said Misty.

"It's pretty confident." Said Brock.

"Pika! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's saying something!'

"There's nothing to worry about." Said Ash. "With Haunter on my side, I'm guaranteed to win that badge. Now wish me luck!"

"Good luck." Said everyone.

"Charmander! Squirtle! Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. All three Pokemon materialized.

"Are you all ready to face Sabrina?" said Ash. The three starters and Haunter all agreed. Soon, everyone made their way inside.

"Sabrina, I've come back to your gym to demand a rematch!" cried Ash.

"Another battle?" cried Sabrina's doll. "Even after my Pikachu beat up your Kadabra during the last match? You don't have a chance!"

"This time, you won't have it so easy." Said Ash. Sabrina levitated from her throne.

"If you lose, you'll have to play with me again." Said the doll. The lights came on in the stadium.

"Unlike your battle with Sabrina, your friend was a more serious challenger." The doll continued. "Her Pokemon utilized the type matchups correctly, unlike you. Your Pikachu got pummeled, while your friend's Butterfree was quite strong." Sabrina landed.

"Go, Kadabra." She said calmly. Kadabra materialized.

"And I choose as my Pokemon, Haunter!" cried Ash.

"So you captured a ghost Pokemon, did you?" said Sabrina. Haunter was nowhere to be seen, making Ash let out a gasp.

"Haunter? Hey Haunter! Where did you go?" he cried.

"This is a BIG problem." Said Lucy. "Without a Pokemon, Ash can't battle."

"Will Haunter please report to the floor?!" Ash called via megaphone.

"Looks like the ghost Pokemon got spooked." Said Brock.

"Haunter! Get back here!" cried Ash.

"Enough stalling!" demanded Sabrina. "Send out your Pokemon at once, or you'll all go back to the toy box." Everyone went pale upon hearing that.

"Great! Back where we started." Brock muttered.

"Forget Haunter, just send out another one." Said Lucy.

"Right!" said Ash. "Pikachu, I choose….." But Pikachu was still traumatized by what happened last time and refused to battle.

"Charmander! Bulbasaur! Squirtle!" cried Ash. The three of them ran backwards to the wall and also refused to battle, as they were worried that what had happened to Pikachu would happen to them.

"You won't help me?" said Ash.

"Well, are you ready yet?" said Sabrina.

"Yeah, just a sec…" said Ash.

"The battle will begin now." Said Sabrina. Ash quickly froze and blurted out the first thing he thought of.

"I quit!" he cried.

"Are you out of your mind, Ash?! Why would you do that?!" cried Lucy.

"Quit?" said Sabrina.

"Run for it!" cried Ash. The doors opened as Brock, Misty and Lucy followed him.

"Wait for us!" cried Misty.

"Hurry!" cried Brock.

"It's fun to catch them!" cried the doll. The shutters on the gym's door started lowering.

"The exit!" cried Ash.

"Great, we're locked in!" said Lucy.

"We're trapped!" cried Brock. Sabrina's doll followed behind them and used her psychic powers on Brock, Misty and Lucy, making the three of them scream.

"Brock! Misty! Lucy! They're all dolls!" cried Ash.

"Now I'm going to turn you and your Pokemon into dolls too." Said Sabrina's doll. Before she could do so, however, the stranger appeared.

"Where'd you come from?" said Ash.

"Sometimes you have to retreat to win." He said to Ash. "Teleportation!" he cried to Sabrina's doll. He teleported Ash and his Pokemon, away from the gym.

"He's back." Said Sabrina. Ash and his Pokemon landed outside, with Ash ending up on top of the stranger.

"I'm glad you and Eevee are safe, Pikachu, but could you please get off my back?" said Ash.

"And could all of you please get off mine?" said the stranger. Ash and his Pokemon obliged, and soon, they were all relaxing.

"Sabrina's the meanest trainer I've ever met." Said Ash.

"She wasn't always this mischievous." Said the stranger.

"You mean you knew her before she changed?" said Ash.

"Well, I've heard stories about her." Said the stranger.

Flashback

A very young Sabrina was just starting to discover what she and her psychic powers were capable of. This included bending silverware with little effort and breaking a silverware holder. She was also testing her powers on a golf club to see what would happen. Her parents begged and pleaded for her to stop.

"Please stop, Sabrina! That's enough!" yelled her mom.

"That's not a toy!" cried her dad, and he took away the golf club. Instead of heeding her parents' warnings, she continued using her power on her entire family. She also used her powers to effectively destroy her home.

End Flashback

"Sabrina never wanted to make friends. She wanted to be left alone to develop her powers." Said the stranger. "Her parents tried to help, but Sabrina's psychic powers drove them away." He brought out a picture and showed it to Ash.

"The conflict caused Sabrina to be split into two girls." He went on. "The strong Pokemon trainer who is always causing trouble, and the lonely little girl who always desires to make friends. The doll that Sabrina always holds represents her true self, before her training. Before she rejected her own heart."

"Sabrina had this picture of her family in her room." Said Ash. "If you have the same picture, then that must mean…." The stranger was surprised.

"He must've figured it out by now." He thought. "The stories I just told him about Sabrina, it has to be obvious."

"That must mean you're a photographer!" cried Ash. The man fell over in disbelief.

"Don't you see?! Don't you get it!" he cried.

"Get what?" said Ash. The man sighed.

"Never mind." He said.

"Sabrina turned Brock, Misty and Lucy into dolls." Said Ash.

"There's nothing I can do about that." Said the stranger. "The only way you can rescue your friends is to defeat Sabrina. You did go to Lavender Town to catch a ghost Pokemon like I asked you to, didn't you?"

"Yes, but now Haunter's disappeared somewhere." Said Ash.

"Then you have to find Haunter first." Said the stranger. "Without Haunter, you'll never be able to defeat Sabrina and her psychic Pokemon."

Meanwhile, on a window cleaner's trolley, Jessie and James were preparing their latest plan.

"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!"

"Yes, yes, that's very dramatic. Let's just cut to the chase and snatch Pikachu and Eevee." Said Meowth.

"Leave that part to us." Said Jessie.

"By the way, what secret weapon have you guys got cooked up this time?" said Meowth.

"A deadly weapon that's been perfected over thousands of years." Said James. "Now we've learned to use its' awesome powers. With a flick of this fishing net, we'll round up Pikachu and Eevee."

"You mean THAT'S your secret weapon?" cried Meowth.

"It takes a genius to realize that a fishing net is the perfect weapon." Said James.

"Oh James, it's the greatest discovery since Edison invented the lightbulb." Said Jessie.

"Even grater than the chicken who invented the egg." They both cried.

"Any true genius knows, of course, that it was actually the egg that preceded the chicken." Said James.

"Of course, I knew that." Said Jessie. "I had, just, forgotten."

"Now you got my own brain scrambled!" cried Meowth. "Let's just cut the EGGS-planations and catch Pikachu and Eevee!" James twirled the net around and got ready to cast it down to the street below when Haunter came and frightened them, causing them to fall out of the trolley and hang on to the edge.

"Jessie, pull us up!" cried James.

"You're too heavy." Said Jessie. "I can't even pull myself up until you both let go of my legs!"

"But Jessie, you have to!" cried James.

"Be brave. If I let go, we're all goners." Said Jessie. "But if you let go, at least I'll survive."

"I'm the designated survivor, so both of you better hold on tight!" cried Meowth.

"I thought we finally got away from those terrible ghost Pokemon, but they followed us all the way here!" cried Jessie. Haunter floated down to Jessie and made silly expressions to try and make her laugh. Jessie tried to resist.

"Don't laugh, Jessie. Otherwise you're going to let go." Said James. Haunter kept trying to make Jessie laugh, forcing her to try harder to NOT laugh.

"Don't laugh. Don't smile." Said James. Jessie's hands began to slip.

"I won't crack! The members of Team Rocket have all been trained to resist silliness and be totally serious!" cried Jessie. On Haunter's final attempt, she finally cracked and laughed her head off, which made her let go of the edge and send her and her teammates plummeting to the street below.

"I don't see what's so funny." Said James.

"She's going to die laughing." Said Meowth. The trio crashed through the sidewalk, getting Ash's attention.

"What was that?" he cried. He rushed to see Team Rocket in the hole that they had created.

"That looks like a painful fall Team Rocket took." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Very painful.' Haunter soon appeared.

"Haunter! You stopped them from capturing Pikachu!" cried Ash. Haunter held up the fishing net that was in Jame's hands.

"Way to go! Now let's get back to Sabrina's gym." Said Ash. Haunter shook his head.

"Haunt." He said, which meant 'I don't battle.'

"Please, you can't let her make a fool out of me." Said Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I think I have an idea.' He explained the idea to haunter, who smiled and agreed.

"Pi! Pika! Chu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'It's agreed. Haunter will fight by our side.'

"Thank you, Haunter!" cried Ash. "Just help us save our friends and you'll never have to help me out again!"

"Haunt." Said Haunter, which meant 'Then let's get this show on the road.'

"I just hope that Brock, Misty and Lucy are okay." Said Ash.

Back in Sabrina's toy box…..

"What do you think's going to happen to us?" said Lucy.

"I don't know. I've never been a doll before." Said Misty.

"I don't even like dolls!" cried Brock. "Are we going to stay like this forever?"

"That's up to Sabrina." Said a voice. They couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"That other doll just talked!" cried Lucy.

"It's nice to have company." Said the voice. "I'm Sabrina's mother."

"Her mother?!" cried brock.

"She turned you into a doll too?" said Misty.

"But why did she do that?" asked Lucy.

"I don't know." Said Sabrina's mom. "Please, don't think too badly of Sabrina. She's really a good daughter." Sabrina's doll was soon heard laughing. The roof lifted up and Sabrina peered inside.

"My new dolls are so cute!" cried Sabrina's doll. Brock, Misty and Lucy gasped. Even Eevee, who had also been turned into a doll, was scared.

"What game should I play first with my new Brock, Misty, Lucy and Eevee dolls?" said Sabrina's doll. "Maybe we can have tea." Brock was getting angry.

"Sabrina! Turn us back into humans right now!" he cried.

"I challenge you to a match!" cried Misty. "If I win, you have to change us back!"

"If I change you back, you'll just run away from me." Said Sabrina's doll. "You have to stay as dolls! We'll play together all the time and we'll be friends forever." Eevee hid behind Lucy.

"You're scaring my Eevee!" cried Lucy. "I know I battled you already, but I'll do it again if it means getting out of doll form!"

"Sabrina!" cried Ash. Lucy was delighted to hear Ash's voice.

"I knew he'd be back." Said Sabrina. Both trainers stepped into the battle arena.

"Have you returned for more humiliation?" said Sabrina. "Don't you realize by now that you'll never defeat me?"

"Brock, Misty and Lucy are my friends, and I can't leave them behind!" cried Ash. "Not even if you turn me and all my Pokemon into dolls!"

"ASH!" cried Brock, Lucy and Misty.

"If you want to be a doll, too, I'll be glad to play with you." Said Sabrina's doll. "It will be a one on one battle. Sabrina's Pokemon will be Kadabra." Kadabra materialized.

"For my Pokemon, I choose Haunter!" cried Ash.

"Haunter?" said Sabrina.

"Where is it?" said the doll. Ash realized that Haunter had disappeared again.

"Not again!" he cried.

"Why don't you forfeit?" said Sabrina.

"That way I can have new dolls to play with." Said Sabrina's doll.

"Haunter! You promised me that you'd battle!" cried Ash. "Please stop hiding, Haunter! Haunter!" Pikachu was disappointed that Haunter left again.

"This time you won't escape." Said Sabrina.

"My new dollies!" cried Sabrina's doll.

"DOLLIES?!" cried Brock, Misty and Lucy. Ash was about to concede defeat again when Pikachu ran onto the field.

"Pikachu! You don't stand a chance against Kadabra! He'll just beat you up again!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I don't care! Nobody turns my friends into dolls and gets away with it!'

"You don't want Sabrina to turn us not dolls? You want to fight for me?" said Ash.

"Pika!" Pikachu answered, which meant 'Righto!' Ash got teary eyed.

"Thank you, Pikachu. You're a real pal." He said. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" he cried.

"Kadabra, teleport." Said Sabrina. Kadabra disappeared quickly before the attack could land. Pikachu tried again and again, but without success.

"Kadabra, Psybeam." Said Sabrina. The Psybeam hit Pikachu and knocked it back.

"Try to hang on, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "Come back at Kadabra with a Thunderbolt!" Pikachu launched a powerful Thunderbolt, which nailed Kadabra.

"That's it!" cried Ash.

"Recover." Said Sabrina. As quick as Kadabra had gotten hit, it quickly healed itself and negated all the damage.

"It's impossible to win." Said Sabrina. Her doll laughed, and then Haunter appeared in front of Sabrina. The doll was livid.

"Two against one's not fair!" she cried. Sabrina's dad teleported in.

"Haunter is just playing around on its own." He said. "It's not battling against you, so it isn't against the rules." Haunter did all it could to make Sabrina crack a smile and laugh, including making all the funny faces it could possibly make. After a long pause, Sabrina smiled due to Haunter's jokes. Sabrina's dad gasped.

"She smiled!" he cried. Sabrina began to laugh, along with Haunter.

"Is Sabrina actually laughing?" said Ash.

"Ever since she started her telekinetic training as a little girl, I've never seen Sabrina laugh like this." Said Sabrina's dad. "I've never been so happy in my entire life!"

"But if you've known Sabrina since she was a little girl, then that means….."

"Oh, you finally figured it out." Said Sabrina's dad.

"You must've taken her baby pictures too!" cried Ash. Sabrina's dad fell over in disbelief.

"How dense can you possibly be?!" he cried. He quickly recomposed himself. "I'm glad you came back. Haunter has helped Sabrina rediscover the human part of her heart.

"But Haunter was supposed to beat the psychic Pokemon, not make friends with Sabrina!" cried Ash. "Me and my friends are all going to be dolls!"

"Look over there." Said Sabrina's dad. He pointed to Kadabra, who was rolling on the floor laughing.

"I don't get it. Kadabra looks like it's in pain." Said Ash.

"It's not in any pain." Said Sabrina's dad. "Kadabra and Sabrina are joined telepathically. Kadabra is rolling with laughter, just like Sabrina." Ash was in disbelief. While the comedy routine was going on, Sabrina's doll disappeared and she became whole again. Kadabra's Poke Ball fell and Brock, Misty, Lucy and Eevee were restored to their normal size.

"I'm so glad we don't have to be dolls anymore." Said Lucy.

"Brock! Misty! Lucy!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'You're all back!' He happily aimed a Thunderbolt at Kadabra, and due to it being focused on Haunter's act, it was knocked out.

"Kadabra is no longer able to battle, and so I officially declare Pikachu the winner!" Said Sabrina's dad.

Later, the group was outside the gym, along with Sabrina.

"Ash, thank you for helping me break the little psychic spell I was under." Said Sabrina. "I also owe you and your friends an apology for using my powers on them.

"Just promise not to turn us into dolls again." Said Lucy. Sabrina chuckled.

"I promise." She said. "And now, Ash, as proof that you've defeated me here at the Saffron gym, I award you this Marsh Badge." Thanks a lot, Sabrina." Said Ash.

"And Ash, if you don't mind, can Haunter stay here with me?" said Sabrina.

"Not at all." Said Ash. "Haunter can definitely give you a good laugh once in a while.

"We certainly proved that, didn't we?" said Misty.

"Well, time to hit the road." Said Brock.

"Goodbye!" cried Ash.

"Thank you for everything!" cried Sabrina's dad.

"Have a good journey!" yelled Sabrina's mom.

"Take care of yourselves!" said Lucy.

"See you later!" cried Misty. The group started walking away from the gym.

"I finally got my Marsh Badge." Said Ash.

"And that Marsh Badge puts you one step closer to the Pokemon League." Said Brock.

"Do you really think I deserve this Marsh Badge, though?" said Ash.

"Sure. Making Sabrina laugh herself into defeat is a great strategy."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Sure is.'

"Be proud that you won that badge." Said Lucy. "Making Sabrina laugh like you did was the only way you were going to win."

"Keep that up and you'll be the funniest Pokemon trainer of all time." Said Brock.

Down in the hole Team Rocket had fallen into, cement started pouring down.

"Hello, up there! Anyone! We're trapped down here!" cried Jessie.

"Stop pouring cement!" cried James.

"Get me out of here, quick!" cried Meowth. Ash paused upon hearing Team Rocket's voices.

"What's wrong?" said Brock.

"I could've sworn I heard Team Rocket's voices." Said Ash.

"We have more important stuff to think of right now, like where we're going next." Said Lucy.

"Okay, so where's the next closest gym?" asked Ash.

"In Celadon City." Said Misty.

"Look out, Celadon City! Ash and Lucy are coming to town!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Let's go!'

"Hey, wait up, Ash!" cried Misty.

"You're not going anywhere without me!" cried Lucy. They started running after Ash and Pikachu. Thanks to some help from Haunter, Ash was able to defeat Sabrina and earn a Marsh Badge. Will he and Lucy be able to earn another one in Celadon City? What adventures will our friends find along the way? I don't have the answers all set in stone just yet. But speaking of stone…..

"A little cement….." said Jessie.

"Will never stop Team Rocket." Said James.

"A LITTLE cement?!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket jumped out as more cement was poured into the hole.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 24: Primeape Goes Bananas

It was early in the morning, and back in Pallet Town, Professor Oak was up and about and enjoying a warm cup of tea.

"Nothing like a cup of tea to start the day." He said. His video phone then rang, which Krabby brought over to him.

"Thanks, Krabby." He said, and answered the call.

"Professor Oak! Good morning!" cried Ash. Lucy was standing beside Ash.

"Good morning, Ash." Said Oak. "I was just wondering when you and Lucy might be calling. Do you two have good news for me?"

"We sure do. Take a look at this!" cried Lucy. They both showed off their badges to the professor.

"We've already earned four badges." Said Lucy.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" said Ash. Oak took another sip of his tea.

"Only four badges?" he said. Ash fell over in disbelief at Oak's response.

"Ash? Lucy? Are you two still there?" he said. "I just found out this morning that the other Pallet trainers have already earned five badges each, including Gary. They've all passed through Celadon City too." Ash shot right back up.

"That Gary!" he yelled.

"Take it easy, Ash." Said Lucy. "Getting frustrated will just lead to more problems."

"You and Lucy better hurry up, Ash." Said Oak. "You two don't want to fall further behind everyone else. And Gary has already captured thirty Pokemon."

"Thirty Pokemon?!" Ash cried.

"Speaking of Pokemon, professor, did you get the Cubone that I caught?" asked Lucy.

"He sure did." Said Oak. "In fact, he's right beside Ash's Krabby." He moved slightly to show Cubone, who was more than happy to see Lucy.

"Hi there, little one." Said Lucy. "You being a good boy for the professor?"

"He's been doing very well." Said Oak. "He's been very happy ever since you became his trainer. He's also become good friends with Krabby and me. We especially enjoy tea time together, along with writing poetry. Here's a sample. Every day it's cake and tea, just like Pokemon and me. Like it?" Cubone clapped his hands.

"He seems to love it, Professor." Said Lucy.

"I'm afraid I don't know much about poetry, Professor." Said Ash.

"Writing poetry is a lot like Pokemon training." Said Oak. "I can't write a good poem without rhymes, and you and Lucy can't be good trainers without catching more Pokemon. So get out there and catch some more."

"You can count on us, Professor!" cried Lucy.

"Gotta go now, the tea's getting cold." Said Oak. The call ended and Ash just slumped his shoulders.

"Cheer up, Ash." Said Lucy. "We'll catch up to Gary sooner or later." The two friends made their way over to Brock and Misty, who were enjoying a snack break.

"You look kind of down, Ash." Said Misty.

"He's just upset." Said Lucy.

"Have a rice cake or a donut. That always cheers me up when I'm upset." Said Misty.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'They're really tasty!'

"These donuts are great!" said Brock. "Jelly-filled are my favorite. Nothing beats a jelly-filled donut."

"I just heard that Gary has five badges already." Said Ash.

"I get it. You're upset because you're falling further behind." Said Misty.

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'It seems so.'

"Don't worry about Gary, Ash. We still have lots of time to catch up." Said Lucy.

"The next town we come to is Celadon City." Said Ash. "Isn't there supposed to be a gym there?"

"There sure is." Said brock. "All we have to do is follow this road. Celadon City is only a day's walk from here. Even less if we keep up a fast pace." Ash sighed. He really wanted to catch up to Gary so badly.

"There's no way I'm letting him win!" cried Ash.

"Remember Ash, unlike all the other wannabe trainers out there, we have to make it to the Pokemon League our own way." Said Lucy.

"Right." Said brock. "Remember, quality over quantity, especially if you have lots of different Pokemon. Then they'll help you catch others."

"Yeah, that's it. Catch lots of Pokemon!" cried Ash.

"He'll never learn." Said Misty.

"I didn't ask you, did I?" said Ash.

"No offense, Ash, but I'm afraid Misty's right on this one." Said Lucy. Pikachu then noticed something in the bushes, which ended up being a wild Mankey.

"It's a Pokemon!" cried Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Mankey, a Pig Monkey Pokemon of the fighting type. Known for its superior footwork, it packs a powerful punch." The Mankey hopped toward Brock and moved around him.

"Maybe it wants a donut." He said, and he gave it to the Mankey. He also gave a donut to Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'It's good.'

"I think it likes it!" cried Ash.

"That donut is my own special recipe." Said Brock. "No artificial ingredients."

"No wonder they taste so good!" exclaimed Lucy. She had polished off her donut in no time.

"A fighting Pokemon. That'll really help me out in battle." Said Ash. He quickly grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Wait a second. You're not just going to throw a Poke Ball at it, are you?" said Misty.

"I think he is." Said Lucy.

"No way am I missing this chance." Said Ash. "Mankey, you're mine now!" He tossed the Poke Ball.

"This won't end well." Said Lucy. The Mankey thwarted Ash's capture attempt by tossing the donut it had been eating, which got caught by the Poke Ball.

"It's a donut!" cried Ash.

"A donut Pokemon?" said Misty. The Mankey dropped down from his position, and he was now in a foul mood.

"Looks like you got it pretty angry." Said Misty.

"It's more than angry." Said Lucy. "It's hopping mad."

"Now what are we supposed to do?" said Ash. Lucy got her own Pokedex out.

"Although Mankey is usually calm, it does have a bad temper. Once Mankey begins to Thrash, stopping it is impossible."

"What does it mean by Thrash?" said Ash.

"I think we're about to learn the hard way!" cried Lucy. Everyone saw Mankey charging towards them, so they started to panic and run away.

"Mankey's temper can be a real pain!" cried Lucy.

"I think you should've let it finish that donut, Ash!" cried Brock.

"Didn't your mom ever teach you about manners?" said Lucy.

"She never said anything about Mankeys!" cried Ash.

"I shouldn't have made them taste so good!" cried Brock.

"I have an idea!" cried Lucy. "Try to distract the Mankey by throwing a donut at it!"

"Lucy's right!" cried Ash. "Your homemade donuts are our only hope! Maybe more donuts will stop it!"

"It's worth a try!" cried Brock.

"Either that or we become Mankey's dinner." Said Lucy.

"Poke Ball! I mean donut, go!" cried Brock. The Mankey simply obliterated the donut like it was nothing.

"That didn't work!" cried Ash.

"Ah! I wasted a donut!" cried Brock.

"Back to running!" cried Lucy. Misty tripped before she could keep running.

"Misty!" cried Ash. The Mankey charged at her, but instead of attacking, it jumped off her head and attacked Ash's face, making him fall down and suffer from Mankey's Thrash attack.

"Are you okay, Ash?" said Lucy.

"Do I look like I'm okay?!" cried Ash. Once the dust had settled, Ash was left battered, bruised, and without his hat.

"I surrender." Said Ash.

"Now THAT was painful." Said Lucy. The Mankey climbed to the top of a nearby tree with Ash's hat in hand. Meanwhile, Team Rocket spotted the group from afar.

"Perfect." Said Jessie.

"Perfect." Said James.

"Purr-fect." Said Meowth.

"Now is the perfect time to capture Pikachu and Eevee." Said Jessie. "While those twerps are distracted, we'll make a sneak surprise attack. If we pull this off, the boss will put us on the board of directors!"

"Team Rocket will rule the world!" cried James.

"You really think so?" said Jessie.

"When you dream, you've got to dream big." Said James.

"You sure are dreaming." Said Meowth. Jessie gave him a ball of string to keep himself occupied.

"He's easy to satisfy." Said Jessie.

Meanwhile, Ash got up.

"You don't look so great." Said Lucy.

"That Mankey beat you up big time!" cried Brock.

"Are you okay?" asked Misty.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Are you hurt?'

"Where'd my hat go?" said Ash. Misty and Lucy pointed to the Mankey in the tree wearing it.

"You little thief! Give me back my hat!" cried Ash. The Mankey then copied Ash, infuriating him even more.

"You can just buy another hat when we get to celadon City, Ash." Said Lucy.

"It's not the hat! It's the principle!" cried Ash.

"Hold it! You'll just get beat up again!" cried Misty.

"It's mine!" cried Ash.

"What's so great about that hat, anyway?" said Lucy.

"I can't replace that hat!" cried Ash. "I won it at the official Pokemon League Expo! Don't you know how tough it is to get one of those hats?"

"An official Expo hat?" said Brock. He, Misty and Lucy realized what Ash was talking about as the advertisement for the hat giveaway contest played.

"Hey, all you Pokémon League fans! Now, you have a chance to win one of a hundred limited edition Pokémon League official hats! It's wearable! It's washable! And it's official! Don't miss your chance to win the official hat of the official expo of the official Pokémon League!" cried the announcer.

"It's official." Said Brock.

"I didn't know it was an official Pokemon League hat." Said Lucy.

"I don't think any of did." Said Misty. "I know both Lucy and I entered that same contest."

"I had to send in about a million postcards just to win that hat!" cried Ash.

"One million?!" cried Lucy. "Well then no wonder Misty and I didn't win. We only sent in one each."

"Poor Ash. Losing an official hat is like losing your best friend." Said Brock. Ash started climbing the tree in an attempt to get his hat back.

"Almost got it." He said.

"If you're not careful, that Mankey's going to Thrash you again." Said Lucy. The Mankey knocked Ash back to the ground as Team Rocket approached.

"Well, hello there, chumps." Said Jessie.

"Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"Not you three goofs again!" cried Lucy.

"What are you doing here?" said Brock.

"Aren't you happy to see us?" said Meowth. The Mankey approached and examined Team Rocket.

"Buzz off!" cried James. He kicked the Mankey, much to the shock of the group.

"I wish he hadn't done that." Said brock.

"Now what happened to Ash will happen to them." Said Lucy.

"Still trying to capture Pikachu and Eevee?" said Misty.

"We just want to borrow them, permanently." Said Jessie.

"Your situation is hopeless." Said James. "Hand over those Pokemon, or else." The Mankey got up and its eyes started glowing.

"Or else what?" said Misty.

"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're having a major hat crisis here." Said Ash. "Think you could steal Pikachu and Eevee some other time?"

"Now's the perfect time." Said Jessie. "You're obviously too tuckered out to protect those two little Pokemon."

"If you guys don't get out of here fast, you're gonna get as whipped as Ash did." Said Brock.

"By whom?" said Meowth.

"By Mankey." Said Lucy.

"What's a Mankey?" said Jessie.

"Must be that thing I kicked out of the way." Said James.

"I think we've got a bigger problem!" cried Lucy. She pointed to the Mankey. Its eyes started glowing, followed by its whole body.

"Oh no." said Lucy.

"It evolved!" cried Jessie and James.

"What's that?" said Misty. Lucy got out her Pokedex.

"Primeape. If you make eye contact with this evolved form of Mankey, it will chase you forever."

"That means we're all in BIG trouble." Said Lucy.

"This furball? That's ridiculous." Said Jessie. "Now let's capture Pikachu and Eevee. Go, Ekans!"

"And go, Koffing!" cried James. Ekans and Koffing materialized as Pikachu and Eevee got ready to fight.

"Come on!" cried Jessie. Before she could order an attack, Primeape attacked and kicked her as she screamed, sending her flying right past Ash's friends and into a boulder.

"That looked just as painful as what happened to Ash." Said Lucy. James and Meowth panicked.

"How dare you change my perfection!" cried Jessie. "Now you'll pay! Ekans, Koffing, never mind Pikachu and Eevee. Get that Primeape!" Ekans and Koffing changed their target.

"But we came for Pikachu and Eevee!" exclaimed Meowth.

"Team Rocket always outs duty before beauty." Said James. "Come on!" Team Rocket started fighting with Primeape.

"They're distracted! We can use this opening to escape!" cried Lucy.

"Lucy's right. Now's our chance!" cried Misty. The heroes escaped while Team Rocket was busy with Primeape. Ash spotted his hat.

"My hat!" he cried. Pikachu and Eevee stopped and saw it.

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'Ash's hat.' Pikachu headed right for Ash's hat, only for Primeape to spot him.

"Don't look him in the eye, Pikachu!" cried Misty. Pikachu tried to avoid looking Primeape directly in the eye, but ended up doing just that. The wild Primeape placed Ash's hat on its head.

"It's got my hat!" yelled Ash.

"And it never even sent in a single postcard." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. Pikachu launched the attack, but it only made Primeape's temper flare.

"That attack only made it madder!" cried Lucy.

"Wait a minute! I have a theory." Said Brock. "Primeape isn't trying to steal Ash's hat at all." Everyone looked at Brock in confusion.

"What do you mean?" asked Lucy.

"It's scared of us." Said Brock. "It was still a Mankey when Ash tried to capture it, and then James kicked it. I think it took Ash's hat so it could get a little attention, because it's lonely all by itself." Brock approached the Primeape.

"Be careful." Said Misty.

"Yeah, Mankey and Primeape can be very unpredictable." Said Lucy.

"Everything's going to be just fine." Said Brock. "Give me a smile, buddy." Primeape jumped onto brock and started pounding away at him.

"Hey! Quit it! That hurts! Knock it off! Stop!" he yelled. Primeape did stop, only for James to look it in the eye again, causing Primeape to send brock flying.

"I think brock needs a new theory." Said Misty.

"Guess so." Said Ash.

"And how." Said Lucy. Brock crashed to the ground, and Lucy got her Pokedex out again.

"Once Primeape begins its strongest attack, Thrash, it goes completely out of control."

"Out of control is right!" cried Lucy.

"I think we're in big trouble." Said Misty. Primeape charged toward the group.

"Run!" cried Ash. The heroes, and Primeape, ran right over Team Rocket.

"There….." said Jessie.

"They….." said James.

"Go!" cried Meowth.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting…." Said Jessie.

"Off….." said James.

"Once again!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket dashed off while the heroes kept running.

"If we split up, maybe we can lose it!" cried Ash.

"Okay!" cried Misty. Primeape, however, continued to follow the foursome.

"It doesn't look like Primeape's easy to lose!" cried Lucy. Brock soon ran up.

"I just hope none of them look Primeape in the eye." He said. Ash, Misty and Lucy kept running for their lives with Primeape closing in on them, blasting its way through multiple rocks.

"I don't know how much longer I can run!" cried Ash. Up ahead, team Rocket had dug a hole for the heroes to fall into.

"Nothing like digging a hole when you want to play dirty." Said James. Team Rocket looked up and saw Ash's group kicking dust as they ran towards them.

"At last, the moment of truth." Said Jessie. Ash and company came in fast and fell into the hole Team Rocket dug and landed on top of them. The combined weight of everybody caused Koffing to spew gas out of the hole.

"What's a hole doing in the road?" said Ash.

"No doubt that was meant for us." Said Lucy.

"Koffing, you nincompoop!" cried Jessie. The group then realized that team Rocket was in there with them.

"How did you get down here?!" cried Ash.

"Pikachu. Eevee." Said James.

"Why don't you both come for a ride on my head?" said Jessie.

"WHAT?!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" The attack landed and shocked everyone.

"Not me!" cried Ash.

"Or us!" cried Lucy. Primeape looked down into the hole and hopped in. Ash quickly climbed out on one side, while Lucy, Misty and Brock came out on another side. Primeape then hopped in front of Ash, making him look the Pokemon directly in the eye. He then remembered what Professor Oak had said on the phone earlier.

"All right, no more games! I'm going to capture you, Primeape!" cried Ash.

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" said Misty.

"Primeape's way too dangerous to capture, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Just forget the hat!" cried Brock.

"It's not that! It's because I want to be a Pokemon master!" cried Ash. "A real master wouldn't let any Pokemon get away!"

"He's always trying to stand tough." Said Misty.

"At least let him try." Said Lucy.

"Squirtle, I choose you!" cried Ash. "Soak its head with Water Gun!" Squirtle materialized and launched Water Gun, which only made Primeape furious, frightening Misty and Lucy.

"Squirtle, return!" cried Ash. He recalled the water type and summoned a different Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur materialized.

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf now!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur summoned a swirling vortex of leaves, but Primeape swatted them all away, making both groups panic, except for Ash.

"Bulbasaur, return!" cried Ash. "Charmander, go!" Charmander materialized and immediately launched a Flamethrower attack, which Primeape dodged. He then struck the fire type.

"Charmander!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'This doesn't look good!' Then suddenly, the flame on Charmander's tail started glowing and getting more intense.

"The flame on its tail. What's going on?" said Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Charmander's special attack, Rage. It gains more power the more it is attacked. It will continue to fight until its opponent falls."

"All right! I didn't know it had that kind of power." Said Ash. "Charmander, go!" The battle got more intense as Charmander took blow after blow, increasing in power. Charmander then bit Primeape's hand, but got shook off as it retaliated with Flamethrower. During the fight, Pikachu jumped in.

"Burn now, Charmander. Flamethrower attack!" cried Ash. Right before the attack landed, Pikachu jumped over Primeape's head and snatched Ash's hat before it could be incinerated.

"Hey! Pikachu!" cried Ash. Pikachu dashed out of the way as the Flamethrower hit, knocking Primeape down and out.

"Good work, Charmander! I'll take over now." Said Ash. "Poke Ball, go!" He threw the ball and it wobbled for a bit before pinging.

"Yes!" cried Ash. The ball started wobbling again, indicating that Primeape was still trying to escape. It stopped wobbling a moment later and pinged again, this time marking a successful capture.

"He got him!" cried Lucy. Ash laughed and held up the Poke Ball.

"Primeape is mine!" he cried.

"You did it!" cried Misty.

"Congratulations!" cried Brock. Pikachu gave Ash his hat.

"Thanks a lot, Pikachu." Said Ash.

"That was a gutsy move there, Pikachu." Said Lucy.

"Hey! Don't forget us!" cried Jessie. The group turned and saw Team Rocket weakly climb out of their hole.

"So. It's the whole gang." Said Ash.

"I think you mean the HOLE gang." Said Lucy. "Get it?"

"Good one, Lucy." Said Misty. She and Lucy high fived.

"It's your fault we ended up in here!" cried Jessie. "Where's Primeape?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" said Ash. He snickered as he tossed Primeape's Poke Ball into the hole.

"This ought to be good." Said Lucy. Primeape materialized and pounded Team Rocket before uppercutting them into the air.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried.

"Primeape sure gave them a thrashing." Said Misty.

"You're telling me." Said Lucy.

"At least now, Primeape's doing the thrashing on our side." Said Ash. "Welcome to the team, Primeape." Primeape nailed Ash, giving him a black eye and knocking him down.

"Primeape's good at thrashing, but it's got a lot to learn about team spirit." Said Ash.

"A hat might help." Said Brock.

"Time to send in postcards." Said Lucy.

"I'll do whatever it takes to become a Pokemon master." Said Ash. "Charmander, Primeape, return!" The two Pokemon were absorbed back into their Poke Balls. Pikachu and Eevee then spotted something over yonder.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Hey guys, look!'

"What is it?" said Lucy. They saw a city in front of them.

"I can't believe it!" cried Lucy.

"There's Celadon City!" cried Brock.

"Talk about a fast arrival." Said Lucy.

"You know, if Primeape hadn't chased us, we wouldn't have gotten here as fast as we did." Said Misty. "Right, Brock?"

"Yeah, I guess it was lucky after all." Said Brock.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Very lucky indeed.'

"Way to go, Primeape!" said Ash. "Now that I caught a new Pokemon, it's time to earn a badge!"

"Same for me, even though I didn't catch anything." Said Lucy. By capturing Primeape, Ash has made more progress towards the Pokemon League. Of course, it takes more than just catching a new Pokemon to become a Pokemon master. But now, it's off to celadon City so that Ash and Lucy can try to win their next badge.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had landed in a Primeape habitat.

"Meow!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket noticed all the Primeape surrounding them and looking them in the eyes.

"I wish we had some donuts!" they cried.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 25: Pokemon Scent-Sation!

Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty have arrived in Celadon City, a great metropolis known for both tall buildings and good scents.

"This place is HUGE!" cried Lucy. "Just look at all these buildings!" Pikachu soon smelled something.

"Pika!" he cried, which meant 'Smell that!' Brock soon caught the scent, along with Misty and Lucy.

"Something smells heavenly." Said Brock.

"Perfume!" cried Misty.

"Hey, what's going on?" said Ash. Brock followed the scent.

"Brock, wait! Where are you going?!" cried Ash.

"He's making like the toucan from the Fruit Loops commercials and following his nose, that's what." Said Lucy.

"I think the smell is coming from that shop!" cried Misty. Even Eevee was starting to pick up the scent.

"What's gotten into all of you guys?" said Ash. Brock pressed his face against a window.

"Who are you making faces at, Brock?" said Ash.

"My nose tells me this is my kind of town." Said Brock.

"Don't push it, mister." Said Lucy. Ash looked through the window and saw that the shop was one that sold perfume.

"So then he says, 'maybe we can both go together.' He's such a great boyfriend." Said a female voice.

"I think we should stay here a while." Said Brock.

"Well, if you want to waste your time." Said Ash. "Misty, Lucy, Pikachu, Eevee, let's get going." He turned and saw that nobody was behind him.

"Lucy? Misty? Pikachu? Eevee?" said Ash. Brock tapped Ash's shoulder and pointed inside.

"This scent is one of our most popular. It's called Daffodil Dream." Said the employee. She sprayed it and Misty and Lucy both smelled it.

"It smells just like a garden." Said Misty. Eevee was entranced by the fragrance.

"It looks like your Pokemon likes it." Said the employee.

"She loves it." Said Lucy.

"We're having a fragrance sale." Said another employee, and she pointed out another bottle.

"How much does this one cost?" asked Misty.

"I'm curious myself because I was thinking of getting one." Said Lucy. Ash soon walked in.

"Misty, Lucy, don't buy those!" cried Ash. "Perfume's just a waste of money, and it stinks!"

"Ash, not now." Lucy grumbled angrily.

"Yeah, Ash, go away." Said Misty.

"How can you even say that about perfume, anyway?!" said Lucy. "That was extremely rude."

"She's right. I resent that remark." Said a more serious voice. It belonged to a woman dressed in traditional Japanese kimono.

"It's Erika, the manager!" cried an employee.

"Young man, are you accusing me of overcharging my customers for inferior perfume?" asked Erika.

"No, ma'am. I meant all perfumes are a ripoff because all they do is turn guys into zombies." Said Ash. "Like this!" He pulled Brock inside.

"Hi, what's your name?" he asked. Erika smiled at him before turning her anger on Ash.

"This is NOT going to end well for him." Said Lucy.

"P for pretty, E for elegant, R for radiant, F for fun, U for urbane, M for mysterious, E for energy and that spells…"

"Perfume!" cried Misty.

"Right!" said Brock.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'So there!'

"I don't need that smelly junk to give me energy! I'm full of it!" cried Ash. "I got tons more energy than I know what to do with!"

"Why don't you use some of that energy to keep your mouth shut?" said Lucy.

"If you object to our products so much, perhaps you should leave." Said Erika. "Since we all sell perfume here, you must find us offensive."

"You should be ashamed of yourself!" cried one girl.

"You insensitive little worm!" cried another.

"What'd I say?" said Ash.

"Very rude remarks about the perfume." Said Misty. Lucy furiously bonked him on the head.

"JERK!" she yelled. Erika's employee kicked Ash out of the store.

"Get out!" she cried. "And don't come back!"

"I don't want to come back!" cried Ash. "I'm on my way to the Celadon City gym!" He stormed off down the road.

"He's going to be in for a surprise when he gets there." Said Lucy. She was right, for when Ash arrived at the gym later on, he was met with a bad welcome.

"What do you mean I can't come in?!" he fumed. "I'm trying to become a Pokemon master!"

"I wouldn't let you in if you were the last Pokemon trainer on Earth." Said a gym employee.

"This gym doesn't allow anyone inside who says that perfume is a stinky ripoff." Said another employee.

"Why not?!" cried Ash.

"We manufacture that stinky perfume right here in this gym." A third employee said with a laugh.

"Uh oh." Said Ash.

"So you see, young man, you're the stinker." Said the first employee. She stamped a giant red X on Ash's face.

"You don't understand. I have to challenge your gym master for a badge. You just have to let me in!" Ash begged. The girls refused to budge and slammed the door in his face.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?!" he cried. Unknown to him, Team Rocket was headed to the back window with a ladder.

"Looks like the coast is clear." Said Meowth.

"Once we break inside, we'll steal the secret formula for their perfume." Said Jessie. "Then I'll be as irresistible as Cleopatra!"

"I'll sell the formula and make myself zillions of bucks!" cried James. "That's enough for my own country! Or maybe even my own planet!"

"A nine lifetime's supply of cat grub!" cried Meowth.

The Team Rocket trio soon entered the gym unnoticed.

"That secret formula has to be around here somewhere." Said Jessie. "Now where could it be?" Jessie then spotted something shocking.

"What is it?" said James.

"Hey look!" cried Meowth. The trio had found a Gloom.

"What's a Gloom doing here?" asked Meowth.

"Taking a nap, I think." Said James. Gloom then opened its eyes, spooking Team Rocket.

"James, you've gone and woken it up!" cried Jessie.

"Go, Koffing! Poison Gass attack, now!" cried James. Koffing materialized and sprayed its poisonous fumes but the Gloom simply inhaled it.

"That Gloom sucked up all of Koffing's gas!" cried Jessie.

"I can't believe it!" cried James. Gloom looked at team Rocket with a worrying expression on its face and sent Koffing's stench right back at Team Rocket, which knocked out Koffing.

"It smells terrible." Said Jessie.

"It smells like old sneakers, mixed with some rotten eggs and dead fish, with just a hint of skunk fumes!" cried James.

"My nose feels like it's on fire!" cried Meowth.

"Meowth, you don't have a nose." Jessie replied.

"My nose! What happened?! The stink dissolved it off my face!" cried Meowth. He then realized something. "Oh yeah, I forgot. The cartoonist never gave me a nose!" He saw that his teammates were out like a light.

"Hey! Why are you sleeping!" he cried. Someone then came and knocked out Meowth with a hammer.

"That stopped them!" said the same gym employee from earlier. "Gym rules! No thieves allowed!" She stamped their faces with a giant X and tied them to a nearby tree.

"Hey! Get me down! Get me down from here right now!" cried Meowth. "You two clowns better get me out of this tree!"

"Don't tell me what to do, you little hairball. I know what I'm doing." Said Jessie. It wasn't long before Ash and Lucy showed up.

"Are you three hanging out again?" said Lucy.

"The pests." Said Jessie.

"Please, could you help us get out of this tree?" said James.

"Traitor!" cried Jessie. "How dare you collaborate with the enemies!"

"Who's side are you on?!" cried Meowth. Jessie then got an idea.

"Hey, kid. Bet they wouldn't let you in that gym today." She said.

"That's none of your business." Said Ash.

"They kicked you out." Said Meowth.

"Not me." Said Lucy. "I didn't get kicked out because I know how to keep my mouth shut about perfume, unlike some of us." Ash angrily glared at Lucy.

"Even though you're a pest, I'll make a deal with you." Jessie said to Ash. "Untie us and we'll show you how to get into that gym."

"Why should I trust you?" said Ash.

"Yeah, you better have a good reason for him to listen to you three nitwits." Said Lucy.

"Oh, but there's a very good reason." Jessie said to Lucy. "You and your friend here can't get into the Pokemon League without winning more badges, right?"

"Right." Said Lucy.

"Then listen to us this just this one time." Said Jessie.

"You goofs better know what you're doing." Said Ash.

Later, Ash, Lucy and Team Rocket were at a department store where Team Rocket had found the perfect disguise for Ash to wear. The getup consisted of a blonde wig, orange dress, pink bow and bright red Mary Jane dress shoes.

"Great wig!" cried James.

"Not even your own mother would recognize you in this outfit." Said Jessie.

"Think so?" said Ash. He then noticed Lucy giggling.

"What's so funny?" he asked. Lucy kept laughing.

"Sorry, Ash, but I've never pictured you in a dress before." She said. Eevee laughed at him too.

"Talk about dressing for success." Said Meowth. "This getup will get you into the gym easy!"

"Great! Then I'll show that gym leader who's boss around here!" cried Ash. Jessie shook her head.

"That voice doesn't sound very lady-like." She said.

"You'll give away your secret." Said James. "Try it." Ash quickly disguised his voice.

"I'll show those meanies!" he cried in a high pitched female voice.

"That's more like it." Said Jessie.

Later on at night, Ash and team Rocket entered the Celadon gym in disguise.

"Good evening." Said Ash in his disguised voice.

"We would like to enroll our daughter, Ashley, in your Pokemon training classes." Said Jessie.

"Nothing but the best for our little princess." Said James.

"That's right!" cried Meowth from inside James' shirt.

"Quiet down!" James whispered to him.

"Do you like perfume?" asked the receptionist.

"Oh, yes." Said Ash in his disguised voice.

"Well then I'm sure that you'll be accepted." Said the receptionist. "Your parents should apply at the desk." Once the three made it to the desk, Meowth popped out.

"Way to scam 'em, Goldilocks!" he whispered.

"Are you applying to the gym, little girl?" asked an employee.

"Uh, yeah." Said Ash before quickly remembering he was supposed to be in disguise. "I mean, yes, ma'am."

"We're so proud to have our little muffin in your gym." Said Jessie.

"Yes, we sure are." Said James.

"Ma'am, where is Erika the gym master?" asked Ash in disguise.

"Oh, you'll meet her soon." Said the employee.

"All right! Now I just got to beat Erika and I'll win another badge!" Ash thought in his normal voice.

"Buh-bye!" cried Jessie. "Hugs and kisses, Ashley! Mommy and daddy are leaving you to battle those cute little Pokemon!"

"Bye, sweetie!" said James.

"See you soon!" cried Jessie. The moment Team Rocket left Ash, they ripped off their disguises.

"While that clueless little twerp creates a distraction, we'll steal the secret perfume formula!"

"Let's go!" cried James.

"Just one question." Said Meowth. He pulled out a giant bomb. "What am I supposed to do with this Blaster Ball?"

"Stick it someplace where it'll make a nice, big kaboom!" said Jessie.

"They'll get a bang out of this!" Meowth laughed.

"Jessie, what's the Blaster Ball for?" asked James.

"Sweet revenge for stamping an X on the most beautiful face in the world." Said Jessie.

"Talk about delusion." Said James.

"What?!" cried Jessie.

"I mean, that'll teach those slobs." Said James. Jessie and James laughed as they went to find the perfume formula.

In another part of the gym, a trainer was helping an Exeggcute, Bellsprout and Oddish exercise.

"One, two, one, two, one two…." She instructed. Another trainer was helping a Gloom, Weepinbell and Vileplume.

"Remember, a pretty Pokemon is a strong Pokemon." She said.

Meanwhile, Erika was telling a story. The audience included brock, Misty, Lucy, Pikachu and Eevee.

"And so, Omanyte bid farewell, and promised to, one day, return to visit the friends who changed his life on that faraway beach. The end." Concluded Erika. Brock started to cry.

"That was a great story." He sobbed.

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

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Spectacular story!' Ash soon arrived.

"Uh oh. How did the others gets here?" he whispered.

"Trainer Erika!" cried a girl. "I'd like to introduce our newest student."

"Oh, welcome." Said Erika. Ash was in shock, as he had already encountered Erika earlier in the day.

"The store manager." He whispered.

"Nice to meet you." Said Erika.

"Thank you, ma'am." Said Ash, still in his disguised voice.

"Is that…..?" wondered Misty.

"You sure are a shy young lady, but don't worry, all the girls just want to make you feel at home here in the gym." Said Brock. "Let's all give her a warm welcome."

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Hello there.'

"Oh great, Pikachu's here too." Thought Ash.

"May I ask a question?" said Misty.

"Of course you may, Misty." Said Erika.

"I was wondering why we can all sit with Gloom." Said Misty. "I always thought that because of its terrible smell, it was almost impossible to get anywhere near Gloom. How come this Gloom doesn't smell bad to me at all?"

"That's a very smart question, Misty." Said Erika. "Gloom doesn't smell bad all the time. Whenever Gloom is in danger, it lets out the bad smell. It's a natural defense mechanism. As long as Gloom doesn't feel threatened, it smells just fine. Just make sure Gloom feels safe and show that you want to be its friend."

"How do you know all of that?" said Misty.

"My guess would be her experience with Gloom." Said Lucy.

"That's right, Lucy." Said Erika. "I first met Gloom a long time ago."

Flashback

"When I was a little girl, I got lost one day and ran into a Grimer." Erika explained. "I had never been so scared. I couldn't even move." A wild Gloom started passing by the very young and very frightened Erika.

"Please! Can you help me? Please help me!" cried young Erika.

"That Gloom understood how I felt and decided to come to my rescue." Said Erika. Gloom sprayed a foul odor that made the wild Grimer back off. Erika then gave Gloom a hug.

"I love you!" cried young Erika.

End Flashback

"This is the same Gloom that rescued me from Grimer that day." Said Erika. "We've been friends ever since."

"It's because of her friendship with Gloom that Erika decided to become a grass Pokemon trainer." Said a gym employee.

"I wish Ash could've heard that story." Said Lucy.

"I heard it." Said Ash. Everyone was shocked and surprised to hear Ash's voice come from "Ashley". He quickly went back to his disguised voice.

"Please don't look at me like that. I'm a very shy little girl." He squeaked in the female voice.

"You look very familiar." Said Misty. "Haven't we met somewhere before?"

"Maybe you met my sister." Said Ash in the disguised voice.

"That's impossible. He doesn't have a sister." Lucy whispered to Misty. Pikachu walked right up to Ash and noticed the disguise he was wearing.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, I know that's you!'

"Pikachu, knock it off." Ash said quietly. Pikachu unleashed an electrical attack on Ash, destroying part of the disguise and shocking everyone except for Lucy.

"And, his cover's blown." She said.

"It's Ash!" cried Brock and Misty.

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

"You're that boy!" cried Erika.

"Erika, you wouldn't let me in so I wore this stupid dress as a disguise!" cried Ash. "I had to sneak in here so I could battle you for a badge. And now, I want to challenge you!"

"Just a second here." Said Brock. "Ash, how did you even get a hold of that disguise in the first place?"

"And you better tell us the truth!" exclaimed Misty.

"I already know how he got it, so I can tell you guys if you want." Said Lucy.

"No, Lucy. I want the answer coming out of his own mouth." Said Misty. Ash gave out a sigh before giving his answer.

"It was Team Rocket that helped me." He said. Pikachu shook his head.

"Pika." He said, which meant 'I can't believe you'd stoop to their level.'

"And where are those goofs now?" asked Brock.

"I don't know." Said Ash. "All I know is that I'm not leaving the Celadon Gym until I have a battle with Erika."

"That reminds me, I need to challenge you too, Erika." Said Lucy. "We both need to obtain a Rainbow Badge in order to get closer to qualifying for the Pokemon League."

"I'll be glad to accept your challenges." Said Erika. "It's my duty under League rules." She turned to Ash. "But first, you might want to get out of that dress."

"Yeah, I probably should." Said Ash.

"That's the smartest thing he's said all day." Said Brock.

"I guess I'm going first again, just like at the last gym." Said Lucy. "By the way, Ash, since that dress doesn't really suit your style, can I have it?"

"Sure." Said Ash. He ran off somewhere to change.

"Erika should consider herself fortunate that we're not reporting her for what she did to Ash." Brock whispered to Misty.

"Extremely fortunate." Misty whispered back.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had found a safe. They opened it up and stole the contents that had been inside it. Jessie gave a laugh.

"At last, we found the perfume. Now we'll unlock its' secret formula." She said.

Over on the battlefield, the lights came on and Erika and Lucy took their places for their match.

"We'll each use three Pokemon." Said Erika.

"Fine by me." Said Lucy.

"Then it's time we got started." Said Erika. "Tangela, go!" A Pokemon completely covered in vines materialized out of the ball. Lucy got her Pokedex out.

"Tangela, the Vine Pokemon. Tangela's vines will snap off easily and painlessly if the target pulls on them, so it can escape quickly. They're commonly found in temperate grasslands."

"A grass type, of course." Said Lucy. "I may not have a fire type on me, but I do have something else. Butterfree, I choose you!" She tossed a Poke Ball and the pink Butterfree materialized.

"Free!" it cried, which meant 'Let's battle!'

"Butterfree, Tackle attack now!" cried Lucy. Butterfree flew forward for a Tackle.

"Tangela, Stun Spore now!" cried Erika. Tangela shook its body and tried to spray gold dust on Butterfree, but it moved out of the way.

"Now, use Poison Powder!" cried Lucy. Butterfree sprayed poison blobs all over Tangela, who couldn't dodge in time. Tangela's energy started to weaken.

"Tangela!" cried Erika.

"Nice job, Butterfree." Said Lucy.

"Tangela, try a Vine Whip." Said Erika. Tangela lashed out its vines, striking Butterfree in the face.

"Butterfree, shake it off!" cried Lucy. Butterfree nodded.

"Now, Confusion!" cried Lucy. Butterfree concentrated and launched the attack from its eyes. With Tangela being poisoned, it was too weak to dodge, and it fainted.

"Yes! You did great, Butterfree." Said Lucy. Erika recalled Tangela.

"Very impressive work there taking out Tangela." She said. "Now, let's see how Butterfree does against Weepinbell." She tossed another Poke Ball and Weepinbell materialized.

"Let's do this, Butterfree." Said Lucy. "Another Tackle attack!" Butterfree started zooming in on Weepinbell.

"Stun Spore, Weepinbell!" cried Erika. Weepinbell sprayed gold dust on Butterfree, paralyzing it.

"Oh no!" cried Lucy.

"Razor Leaf." Said Erika. Weepinbell shot a shower of leaves at Butterfree.

"Butterfree, try to hang on." Said Lucy. "Use Supersonic!" Butterfree tried to use the confusion causing move, but the paralysis kicked in and the Pokemon couldn't move. Lucy had no choice but to recall Butterfree.

"You did your best." She told it. She quickly grabbed another Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Squirtle, go!" cried Lucy. The water type starter materialized.

"A water type in a grass gym?" wondered Brock. "Why would Lucy do that?"

"There has to be a reason, or else she wouldn't bring it out." Said Misty.

"Vine Whip, Weepinbell." Said Erika. Weepinbell shot out dark green vines.

"Squirtle, use Withdraw!" cried Lucy. Squirtle quickly hid into its shell to defend itself from the attack before popping back out.

"Great defense, Squirtle." Said Lucy. "Now, use your Ice Beam!"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'When did it learn that?'

"A good trainer never reveals their secret, Eevee." Said Lucy. Squirtle fired the beam from its mouth and it completely encased Weepinbell in ice.

"That was awesome, Squirtle." Said Lucy. Erika quickly unfroze Weepinbell before recalling it.

"Your Pokemon handling is exceptional, Lucy." Said Erika. "But there's still one more of my Pokemon you have to get through in order to win that badge." She tossed a ball and Gloom came out.

"I had a hunch she'd save that for last." Said Lucy. "Let's do this, Squirtle." Squirtle gave a thumbs up.

"All right, then give Gloom a good old Body Slam!" cried Lucy. Squirtle ran towards Gloom to perform the move, but before it could attack, Gloom launched its foul smell, nullifying the attack. Squirtle freaked out and collapsed to the ground in a heap.

"Squirtle, no!" cried Lucy. She quickly recalled the water type.

"You still did a good job." She said.

"Squirtle didn't do too badly considering it had a type mismatch." Said Misty.

"Now they both have just one Pokemon left." Said Brock.

"That was quite the smell Gloom unleashed." She said. "But who to bring out next? Butterfree's probably still paralyzed from that earlier battle, so I can't bring it out again. I know who I could use, though." She grabbed another ball and tossed it.

"Clefairy, I choose you!" she cried. Clefairy materialized.

"Okay, Clefairy, use your Pound attack!" cried Lucy. Clefairy hopped over to Gloom and pounded it in the face.

"Gloom, don't take that lying down!" cried Erika. "Use Acid!" The Acid attack was at least powerful enough to send Clefairy rolling backwards.

"Hit it back with Double Slap!" cried Lucy. Clefairy got into angry mode and slapped Gloom hard.

"Petal Dance." Said Erika. Gloom shook up some flower petals and made them dance around Clefairy, striking the normal type.

"Hang in there, Clefairy." Said Lucy. "I think now is the time. Metronome!" Clefairy started wagging its fingers, with everyone curious to see what would happen. After its fingers stopped wagging, it unleashed a powerful Flamethrower out of its mouth, burning Gloom to a crisp.

"We did it, Clefairy! Awesome job!" cried Lucy. Clefairy hopped over to her trainer.

"I'm so proud of you." Said Lucy. "Your Metronome has really come in handy so far." Erika recalled Gloom to its Poke Ball.

"I'm very impressed with how you handled your Pokemon during that match." Said Erika. "Now, as leader of the Celadon gym, I present you with a Rainbow Badge.

"Thanks, Erika." Said Lucy. She held the badge up high.

"Look, Eevee, we won a Rainbow Badge!" she cried.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Congratulations, Lucy!' Ash then walked back in, and thankfully, he was back in his regular attire.

"Did you win?" he asked Lucy.

"I sure did." Said Lucy, and she showed him the badge to prove it.

Later, after Erika's Pokemon had been healed, it was time for Ash to face her.

"Just like with my battle against Lucy, we'll also use three Pokemon each." Said Erika.

"Right. I'll use my own grass Pokemon against yours." Said Ash. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur materialized.

"This should be easy. Tangela, I choose you!" cried Erika. Tangela materialized out of its Poke Ball.

"What's that?" said Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Tangela, a Vine Pokemon. Its' body is wrapped in vines. The rest of its form is hidden beneath these vines."

"That doesn't tell me very much." Said Ash. "All right, we'll attack from a distance. Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip!"

"Tangela, Constrict! Resist it from pulling you in!" cried Erika. Tangela spun around rapidly, preventing Bulbasaur from pulling it. Tangela was still able to pull Bulbasaur, though.

"That's a clever tactic." Said Lucy. "Instead of Tangela letting Bulbasaur pull it, Tangela's pulling Bulbasaur instead."

"Tangela, now's the time to hit it with your Stun Spore!" cried Erika. Upon being hit by the Stun Spore, Bulbasaur was unable to move.

"Bulbasaur, return!" cried Ash, quickly recalling the grass type.

"Poor Bulbasaur. Later I'll give you some Paralyze Heals to make your Pokemon better." Said Erika.

"Thanks, but I don't need your help." Said Ash.

"He probably gave that quick response due to not being allowed in earlier." Said Lucy. Misty nodded in agreement.

"For my next Pokemon, I choose Primeape." Said Ash. He started grabbing Primeape's ball before remembering what had happened to him on the way to Celadon City.

"Maybe I better not." He said. He reached for a different Poke Ball instead.

"Charmander, I choose you!" he cried. Charmander materialized.

"Charmander, Ember attack now!" cried Ash. Charmander swayed his tail around and shot fire embers at Tangela, burning it. Tangela tried running around to get rid of the flames, but all that did was make it collapse onto the ground in a defeated state. Erika recalled Tangela to her Poke Ball.

"Weepinbell, go!" cried Erika. Weepinbell materialized.

"Razor Leaf, now!" cried Erika. Weepinbell sent a swarm of leaves Charmander's way.

"Charmander, Flamethrower, full blast!" cried Ash. Charmander's attack burned all the leaves, shocking Erika.

"Now to finish it up. Skull Bash, now!" cried Ash. Charmander charged and nailed Weepinbell with the move, sending it flying and knocking it out.

"Weepinbell, return!" cried Erika. Weepinbell was absorbed back into the Poke Ball.

"Ash is doing well." Said Brock.

"He's up two to one, which means if he gets past Erika's last Pokemon, that badge is his." Said Lucy.

"He might actually win." Said one of the gym girls.

"He's a lot more impressive than he looks." Said another girl.

"Your battle skills are impressive, Ash." Said Erika. "But there's one thing you don't have. Empathy with your Pokemon. Your friend showed plenty of empathy when she battled me earlier, and now it's time for me to teach you that lesson. Gloom, go!" Gloom materialized.

"I hope Charmander's nose and Ash's nose are prepared for that awful stench Gloom has." Said Lucy. Sure enough, Gloom sprayed its powerful odor all over Charmander, causing the fire type to fall to the floor.

"Charmander, return!" cried Ash.

"That was what happened to my Squirtle earlier." Said Lucy. Ash quickly recalled Charmander. Erika gave a laugh.

"Your Pokemon could use some more training." She said.

"If Gloom beat Charmander, what could I use next?" Ash thought. "Lucy's Squirtle couldn't take that terrible smell, and Pikachu probably can't stand it either." He grabbed another Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" he cried. Pidgeotto materialized. Gloom tried to spray the odor onto Pidgeotto, but Ash wasn't having any of it.

"Pidgeotto, Wing Attack!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto spread out its wings and struck Gloom hard before it could retaliate.

"Sleep Powder, Gloom!" cried Erika.

"Whirlwind!" Ash countered. Pidgeotto used the Whirlwind attack to blow away the sleep dust and make it vanish.

"Gust attack now!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto sent a powerful wind gust in Gloom's direction, blowing it away from the field and into a wall. Erika ran over to check on it and saw that it was knocked out.

"We did it, Pidgeotto!" cried Ash. Erika went over to Ash.

"You were actually much better than I thought." Said Erika. "You know Ash, maybe you're not such a bad Pokemon trainer after all." She was about to recall Gloom and hand him his Rainbow Badge when a voice was heard from overhead.

"Heartwarming, but what was that smell?" it asked.

"What's that?" cried Brock.

"The sound of a very familiar voice, that's what!" cried Lucy.

"Your Pokemon skills were stinking up this gym even worse than Gloom's smell." Said Jessie.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"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!"

"And last, but not least, to blast this dump sky high!" cried Meowth. He pushed the detonator to set off the Blaster Ball, which was right below Jessie and James.

"Jessie!"

"James!" Team Rocket blasted off due to the explosion.

"Where did you put that Blast Ball?" said James.

"Where I thought you'd lose it." Said Meowth.

"At least we get this lovely parting gift. Their secret perfume formula!" cried Jessie.

"What?!" cried Ash.

"Secret perfume formula?!" cried Lucy.

"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Jessie and James. The explosion from the blast ball, however, set the gym ablaze. Flames were sprouting around from everywhere.

"Quick, girls, we've got to rescue all the Pokemon! Fast!" said the gym's receptionist.

"And we have to get out of here ourselves!" cried Lucy. A trainer spotted an Oddish and Bellsprout that were frightened by the fire.

"Get into the Poke Balls and I'll carry you to safety." She said gently. The trainers gathered up all the Pokemon that they could find. Everybody did their part to try and save the gym from going up in smoke.

"I never should've listened to Team Rocket!" cried Ash.

"Don't just stand around, Ash." Said Misty. "We have to help put this fire out before the whole gym is burned to the ground!"

"Right!" cried Ash. "Squirtle! Water Gun!" His Squirtle materialized.

"Starmie, help us out now!" cried Misty.

"Staryu, we need you!" cried Lucy. Starmie and Staryu materialized. They, along with Squirtle, sprayed their Water Guns at the blaze.

"Geodude! Help us out by throwing dirt on the flames!" cried Brock. Geodude materialized and threw as much dirt as he could at the blaze.

"keep on spraying!" cried Lucy.

"We've almost got it!" cried Ash. Erika came running up to them in a hurry. She had a very worried expression on her face.

"Erika, what's wrong?" said Misty.

"I've looked all around the gym but I can't find Gloom anywhere!" she cried. "What if…..What if Gloom's still inside?!" Erika tried to run back in to get Gloom, but was stopped by Misty and Lucy.

"You can't go back in there, Erika!" cried Lucy. "That fire's too dangerous!"

"But Gloom maybe trapped inside!" cried Erika.

"I'll go in and find Gloom!" cried Ash. He rushed towards the burning gym.

"Don't Ash!" cried Misty.

"Ash, no!" cried Lucy. Ash charged inside the burning building to look for Gloom. It took a bit of searching, but he found the grass type hiding near a wall.

"Gloom!" cried Ash. The grass type was terrified.

"Don't worry, Gloom, I'll get you out of here!" cried Ash. As he started approaching the Pokemon, it began spraying its foul odor.

"I can't get any closer to that smell!" cried Ash. Some of the gym roof came down, scaring Gloom even more. Ash held his breath as he attempted to approach Gloom again.

"It'll be okay, Gloom." Said Ash. He found he couldn't hold his breath any longer, but then noticed something.

"There's no smell." He said. He then remembered what Erika had said earlier about showing Gloom that he wanted to be its friend.

"Come on, Gloom, Erika's waiting for you." Said Ash.

Outside, Erika, Brock, Misty and Lucy were worried for Ash's safety as well as the safety of the Pokemon.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Come on, Ash.'

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'Ash is brave, isn't he?'

"He's very brave, Eevee." Said Lucy. "But it's still dangerous for anyone to go back into a building that's on fire!"

"I think I see something!" cried Misty. What she saw was Ash coming out of the gym holding Gloom in his arms. Erika, brock, Misty and Lucy rushed over to him.

"Ash!" cried Brock.

"Thank heavens." Said Lucy.

"That was great, Ash!" cried Misty.

When the next morning came, the gym was still standing but it was badly damaged.

"You not only beat me in battle, but I'm also very grateful to you for saving my Gloom from that fire." Said Erika.

"Gloom!" Gloom cried, which meant 'Thank you, Ash!'

"You're very welcome, Gloom." Said Ash.

"And now, I can officially award you this Rainbow Badge as proof that you've beaten me." Said Erika.

"Thanks a lot, Erika." Said Ash. "Take a look, Pikachu. A Rainbow Badge!"

"Pi Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Good going, Ash!'

"Congratulations, Ash." Said Brock.

"Thanks." Said Ash.

"Now we only need three more badges to get into the Pokemon League." Said Lucy. Misty cleared her throat at Erika.

"I believe you owe Ash something else, do you not?" she said.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Said Erika. "I need to apologize to you for that whole banning you from the gym thing. It's just that us girls have very strong opinions about perfume. We think it smells lovely."

"Maybe so, but what you didn't consider is that Ash is just a normal ten year old boy." Said Lucy. "Of course he's not going to like perfume. But you shouldn't have been rude to him about it either."

"I know, and I'm sorry." Said Erika.

"You're forgiven, and I accept your apology." Said Ash. "Speaking of perfume, Team Rocket got away with your secret formula." Erika laughed.

"No they didn't!" she cried. "The bottle they ended up stealing has only one of our perfume's secret ingredients. Essence of Gloom!" Team Rocket opened the bottle and were greeted with a bad smell.

"It stinks." Said Jessie weakly.

"Just like your plan." Said James.

"You said it!" cried Meowth. So, in the race for a Rainbow Badge, Ash and Lucy won by a nose. But most of all, Ash also learned that you can't judge a Pokemon by its smell.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[K_S]

Hi, Mark mind if I take a peak/revew?

chapter 1 review

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!"

Poor Delia's gotta wrangle both of them. And they're hooped up on ambition and antsiness. Mimes raising a cup in toast to Delia. Better your battle than mine...

"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?"

Hmm well, if we want to make a MANGA joke, maybe Lucy will get squirtle?

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

I bet the programmers and the sponsors (AKA the trainers to be parents) paid Oak extra to make his speech in a monotone to help the kids sleep...

"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.

And Heeeere's Gary... how can a ten-year-old drive BTW? I was hoping someone would ask that...

"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."

Rent out a marching band for the kids' ego, it'll round out the look. I forgot what a creep he was. Though how he expects to catch anything in that car...

"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.

Poor critter's probably getting motion sickness for being treated like a basketball.

"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.

Maybe a marching band wouldn't be grandios enough for that boy's ego... but I'm failing to think of something that would work...

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

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

Good luck catching up, boyos in a car, you're walking...

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

Awww(disappointed noise), no descriptor of the lab? ah well. I'm surprised it wasn't a "familiar" voice considering his lecture carooned them to bed last night.

"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."

Snorts. Love the snark. Is one of the wearing a tasseled night cap? that'd be hilarious...

"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 fact that Oak kinda let this play out, the man was subtly trolling and probably loving every second of it. "They'll never be late again," Oak tells himself, never knowing the horror that canon will descend into, since I bet they'll both be chronically late for everything for the rest of their journeys.

"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.

Well, that's my theory jostled... hmm, how about giving them a weedle and caterpie? That'd be kinda funny...

"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.

Cue Oak sliding on electric resistant everything.

"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.

Ignore the smoke coming out from ash's ears and the super spiked hair per electrical dischar- well ash is an anime protagonist, that's not too noticeable isn't it?

"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.

Ohh Eevee isn't a saint. Them tag teaming their trainers is going to be hilarious...

"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 mean, there's over a thousand now, right, might take decades.. but hey, leg day will be licked.

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

Because they are mischievous rapscalions...

"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.'

wait until he starts plotting escape routes, then life will get even more exciting...

"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.

cue pika giving the flattest look in existence....

"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.

SNorts pika was such a brat, wonder if eevees watching nomming on pokepuffs like popcorn, laughing it up.

"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."

wonder if Lucy will get the pidgy since she's got a (seemingly) tame eevee in tow.

"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.

This definitely feels real true to the anime, something I'm missing as I read through. On second read, it sunk in that there are very few setting descriptors. The dialogue is tidy, and the character actions work (though eevee does keep disappearing at intervals), but unless you've watched the series its a little confusing.

"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.

I kinda would of loved to hear the sheer snark from eevee and pika at this point.
Pika: "What do you mean jealous? They aren't getting this work out courtesy of our trainers' stupidity."
Eevee: "ours, yours is the one who started all this!"

"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.

I get why Ash didn't know, but you'd think Lucy might know what a Pokémon Center is...

"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.

You weren't kidding when you said this was going to be a recap. I have to admit Lucy's addition as an OC drop-in has added some flavor and minor event changes, but this feels like a loving revisit to the OG series with a bit of OC spice.

Thanks for sharing.

 

[MarkL1987]

Thanks for sharing.

No problem. Still got a bunch more episodes to go, though, as I'm planning to cover at least to the end of Johto

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 26: Hypno's Naptime

After winning a Rainbow Badge from Erika in the Celadon City gym, Ash and Lucy, along with Brock and Misty, find themselves in a brand new city. One with buildings just as tall as the ones they had seen in Celadon.

"It feels like all those buildings are closing in on us." Said Ash.

"Yeah, and they're all so tall that you can barely see they sky." Said Misty.

"Where are we, Brock?" asked Lucy. Brock took out his guidebook.

"According to this, it's called HopHopHop Town." He said.

"HopHopHop Town?" everyone else asked.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That's a weird name for a town.'

"Arnold!" cried a female voice. The woman ran up to Ash and gave him a huge hug.

"Huh, what?" asked Ash.

"Where have you been, Arnold? Mama's been so worried!" she cried.

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'What's this lady's problem?'

"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'She thinks Ash is her son.'

"Sorry to rain on your parade, miss, but this is most definitely NOT your kid." Said Lucy.

"She's right." Said Ash, releasing himself from the woman's grasp. "My name isn't Arnold, it's Ash."

"And I'm Misty." Said Misty.

"She wasn't talking about you at all, Misty." Said Brock.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry." Said the woman. "But you really do look just like my Arnold."

"I do?" wondered Ash.

"What happened to him?" asked Lucy.

"He just plain disappeared." The woman answered. "He's been missing for three whole days now, and I'm very worried."

"Three days?!" cried Lucy. "Assuming he's at least had some food in that time, he'd probably be starving right now."

"I can't find him anywhere." Said the woman.

"And you haven't heard from him?" said Brock.

"Not a word." Said the woman.

"Could he have gone off to become a Pokemon trainer?" asked Ash.

"He does like Pokemon, of course, but he never said anything about wanting to be a trainer." Said the woman.

"Do you think he'll probably just come home soon?" asked Misty. The woman sadly shook her head.

"My son isn't the only child who's disappeared lately." She said. Everyone in Ash's group was shocked to hear this.

"He's not/" said Brock.

"You mean there are more missing kids?" said Lucy. The woman showed them multiple posters of missing kids on them.

"See those posters?" she asked. "Those are pictures of all the children that have disappeared."

"That many?!" cried Misty.

"By my count, there has to be at least ten missing kids on that wall. Probably a little more than that, even." Said Lucy.

"This must be a dangerous town." Said Ash.

"My picture's going to be on posters when I become a big famous star." Said Misty.

"In horror movies, maybe." Said Ash. Lucy promptly bonked Ash on the head.

"This isn't the time for jokes, mister." She said. "We have to come up with a plan to find all of those kids that are missing."

"They certainly were nice children. All of them." Said another female voice. The group turned and saw that it belonged to an Officer Jenny.

"Disappearing one by one like that. I just can't understand it." She said. "Let's see. Where should I put this one." Ash quickly rushed over to Jenny.

"Excuse me! Are you the cousin or second cousin of the Jenny from Maiden's Peak?" he said.

"Actually, I'm her cousin's cousin." Said Jenny.

"It figures." Said Ash.

"This one's the most beautiful one yet." Said brock.

"They're all exactly alike." Said Misty. Brock shoved Ash out of the way and knelt down to Jenny.

"It must be terrible searching for all these lost children" he said. "I would be very happy to help you in your search."

"What?!" cried Jenny.

"We can work together hand in hand." Said Brock.

"Just try and stay out of the way." Said Jenny. Ash noticed that the woman who had mistaken him for her son earlier had a very worried expression on her face.

"She reminds me of my own mom." Said Ash. "She must be worried." Pikachu jumped onto Ash's hat.

"Pika." He said, which meant 'Very worried.'

"You think so too, huh?" said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Sure do.'

"Well in that case, detective Ash Ketchum will solve this mystery!" cried Ash.

"Don't forget about me, your assistant." Said Lucy.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Do you think we'll be able to find those missing kids?'

"I certainly hope so, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"All of the missing children disappeared exactly three days ago." Said Jenny.

"Three days ago?" said Ash.

"Besides that, do the missing children have anything in common?" said Brock.

"That's a brilliant deduction, Brock!" cried Lucy. "The missing children have to have something in common."

"They don't have anything in common." Said Jenny. "But I think other kids may know something about it."

The group made their way over to the Pokemon Center.

"We'll ask the kids in the Pokemon Center if they know anything.

"That's it, Brock! Brilliant deduction!" cried Ash.

Inside the Pokemon Center…..

"Have you seen this little boy before?" asked Jenny. She showed two kids a poster of one of the missing children.

"I haven't." said one of the boys.

"Yeah. I play with him all the time." Said a second boy.

"When was the last time you saw him?" asked Jenny.

"I don't know." Said the second boy. Brock suddenly showed himself in front of the two boys.

"You two had better answer this lady's questions truthfully!" he cried.

"Okay." Said the second boy nervously.

"Now tell this beautiful young lady everything you know." Said brock. The boys looked at him strangely.

"You do think she's beautiful, don't you?" said Brock. "Come on, what do you say?"

"NOW you're getting in the way!" cried Jenny. Ash, Brock, Lucy and Misty decided to ask Nurse Joy about the case.

"I bet you're related to the Joy in Maiden's peak, aren't you?" said Ash.

"You'd win that bet." Joy answered with a smile.

"We're here about the missing children." Said Misty.

"Oh, you mean those kids who all disappeared suddenly." Said Joy. "I heard about it on the news."

"Is there anything at all that you can tell us about these children?" said Lucy. Joy frowned.

"I'd like to help you, but right now I have my hands full with our own mystery." She said.

"What do you mean? What's the matter?" said Misty.

"All of the Pokemon here at the Center have been behaving very strangely." Said Joy. Ash, Misty and Lucy looked surprised and confused.

"How strange are they?" said Lucy.

"See for yourself." Said Joy. She took them into another room in the Center and showed them what she had meant.

"Just look at Cubone and Oddish." She said. "Even Magikarp is affected, and it's usually full of life."

"Oh my." Said Lucy. "What happened to all these Pokemon?"

"The magic's disappeared." Said Misty.

"Magikarp looks like it's ready for the deli counter." Said Ash. Joy showed them a Charmander.

"The flame on this Charmander could go out at any minute." She said. Then, she held up a yellow duck Pokemon.

"And this one's just been in terrible shape." She said.

"What Pokemon is it?" said Ash. Lucy got out her Pokedex for the answer.

"Psyduck, a water Pokemon. Uses mysterious power to perform various attacks."

"Mysterious powers?" said Ash.

"That's hard to believe." Said Lucy.

"So what's causing all of this?" said Brock.

"I have no idea." Joy answered.

"How long have they been acting like this?" said Misty.

"Since three days ago." Joy answered.

"Three days ago?!" cried Brock. "That's exactly when all those children disappeared, isn't it?"

"That CAN'T be a coincidence." Said Lucy.

"I wonder if maybe there's some kind of connection between the children's disappearance and the Pokemon's lack of energy." Said Jenny.

"One mystery just leads to another." Said Ash. "Just one more puzzle to solve for the minds of Ash Ketchum and Lucy Peters, master detectives!" Ash and Lucy thought and thought.

"Did you two think of anything yet?" said Misty.

"Not a thing." Replied Lucy. Everyone gave a sigh of disbelief.

"Something's definitely very strange." Said Jenny. A device that Jenny had been carrying then went off.

"Is that your radio?" asked Misty. Jenny pulled the device out.

"It's picking up something." She said.

"I bet I know what that is. A handsome guy detector!" cried Brock.

"Not even close, Brock." Said Lucy.

"Don't kind yourself! This is a sleep wave detector." Said Jenny.

"A sleep wave detector?" said Lucy.

"Lately I've been picking up sleep waves." Said Jenny.

"Sleep waves?" said Lucy.

"What are those?" asked Ash.

"Wavelengths that induce sleep." Said Jenny. "They're coming from outside." Pikachu and Eevee soon ran out of energy and collapsed.

"Oh no! Look! Pikachu and Eevee are losing energy!" cried Ash.

"I wonder if these sleep waves and the condition of the Pokemon are…" said Brock.

"Yeah. They may be connected!" said Jenny.

"Hey, Pikachu. Wake up, pal." Said Ash.

"Eevee, please wake up!" cried Lucy.

"The only way those two are going to wake up is if we find the source of the sleep waves." Said Jenny.

Meanwhile, the Team Rocket trio was hiding in a warehouse and tracking the same sleep waves that Ash and his friends were tracking.

"I knew it! The sleep waves are coming from this town!" cried Jessie.

"Now we can get our wish!" cried Meowth.

"We'll find the source of the waves!" cried James.

"And we'll use them to knock out the boss!" cried Meowth.

"Then, while he's fast asleep, we can take a break!" cried Jessie.

"While the boss is conked out, I'll take a fishing expedition!" cried Meowth. Tears started welling up in the trio's eyes.

"We're always working so hard at being bad." Said Jessie.

"Even if we always fail!" cried James.

"Maybe we're not so good, but we need a vacation, bad!" cried Meowth.

Ash and his friends, meanwhile, were following the sleep waves. Jenny was leading the way, but then she suddenly stopped in front of a tall building and gasped.

"They're coming from this building!" she cried.

"Whoa! It's so tall!" cried Ash.

"Where do you think they're coming from?" asked Lucy.

"They seem to be coming from the roof!" cried Jenny.

"Let's go!" cried Brock. They all rushed inside the building and headed to the elevator.

"The more we go up, the stronger the signal gets." Said Jenny. The elevator continued going up fairly quickly until they reached the roof. They followed the signal to a rooftop mansion.

"What's that?" said Ash.

"A mansion on top of this skyscraper?!" cried Brock.

"It's coming from inside there!" cried Jenny.

"All right!" cried Ash, and he ran toward the mansion.

"Wait, Ash!" cried Lucy. Ash signalled for the others to move up.

"What now?" said Brock.

"There's someone inside. I'm going in." said Ash.

"I'm right behind you!" cried Lucy. They pushed the door in and everyone in the room was surprised at the arrival of Ash's group.

"What is this place?" said Brock.

"What's going on here?" wondered Ash.

"I think we're intruding on something." Said Lucy.

"Are you new members?" asked a gentleman.

"Members?!" said Ash.

"We're so sorry for intruding, sir." Said Lucy.

"We've been monitoring some sleep waves coming from up here." Said Jenny. They spotted a psychic type Pokemon swinging what looked to be a yo-yo.

"Sleep waves? Oh, I know. This Hypno must've been emitting them." Said the gentleman.

"Hypno?" said Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Hypno, a hypnosis Pokemon. It carries a pendulum-like device and performs hypnotic attacks."

"And what's that next to it?" said Misty. Lucy got out her own Pokedex.

"Drowsee, said to be a descendant of the dream-eating tapir. It was the first Pokemon to use a combination attack like Hypnosis and Dream Eater."

"Hypno is the evolved form of Drowsee, correct?" said brock.

"Yes, that's correct." Said the man. "Our Drowsee just evolved into a Hypno three days ago." The heroes were shocked at the information they had just heard.

"Three days ago?" said Lucy.

"I knew it!" cried Jenny. "That's just when those children vanished and the Pokemon started losing their energy."

"We've been using the Pokemon instead of using sleeping medicine." Said the gentleman.

"What do you mean we?" said Misty.

"The members of the Pokemon Lover's Club." Said the gentleman.

"Pokemon Lover's Club?" said Lucy.

"Precisely." Said the gentleman. "You see, all of our members absolutely adore Pokemon, and well, Hypno has become our favorite Pokemon. Everyone's hard work finally paid off when Drowsee evolved."

"Oh?" said Ash.

"Living our lives in the city can be very stressful, and all of the members suffer from insomnia." Said the gentleman. "So, we've come to rely on Hypno's powers to help us to get to sleep at night." Hypno used its powers on a member of the club to demonstrate.

"Hypno's sleep waves must have affected all those Pokemon by sapping their energy!" Lucy exclaimed. Misty pulled Pikachu out of Ash's backpack and Eevee out of Lucy's backpack.

"Take a look at my Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"The same with my Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"The same thing happened to all the Pokemon at the Pokemon center." Said Misty.

"It must be a….." said the gentleman.

"A side effect." Said brock.

"Side effect?" said Ash.

"Hypno's hypnotic powers are usually just used on other Pokemon." Said Brock. "Since the wavelength was changed to effect humans, it's creating a side effect for the Pokemon."

"Makes sense to me." Said Lucy.

"Somehow, we've accidentally caused a terrible situation." Said the gentleman.

"You know what? I bet that new wavelength can even effect some kids that are sensitive to it too." Said Brock.

"Kids?" said Ash.

"As in the missing kids." Said Lucy.

"Yeah!" cried Brock. Misty placed Pikachu and Eevee on a table in front of Drowsee and stared right at Hypno.

"Let's see." Said Misty. The Hypno hypnotized Misty and made her begin to act like a Seel.

"Uh…. Seel-Seel. Seel. Seel." Said Misty.

"Misty! What's wrong?" said Ash.

"She's been hypnotized, Ash." Said Lucy. She took a good look at Hypno's pendulum.

"Lucy, no! Don't look at it!" cried Ash, but he was too late. Lucy was hypnotized and started acting like a Meowth.

"Lucy, Misty, what's gotten into you?" said Ash.

"They're both being controlled by the sleep waves!" cried Brock.

"We have to do something!" cried Ash. Misty and Lucy soon got up and ran off.

"Misty! Lucy! Where are you two going? Come back!" cried Ash. He and Brock followed Misty and Lucy all the way to the city park, which was quite huge.

"I can't believe there's a park this big in the middle of the city!" cried Ash. He and Brock followed both Misty and Lucy until they caught up to both girls and found both them and the missing kids in the posters. Just like Misty and Lucy, the kids were all acting like Pokemon.

"Bulbasaur! Bulbasaur!" cried one kid.

"These are all the missing children." Jenny pointed out.

"And they're all acting like Pokemon." Said Brock. One girl was flapping her arms back and fourth, while another boy kept slithering down a tree trunk. Another girl was acting like a Gloom.

"Gloom. Gloom." She said.

"What's happening?" said Ash. "Why are they acting that way?"

"Pokemon-itis." Brock explained.

"Pokemon-itis?" said Ash. "What's that?"

"With that wavelength, the children who were exposed to Hypno's sleep waves must've been hypnotized and think they're Pokemon now!" cried Brock.

"And it got Misty and Lucy too?" said Ash.

"Yeah." Said Brock.

"How on earth could something like this have happened?" said the gentleman, who had followed a fair distance behind Ash and Brock to the park. They watched the children, but were still baffled.

"All right, everyone, wake up!" cried Jenny. "It's time to go home! Stop this! Wake up now, kids!" She took hold of one girl's hand. "All of your mothers are worried sick!" The girl whose hand Jenny had taken pulled away and kept acting like a Magikarp.

"Magikarp! Magikarp!" she cried as she rolled and splashed around. Jenny shook her head.

"It's just no use!" she cried.

"What can we do?" said Ash.

"Seel. Seel. Seel-Seel." Said Misty, who was still clapping her hands like a Seel.

"Meowth!" cried Lucy. She was running around on all fours and pretending to chase a ball of string.

"Gloom, Gloom…." Said a child.

"Bulbasaur!" cried another.

"Free!" cried a third child, who was acting like a Butterfree.

"Seel-Seel." Said Misty.

"Meowth meow!" cried Lucy.

"I have an idea!" cried the gentleman. "What if we use Drowsee to cure the children and your friends?"

"Drowsee?" said Ash.

"Sleep emits dream wavelengths which, in this case, may counteract Hypno's wavelengths." Said the gentleman.

"Yeah! That might work!" cried Brock.

"Let's give it a try!" cried Ash. He and Brock ran back to the Pokemon Lover's Club in an effort to counteract Hypno's power with Drowsee's power.

"Drowsee, emit your dream waves and focus them toward these young people." Said the gentleman. Drowsee did as the gentleman instructed.

"Misty. Lucy." Said Ash.

"They must be in a pretty deep trance." Said Brock. Drowsee then clapped its hands, and both Misty and Lucy awoke from the trance they had been in.

"Where are we?" said Misty.

"What happened?" said Lucy.

"Gee, Misty, you look kind of beat." Said Ash.

"When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!" cried Misty.

"She's back to normal." Said Ash.

"What do you mean back to normal?" asked Lucy.

"You two were thinking that you were Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Now we have to use Drowsee's sleep waves on all the kids in the park!" cried Jenny. Ash picked up Drowsee and carried it on his head.

"Okay! Now we have to get those kids back to normal!" exclaimed Jenny. The group soon ran out the door with Drowsee in hand.

"You mean that me and Lucy thought we were Pokemon?" said Misty.

"Yeah. You turned into a Seel and Lucy turned into a Meowth." Said Ash. As they got ready to head to the park, something came out of the sky above them.

"What's that?" said Brock.

"My guess is that it's trouble." Said Lucy.

"No! Not them!" cried Ash.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!" Team Rocket came zooming in on hang gliders.

"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 flight! Now, let's swoop down and swipe those hypnosis Pokemon!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket swooped down over the heroes and landed, with James' landing being the bumpiest.

"Nice three point landing." Said Meowth.

"Team Rocket is here to take possession of Drowsee and Hypno." Said Jessie.

"You're dreaming!" cried Lucy.

"Well, we'll just see who's dreaming after this!" said Jessie. She held up something flat under a cloth. "If Hypno can put anything to sleep, try this!" She pulled the cloth off the object, which was shown to be a mirror.

"Now, wait!" cried Ash.

"If you have any pride as a hypnosis Pokemon, you'll do it!" Jessie ordered.

"This is known as the Team Rocket Mirror Mirror On The Wall, who's the sleepiest of them all? dirty trick strategy!" cried Meowth.

"Just don't hypnotize me." Said James, who was holding up the mirror. Hypno used its hypnosis power, which got bounced of the mirror and right back to Hypno.

"You've got to do something, Ash!" cried Misty.

"There's not much time!" cried Ash. He grabbed a potted plant and threw it at the mirror, breaking it.

"And we thought so hard to come up with that strategy!" cried Jessie. She pulled out a whip and wrapped it around Drowsee, with James doing the same to Hypno.

"We got 'em!" cried Meowth. "Now we'll just fly away with our catch!" cried Meowth.

"I don't get it. Why didn't we just do this from the beginning." James wondered.

"We have to fill a half hour." Answered Jessie. Ash attempted to pull the Drowsee out of Team Rocket's grasp.

"Hang on, Ash! Go, Staryu!" cried Lucy. Staryu materialized and cut the whips with its spinning.

"Pidgeotto, go!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized.

"Okay Pidgeotto, Powerful Gust! Give them your best blast!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto used a very powerful wind attack to blow Team Rocket off the roof and into the city.

"I suppose this means we blew it again!" cried Jessie.

"Oh, we blew it again!" cried James. "We blew it sky high!"

"And what goes up must always come down." Said Meowth.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Team Rocket.

"Come on, guys, let's go!" cried Brock.

"To the park!" cried Jenny. Everyone soon arrived at the park and Drowsee went to work. All the kids quickly went to sleep.

"They're all asleep!" cried Lucy.

"More than that. They're all dreaming!" cried Brock.

"Pikachu, too." Said Ash.

"Same for Eevee." Said Lucy. Drowsee clapped its hands again, and all the kids woke up immediately.

"Hey. How did I get into the middle of the park?" asked one kid.

"Me too! I should be working on becoming a Pokemon trainer!" cried a second kid.

"I want to be a fireman!" cried a third kid.

"I'm going to be a doctor!" cried a fourth kid. The kids all bid farewell to each other as the Pokemon woke up.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Good morning.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That was a nice nap.'

"Pikachu! Looks like you're back to your old self!" cried Ash.

"Eevee's back to normal too!" cried Lucy.

"Arnold!" cried the woman from before.

"It's Arnold's mother." Said Misty. The woman spotted her son and they embraced in a big reunion hug.

"Moments like these are so beautiful." Said Lucy.

"Don't forget, we have to cure the Pokemon at the Pokemon Center!" cried Brock.

"Right!" cried Ash. The group headed back to the Pokemon Center so they could cure the energy drained Pokemon. With a single clap of Drowsee's hands, the Pokemon all regained their energy.

"The Pokemon are all back to normal!" cried Joy.

"Sometimes I wonder what those Pokemon dream about." Said Lucy.

"I'd love to know that too." Said Ash.

"They must've been dreaming of getting stronger and evolving." Said Brock.

"I dream about that sometimes too." Said Misty.

"Uh Misty, last I checked, you're not a Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"Well, that's one more case solved by Ash Ketchum and Lucy Peters, master detectives!" cried Ash.

"Excuse me?!" cried Lucy. "We didn't solve anything at all."

"Are you joking?" said Brock. Ash laughed, but the laugh soon turned into a sigh. Nurse Joy gave a sigh too.

"What's the matter? A beautiful woman like you shouldn't have too much to be sad about." Said Brock. Joy showed them Psyduck.

"All the Pokemon are better, but this one is still holding its head." Said Joy.

"Leave it to me." Said Brock. "Caring for Pokemon is the sole purpose of my life. The reason I exist."

"Then, maybe, you can help it." Said Brock.

Soon, the group was walking through the park with Psyduck following them.

"Well, Brock, you were the one who said leave it to me." Said Ash.

"But Psyduck is a water Pokemon." Said Brock. "You better have it, Misty."

"Brock does have a point, Misty." Said Lucy. "You are a water type trainer, after all."

"Why would I want such a boring Pokemon?" said Misty. Lucy quickly pulled out her Pokedex.

"Psyduck constantly suffers from a headache."

"You mean to tell me that this thing always has a headache?!" Misty screeched. She tripped over a rock and fell backwards, making an empty Poke Ball roll up to Psyduck.

"My Poke Ball!" cried Misty. Psyduck pecked at the Poke Ball and sucked itself inside.

"Oh no. Now it's in my Poke Ball?!" cried Misty.

"More than that." Said Lucy. "Psyduck basically did you a favor by capturing itself."

"Good work, Misty. You captured Psyduck." Said Ash. Misty still couldn't believe it.

"Now I'm the one with the headache!" she cried. Well, Misty effortlessly caught Psyduck and all the mysteries were solved. Congratulations.

"Don't congratulate me!" Misty cried. Gee Misty, I thought you'd be excited at obtaining a new Pokemon. Inside the ball, Psyduck was still holding its head.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 27: Pokemon Fashion Flash

"Scissor Street? Why did we come here?" Ash wondered.

"You'll see." Said Brock.

"There sure are a lot of Pokemon beauty parlors." Said Lucy. Ash and his friends were taking a walk along Scissor Street. Why are they here? Only Brock knows the answer to that question.

"Is there any place special you want to visit, Brock?" said Lucy.

"Wait a second. I just remembered that Scissor Street is also called Breeder's Lane!" cried Misty.

"Breeder's Lane? That's definitely up Brock's alley." Said Lucy.

"So THAT'S why we're here." Said Ash. "Brock always has to see the latest breeder gear." Brock dreams of becoming a Pokemon breeder, someone who devotes time and energy to learn how to raise the best Pokemon.

"Some of the best breeders have shops here." Said Brock. "There are lots of terrific make-up places and fashion salons too, just for Pokemon." Misty spotted a sign featuring a dressed up Ekans and Koffing and ran up to it.

"Hey, look!" she cried. "This must be the newest fashion! It's so cute!"

"You think that's cute, huh?" said Ash.

"Come on, we have to go in!" cried Misty.

"I'm not sure." Said Lucy. "The big R on the sign looks strikingly familiar."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Very familiar.' Misty pulled Ash and Lucy off to the place the sign was advertising.

"I don't want to go in there!" cried Ash.

"Yeah, that sign looks very suspicious." Said Lucy. A bit further ahead, a line of people slowly entered the salon, and a familiar voice was heard.

"You won't believe how beautiful a Pokemon can be!" cried the voice. "Step in, and see for yourself. Let us dazzle you with the latest fashions by the expert artists at Salon Roquet."

"Did he just say, Salon Roquet?" said Ash.

"Why does that name sound so familiar?" asked Misty. Brock looked at the sign on the window.

"Is that supposed to be a Pokemon or a Christmas tree?" he said.

Inside Salon Roquet, the familiar yet hard working beauticians were working on a Dodrio and a Raichu.

"Bring your drab Pokemon to Salon Roquet for a complete Pokemon makeover! Including jewelry!" cried the first beautician in a French accent.

"And hair styling." Said the second beautician.

"We'll make your Pokemon a pretty-mon! Ta-da!" cried both beauticians. The curtain opened to reveal the two made-up Pokemon.

"We've done it again! Another Pokemon fashion masterpiece!" cried the first beautician.

"I can't believe how talented we are." Said the second beautician.

"Your Pokemon have gone from frumpy to flashy, thanks to Salon Roquet." Said the first beautician.

"Oh, how precious!" cried a customer. The Pokemon looked into a mirror and were embarrassed with how they looked. They left the salon in shame as Meowth started counting the money made, revealing the whole thing as a Team Rocket scheme.

"One-twenty, one-thirty, one-forty, one-fifty, one-sixty, one-seventy, one-eighty, one-ninety, two hundred." Said Meowth.

"Please come back again soon!" cried Jessie and James.

"You two are spending way too much on advertising." Said Meowth. "TV commercials are a big waste of money! Remember, we're in this to make a profit!"

"We know what we're doing!" cried Jessie. "The more we spend to hype this place, the more customers we'll get. Customers will spend thousands for a fashionable Pokemon."

Outside on the street, Brock was still looking for his destination.

"I think I'm going to get in line." Said Misty.

"Huh?" said Ash. Brock suddenly found his destination.

"It's there!" he cried as he ran to his destination selection. "I've found it! I've bee looking all over for this place!"

"This is the store you've been looking for?" said Misty. Brock reached for the door handle, but he was so nervous that he couldn't open the door.

"What are you so nervous about?" said Ash. The group entered and saw somebody massaging a Chansey.

"Just relax. Release all your tension." The female worker said to the Chansey. Brock couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the woman finishing her work.

"Now you'll have more energy." She said. The Chansey looked at itself in the mirror as its trainer returned to pick it up.

"Chansey, I've come for you darling!" said the trainer. "Oh! Don't you look precious!"

"Thank you for bringing Chansey to my salon." Said the female.

"See you soon, Susie!" exclaimed the trainer as she left with Chansey.

"May I help the next customer?" asked Susie.

"We're just kind of browsing around." Said Ash.

"We're not customers, we're just visitors." Said Lucy. Brock stepped in but got quickly shoved aside by Misty, who spotted an adorable fire type Pokemon.

"Look! That Vulpix is such a cute little thing!" she cried. "Don't you just want to hug it?"

"What is it?" said Ash. He pulled out his Pokedex.

"Vulpix, the fox Pokemon. Its six tails are extremely beautiful. As it evolves, it grows even more tails."

"More specifically, it grows three more." Said Lucy.

"I love its hair." Said Misty. "I wish I had hair like Vulpix that looks so shiny and soft." She reached to pick up Vulpix.

"Don't touch it!" Susie cried, but she was too late as Misty picked up Vulpix anyway.

"You're just about the cutest Pokemon I've ever…." Misty started, but before she could finish, Vulpix fired a Flamethrower at her and hopped back into the chair it had been napping on. It yawned and went back to sleep.

"Very cute." Said Misty.

"Vulpix uses powerful flame attacks."

"Well, now we know to never wake up a Vulpix when it's taking a nap." Said Lucy. "Otherwise, you'll get a Flamethrower right to the face."

"Please pardon Vulpix." Said Susie. "It doesn't like being picked up or hugged by strangers."

"I wish I had known that sooner." Said Misty.

"Uh, Susie." Said brock.

"Yes?" Susie replied.

"My name's Brock. Nice to meet you, Susie." Said Brock. "I want to breed like you. I mean, I want to be a breeder like you!"

"It's very nice to meet you, brock." Said Susie. "I'm flattered that you want to make me your model."

"Yes, I want to model you. I mean, I'm flattered that you're flattered!" he cried. "Your Vulpix is nice." Ash, Misty and Lucy looked at Brock in confusion.

"Brock sure looks like a nervous wreck right now." Said Lucy.

"What I'm really trying to say, Susie, is that I'm begging you to accept me as your pupil!" cried Brock. Everyone was shocked and surprised by those words.

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'Brock as her pupil, really?'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That's what happens when you travel around with a girl lover.'

"Are you actually serious?!" cried Lucy.

"You've got to be kidding, Brock." Said Ash.

"Mind your own business, Ash!" cried Brock. "I know what I'm doing! Please say yes, Susie!"

"I don't have pupils, Brock." Said Susie. "Breeding takes up all of my time."

"What makes her such a great breeder anyway?" said Ash. That got Brock offended.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he roared.

"Jeepers, what a temper." Said Lucy.

"The sensational Susie of Scissor Street has been awarded the trophy for excellence at the World Pokemon Breeder's Contest for three consecutive years!" cried Brock. "But wait, there's more! In addition to that, the readers of Pokemon Friends magazine named her the most popular breeder four years running! And her hugely popular website records over ten thousand hits per day!"

"Now that's what I call a great breeder!" cried Misty.

"You better believe it!" cried Brock.

"Okay Brock, we hear you clear and loud!" yelled Ash.

"A little too loud in my opinion." Said Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee had been forced to cover their ears during Brock's talking due to how loud he was speaking.

"I wonder if this Vulpix has ever won any awards in competition." Said Misty.

"That's a fabulous question, Misty." Said Brock. "Vulpix is the hottest supermodel of the Pokemon world. Notice the gorgeous, flowing tails that have made Vulpix a champ! Plus, there's…" Before he could finish, Lucy grabbed him from the back.

"We get the idea, Brock. Vulpix is terrific too." She said.

Later, the group and Susie were sitting down for some tea while Pikachu and Eevee had a bite to eat.

"So all of you are traveling on a Pokemon journey together." Said Susie.

"That's right, Susie." Said Lucy. Susie looked at Lucy's Eevee.

"The coat on your Eevee is so nice and shiny." Said Susie. "You've done an exceptional job raising it." She then had a look at Pikachu and turned to Ash.

"Your Pikachu has a beautiful, shiny coat too." Then she turned her attention to Brock.

"Are you the one who prepares Pikachu and Eevee's food, Brock?" she asked.

"Yes! I do!" cried Brock.

"He makes food for all of our Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"And it's Brock's own recipe too." Said Misty.

"My career as a breeder also began when I first became interested in Pokemon nutrition." Said Susie. To everyone's surprise, Vulpix went over to where Pikachu and Eevee were eating.

"Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Here!'

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Have a bit of mine!' Vulpix tried the food that Pikachu and Eevee were offering to share with it, and to Brock and Susie's surprise, it liked it.

"Vulpix!" cried Vulpix, which meant 'Yummy!'

"I can't believe Vulpix is eating the food I made." Said Brock.

"Brock, this is really impressive." Said Susie. "Vulpix never eats anything that I haven't made myself."

"Looks like Vulpix is a fan of Brock's cooking." Said Ash.

"We have Pikachu and Eevee to thank for that because of them offering to share their food with Vulpix." Said Lucy.

"Thank you, Vulpix." Said Brock. He gave a bow but hit his head on the table, earning some laughter from Susie.

"I'm not worthy!" Brock cried.

"Susie, we saw some super fancy looking Pokemon when we were walking down the street." Said Misty. "Is that really the latest trend?"

"By any chance, did you pass a very large salon on the way?" said Susie.

"You mean that really tacky looking place?" said Ash.

"Goes by the name of Salon Roquet." Said Lucy.

"That's the one." Said Susie. "Ever since it opened, some trainers have been trying to make their Pokemon look as flashy as possible."

"So that salon started the trend." Said Brock.

"A good breeder is always trying to bring out a Pokemon's inner strength and personality, but this new fad is about standing out, not what's inside." Said Susie.

"I don't like it either. It's pretty stupid to waste your time showing off." Said Ash.

"Sometimes, even Pokemon like to get dressed up and show off a little, just like the rest of us." Said Misty. "Right, Pikachu? I can just see it now." She pictured Pikachu in a dress.

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'What do you mean?'

"I think Pikachu's perfect the way it is." Said Ash. "We don't need any of those goofy fashions."

"I would agree." Said Lucy. "I'd rather raise my Eevee to actually look like an Eevee."

"It's what's going on inside that counts." Said Ash.

"I never said the inside was important." Said Misty. "The outside counts too!"

"The inside is what matters!" yelled Ash.

"Outside too!" cried Misty.

"Inside!" yelled Ash. Lucy just shrugged her shoulders as Ash and Misty continued to argue.

"Shouldn't you or Lucy stop them, Brock?" said Susie.

"That would be like trying to stop the tide." Said Brock.

"Besides, these two have been at it with each other ever since the day Ash and I first met her." Said Lucy.

"If you think fashion's so great, then how about taking your Psyduck to that salon?" said Ash.

"Hey! That's a great idea." Said Misty. "Come on, Psyduck." Psyduck materialized from its Poke Ball.

"Now we'll see who has the last quack." Said Ash with a laugh.

"Ha! Anyway, Psyduck and I are so cute, we'll look good in whatever fashion we wear." Said Misty.

"I'm sure Psyduck will." Said Ash.

"WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT FASHION?!" screamed Misty. "Right, Psyduck?"

"Psy-y-y duck?" said Psyduck.

"This may be more of a challenge than I thought it'd be." Said Misty.

"Better get going." Said Ash.

"Ha! You'll be jealous when we get back from the salon and Psyduck turns out to be even cuter than Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Misty. "Come on, Psyduck." Psyduck followed Misty out the door.

"I wonder if it's what's on the outside or what's inside that really counts in the end." Said Susie. "Ever since that new salon opened, I've been wondering about my methods."

"Don't say things like that!" cried Brock. "Susie, you've got to keep following the path you believe in!"

"We have to stick up for what's inside together." Said Ash. "Right, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I agree.'

"That's very kind, but how can we do that?" said Susie.

"If they want to put style over substance, we'll give customers substance with style!" cried Brock.

"I like that idea, Brock." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Squealed Eevee, which meant 'I love it too.'

"Even Eevee agrees." Said Lucy. Soon, the group had attracted a crowd into Susie's salon.

"There's still a few seats left in the back of the room for our lecture on Pokemon care!" cried Brock.

"Each Pokemon needs your special care and attention." Said Susie. "Whenever a Pokemon's been injured in a battle, it should be given a therapeutic massage." As the lecture continued, the line outside Salon Roquet continued to shrink until only Misty and Psyduck were left.

"Hey! Wait! Where did everybody go?" said Misty.

"Say, weren't you two over at Susie's?" said a random person.

"Yeah, we saw you there." Said Misty.

"Susie's lecture just started." Said another person. "It's a series about Pokemon care. Today she's talking about massages."

"A lecture on Pokemon massage?" said Misty.

Back at Susie's…

"This volunteer and his Pikachu will now demonstrate the techniques that we learned in today's lecture." Said Susie. Ash and Pikachu nodded.

"As you may already be aware, Pikachu's electric sacs are located in its cheeks, and they become very tense after a difficult battle." Said Susie.

"Pika Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'That is all too true.'

"Ash, would you please massage Pikachu's cheeks like I showed you earlier?" said Susie.

"Sure." Said Ash. He soon got to work on issuing the massage.

"How does that feel, Pikachu?" he asked. Pikachu enjoyed the massage, amazing the crowd.

"Good communication between Pokemon and their trainers is essential." Said Susie. "These techniques build trust and bring out a Pokemon's personality."

"That's ever so true with me and my Eevee." Said Lucy.

"I think Susie will agree with me that any technique is only as good as the trainer or breeder who uses it." Said Brock.

"Well said, Brock." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Well said indeed.'

Meanwhile, at Salon Roquet, Team Rocket was tending to a Squirtle.

"The perfect touch." Said James.

"One last rose, and voila!" remarked Jessie. "This Squirtle shell has become the perfect advertisement for our latest line of Pokemon fashion!"

"Oh, yes, another masterpiece from Salon Roquet!" said James. "Roses are the flowers of love and romance. We also paint daffodils." The Squirtle gave a sigh.

"Meowth, send in the next customer, tout suite!" said Jessie.

"Can't you see I'm counting money here?!" cried Meowth. He looked over to the door.

"Only one customer?" he wondered.

"One or one million, it doesn't matter as long as we have customers who appreciate true beauty." Said Jessie.

"We only want to offer our services to the most refined customers." Said James.

"We're not going to make any money that way!" cried Meowth. The door opened up and revealed Misty and Psyduck, much to the surprise and shock of Team Rocket.

"Hello there, everybody!" cried Misty.

"Welcome, young lady." Said Jessie and James. They then pulled Misty into their so called "work area".

"Hey! What are you doing?" said Misty.

"Step in! Don't be shy." Said James.

"Not me! Psyduck!" cried Misty.

"Don't be so hard on yourself." Said Jessie. "You're just as lovely as any Psyduck."

"Hey! Hold on a second!" cried Misty. Psyduck waddled up to them.

"Psy." He said.

"It's another masterpiece!" cried James. Misty was now sporting an entirely different outfit.

"You like it?" said Jessie. She and James were holding a mirror in front of her.

"I love it!" cried Misty as she looked at herself in the mirror. "You've really captured the real me! You're an amazing artist! I look so cute!"

"I'm thrilled." Said Jessie.

"There's nothing that pleases us more than a satisfied customer." Said James.

"Why don't we try out even more new styles." Said Misty.

"Time for a makeover!" cried Jessie and James. As the two of them worked, Meowth got annoyed until he had finally seen enough.

"Forget the makeover!" he yelled. "She hangs around with those twerps and their Pikachu and Eevee. We gotta grill this kid to figure out how to steal them!" Misty soon realized what was actually going on.

"Hey, wait. You're Meowth!" cried Misty. Jessie and James began to attack Meowth.

"We were trying to find out until you blew our cover!" cried Jessie.

"First, you get the opponent to relax, then you pump them for info." Said James. Meowth scratched both of them.

"So, stop pumping me and get that Pikachu and Eevee!" he cried. His scratches destroyed Jessie and James' disguises.

"I'll never tell you phonies anything!" cried Misty. James grabbed a hold of her.

"So you figured out the truth." He said. "You had better tell us where Pikachu and Eevee are, or else we're painting your face to look like Frankenstein!"

"Do I want a face like Frankenstein! No, I don't!" cried Misty. "Hey, Psyduck!"

"Psyduck?" said James. Team Rocket looked around for the water type duck, but it was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't see it." Said Jessie.

"It's gone!" cried Meowth. Misty was frustrated now.

"Psyduck." She muttered under her breath. Psyduck was running back to Susie's salon as fast as it could. He had to squeeze through the crowds to get to Ash's group.

"Hey, there's Misty's Psyduck." Said Lucy. "But where's Misty?" Pikachu and Eevee hopped down to Psyduck so they could hear what he had to say.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'What's up?'

"Eevee?" Eevee asked, which meant 'Did something happen?'

"Duck psy yi! Psyduck! Psy! Duck! Psyduck!" cried Psyduck, which meant 'Misty! Big trouble! Team Rocket!'

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'We've got trouble!'

"What's the matter?" said Ash. "Did something bad happen to Misty?"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Team Rocket must've captured her!'

"I knew something seemed off about Salon Roquet!" cried Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee quickly ran out of the salon with the group in tow.

"Come on guys! After those Pokemon!" cried Lucy. The group followed Pikachu and Eevee to the doors of Salon Roquet.

"Misty!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hold it!' The group quickly ran inside and saw Misty all tied up.

"It's Team Rocket again!" cried Ash and Brock.

"That further proves my suspicions." Said Lucy. "Roquet is just another way to say rocket. As in Team Rocket!"

"What took you guys so long?" said Misty.

"Never mind that! What happened to your face?" said Lucy. Ash and Brock saw the "makeover" Misty had gotten and tried hard not to laugh, but unfortunately, they both broke out into laughter. Misty let out a sigh.

"Dumb boys." She muttered. Lucy bonked both Ash and Brock on the head.

"You two are complete idiots, you know that?" she said. "It's not nice to laugh at her for something like this." Ash and Brock shook their heads to eliminate the pain.

"Let Misty go right now!" Ash demanded.

"Sorry, but you'll have to wait your turn." Said Jessie. "We won't be finished with their makeovers until they look like this."

"We're conducting some important beauty research." Said James.

"Beauty research?" said Susie.

"I wouldn't call that beauty research at all." said Lucy. "To me, it looks more like our friend Misty is tied up in a chair wearing a ridiculous outfit. Although, the getup Ash had on at the Celadon gym not too long ago was even funnier than whatever Misty has on." Misty glared angrily at Lucy.

"Can't you understand that it's the beauty inside that counts?" Said Susie. "Every Pokemon is beautiful, we just have to help them discover it."

"What's she talking about?" said Jessie.

"What does she know about pretty Pokemon?" said James. "Who even cares about the inside? It's the outside that counts."

"What do you two numskulls know about Pokemon breeding?" said Meowth. "This whole Salon Roquet idea was supposed to be a scam, remember?" Susie was shocked by Meowth's words.

"It was a brilliant plan, too." Said Meowth. "Part one: Think up some stupid Pokemon fashions and take piles of money from the trainers." The trainers who were outside overheard what Meowth was saying and realized their mistake.

"And part two: Whenever a trainer brings in a rare Pokemon, first, distract the trainer, then steal the Pokemon on the spot." Said Meowth.

"What?!" cried Ash.

"And our greatest masterpiece of all will be that Pikachu and Eevee of yours." Said Jessie. "How about a trade? This twerpy girl for those two Pokemon?" Misty gasped.

"You're trying to steal both of these Pokemon? We're going to battle!" cried Ash.

"Count me in too. Tag team!" cried Brock.

"I better join the fight too because Team Rocket never plays fair." Said Lucy.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Let's go!' Jessie laughed.

"Salon Roquet is ready, with our own fashion battle platform. Here goes!" she said. She pushed a button and the salon began to shake. Smoke rose, revealing the platform's appearance.

"And now, Salon Roquet present a fashion extravaganza and Pokemon battle-thon!" cried Jessie. "To protect the world from boring fashion."

"To dress all people with flash and fashion."

"To give all Pokemon pretty faces."

"To extend our art to other places.

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Salon Roquet, when it comes to sheikh, we know what's right."

"Surrender your taste and prepare to fight."

"We're supposed to battle them on that thing?" said Lucy.

"Dazzle them, Ekans!" cried Jessie.

"Knock 'em dead, Koffing!" cried James. Ekans and Koffing charged while still wearing the costumes from the advertisement.

"We don't need costumes. Pikachu's super energized from that massage." Said Ash. "Go!" Pikachu charged into battle.

"Geodude, go!" cried Brock. Geodude materialized.

"Squirtle, let's get to work!" cried Lucy. All the Pokemon materialized.

"Geodude, give 'em the Seismic Toss!" ordered Brock. Geodude used the move on Ekans, but it retaliated by using its costume to turn into a wheel to knock Pikachu back.

"Thunder Shock, now!" cried Ash. Pikachu unleashed the electric attack, but Ekans and Koffing spun around like tops and repelled the attack with their costumes.

"Pika?!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'What?!'

"Those costumes are like shields and weapons!" cried Lucy.

"Koffing, time for a Sludge makeover!" cried James. Koffing's attack landed and blinded Pikachu and Geodude.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Geodude!" cried Brock.

"That's the same trick they pulled in the Viridian Forest!" cried Lucy. "Squirtle, soak those losers with your Water Gun!" Squirtle launched the attack, which Ekans and Koffing dodged, and then Squirtle was hit by Sludge itself.

"Squirtle, no!" cried Lucy.

"Now for the grand finale." Said Jessie. "Go!" As Ekans and Koffing started to charge, the two Pokemon tripped over their costumes. Ekans slipped and tore its costume.

"Oh no! It's a fashion disaster!" cried James.

"Get up, you guys. We have a battle to finish!" cried Meowth. Ekans, Koffing and Meowth charged, but Vulpix stood between them and Pikachu and Geodude, bringing the three to a halt as Susie stepped in to finish the battle.

"Now what?" said Brock.

"I think I know what." Said Lucy. "And so does Susie."

"Vulpix and I will take care of them!" Susie cried.

"We'll give your Vulpix a makeover when we get rid of its tails." Said Jessie.

"Time to give you a lesson in breeding!" cried Susie. "If all you worry about is your Pokemon's outer beauty, its' inner strength will be lost."

"Vul!" cried Vulpix, which meant 'Right!'

"A Pokemon is like a fashion model." Said Jessie. "All that counts is a pretty face."

"Like mine!" cried Meowth. Ekans, Koffing and Meowth all charged.

"Vulpix, wrap them up with Fire Spin!" cried Susie. Vulpix launched a blast of fire at the three Pokemon as they charged forward, completely engulfing them in a fire tornado. Jessie and James got terrified as the fire tornado closed in on them.

"Must save the gowns!" they cried.

"Hey! Don't Fire Spin me!" cried Misty. "HELP! HELP! HRLP!"

"Oh no! That inferno's going to burn Misty to a crisp!" cried Lucy. However, the tornado lifted up and sent Team Rocket flying.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried. Ash and his friends were amazed at Vulpix's power.

"Now THAT'S an attack!" cried Ash.

"I'll say." Said Lucy. She got out her Pokedex.

"Vulpix's greatest attack, Fire Spin. Using powerful flames to block its opponent from moving, it then inflicts great damage." Brock addressed the crowd.

"Did you see that?!" he cried. "A cute exterior hides inner strength! That's the Pokemon's true personality." Psyduck approached the steps leading to Misty.

"Psyduck!" Misty yelled. Psyduck looked up at here.

"Just when I really needed you, you chickened out on me!" cried Misty. "Get up her and untie me right now!" Psyduck untied the ropes, and afterwards, the group went back to Susie's.

"Nice work, Vulpix." Said Susie.

"Vul!" cried Vulpix, which meant 'Thanks!'

"Thanks to all of you, I believe in what I'm doing again." Said Susie. "You helped me regain confidence in my beliefs."

"It's not that hard when the person you're helping is as great as you are." Said Ash.

"And Brock?" said Susie.

"Uh, yes?" brock replied.

"I was very impressed with the way you handled your Pokemon in a crisis like that." Said Susie. "I have a lot more to learn about breeding Pokemon, even if I do have a championship. I'm still a student, not a teacher. Looks like you and I both have journeys ahead of us."

"You're leaving, Susie?" said Ash.

"But what about your Pokemon salon?" said Lucy.

"There are things I can only learn if I leave here." Said Susie. "I want you to continue your journey too, Brock. From now on, we're rivals."

"Uh, sure, I suppose." Said Brock. Vulpix gently nuzzled against Brock's leg.

"I'd be grateful if you took care of Vulpix for me." Said Susie.

"Huh?" said Brock.

"You mean you're giving him your prize winning Vulpix?" said Lucy.

"That's right." Said Susie. "Brock's the first person other than me that Vulpix has been friendly with. Right now, I think he could do a better job raising Vulpix than I could."

"Thanks. I don't know what to say." Said Brock. Ash, Lucy and Misty got tears of happiness in their eyes.

"You don't have to worry, Vulpix. I promise I'll take good care of you." Said Brock. He took out a Poke Ball, which Vulpix entered, and with only a single ping of the ball, he obtained his new Pokemon.

"All right! I got a Vulpix!" he cried. Ash and Lucy laughed at the face paint that Misty still had on.

"What are you two laughing for? This makeup is very fashionable!" Misty cried.

"You were just fine without it." Said Lucy. As the group bid farewell to Susie, Team Rocket was running for their lives from angry customers who were demanding refunds.

"Now we need a total makeover, so that nobody we ripped off will recognize us!" cried James.

"They're just jealous because they're not attractive enough to wear our designs." Said Jessie. The three of them leaped into the air.

"BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD!" they cried. So long, Salon Roquet. We hardly knew you.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 28: The Punchy Pokemon

On a long and open road, a Hitmonchan was running, but he quickly stopped to shadow box as a young lady peered from behind a tree. The voices of Ash and his friends were soon heard.

"Look at that! It's a wild Hitmonchan!" cried Ash.

"That is DEFINITELY a rare sight to see." Said Lucy.

"I've never seen one out in the wild before." Said Misty.

"That one's a real fighter." Said Brock. Ash got out his Pokedex.

"Hitmonchan, a skilled fighting Pokemon that packs an incredibly fast punch."

"All right, let's capture it." Said Ash. "Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pi?! Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Me?! But…..'

"If you defeat Hitmonchan, you'll be in the running for a chance at being the world champion Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Pikachu?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Champion?' He pictured himself getting beat up badly behind Hitmonchan and quickly hid behind Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'No way!'

"You don't have to be afraid." Said Ash. "I'll teach you my secret punch, and then nobody will be able to beat you."

"Pikachu?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'Secret punch?'

"But Ash, one punch won't win him anything." Said Lucy.

"I know." Said Ash. "Pikachu has to learn the basics first." He turned to his partner.

"Keep your left up, and jab with your right." He instructed.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Okay, coach.'

"Since when is Ash a boxing expert?" said Lucy.

"Beats me." Said Misty. Things have been going pretty well for our group. Misty got a Psyduck, and Brock got Vulpix. But Ash and Lucy haven't caught any Pokemon lately.

"I beg to differ on that, mister Narrator." Said Lucy. "Ash caught a Primeape right before we got to Celadon City." Oh yes, Lucy, you're absolutely right about that. But nonetheless, Ash is now going to try his luck with Hitmonchan. After giving Pikachu some coaching, the two of them stepped up to Hitmonchan and got ready to fight.

"Okay, Hitmonchan. Ready to fight?" said Ash. Hitmonchan looked down at Pikachu and noticed the boxing gloves that the little electric mouse was wearing, but he simply shrugged it off due to Pikachu's size.

"Hitmonchan, Pikachu's going to teach you a lesson." Said Ash. "Pikachu, attack!" Pikachu raised his hand to indicate he was ready to fight, while Brock and Misty rang the bell.

"He's not going to last a full round." Said Lucy.

"Eevee?" squealed Eevee, which meant 'You think?'

"Just be glad you're not facing Hitmonchan, Eevee.." Said Lucy. "He'd probably trample you for sure." Pikachu lunged himself into battle.

"That's it, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "Now jab! Give it the big uppercut!" Due to Pikachu's size, however, Hitmonchan held back the little fighter, both with its hand and its foot.

"Make Pikachu stop, Ash!" cried Misty. "This isn't even a fight!"

"Hitmonchan's not even taking Pikachu seriously." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, give it that special punch I just taught you!" cried Ash. Pikachu fired up, much to Hitmonchan's surprise.

"Give it the Rocket Punch!" cried Ash. Pikachu fired right at Hitmonchan with rocket powered boxing gloves and nailed the fighting type with a straight right.

"That Rocket Punch actually worked." Said Lucy.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"They did?" said Brock.

"No way!" cried Misty.

"Incredible!" cried Lucy. Pikachu raised his right hand in victory while Hitmonchan tended to his bruise. He then gave Pikachu an angry stare, which frightened the little guy.

"Chan!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Softie!'

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Oh dear.'

"So much for that great Rocket Punch." Said Brock.

"This isn't going to end well." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Not at all.' The group soon heard a voice, which belonged to Hitmonchan's trainer.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" said the trainer. "Don't drop your guard!"

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'Agreed.'

"Keep your gloves up, Hitmonchan, because fighting smart hurts less than fighting stupid." Said the trainer.

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'Got it.'

"Now, go knock that pipsqueak out!" yelled the trainer.

"Hitmon." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'All right.' The group worried as Hitmonchan put up its dukes, moved lightning fast and threw rapid fire lefts at Pikachu.

"Whoa! That Hitmonchan is extremely well coached." Said Lucy. As a result of the rapid fire punches, Pikachu was knocked out.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan finished the fight by sending Pikachu to defeat with a vicious uppercut.

"Pikachu, are you okay?" said Ash.

"That Hitmonchan wasn't messing around this time." Said Lucy.

"I declare Hitmonchan the winner!" cried the trainer. "Congratulations! One, two, three, HOORAY!" The trainer and Pokemon raised their hands in victory.

"I wonder who this guy is." Said Ash.

"Same here." Said Lucy.

"He's a pretty serious trainer." Said Misty.

"I guess that Hitmonchan wasn't wild after all." said Lucy. The voice of a young girl was then heard as she came out of her hiding spot.

"Daddy, please come home!" she cried.

"Rebecca!" cried the trainer.

"Daddy, please stop Pokemon training and come home with me!" cried Rebecca.

"I won't come home until I become the champion of the P1 Grand Prix." Said the trainer.

"Daddy!" cried Rebecca.

"I'll be in the gym taking on challengers." Said the trainer. "The gym's that way. I'll be waiting for you." Rebecca's father and Hitmonchan hurried back to the gym. Rebecca was left in tears and sadness.

"Oh well." She cried.

"Can I be of help to you, young lady?" Brock asked her.

"I'm really sorry my father bothered you." Said Rebecca.

"No problem." Said Brock.

"Can I ask you trainers a big favor?" said Rebecca.

"Please feel free to ask. We'll be happy to help in any way possible." Said Brock.

"Thank you." Said Rebecca. "Please, I want you to defeat my father's Hitmonchan." The group looked confused.

"Beat your father's Hitmonchan?" said Lucy. "But why?"

"We'll do it for you!" cried Brock. The group just looked in confusion and embarrassment.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I wish he'd stop volunteering us for something without consulting us first.'

"Eevee." Eevee agreed, which meant 'Yeah, that's starting to get really old really fast.'

The group soon arrived at the Fighting Spirit gym, a small place run by Rebecca's father inside a gas station.

"The Fighting Spirit gym." Said Misty.

"This certainly doesn't look like a regular Pokemon gym." Said Ash. The group then noticed a poster for the P! Grand Prix that Rebecca's father had mentioned earlier.

"What's the P1 Grand Prix?" asked Brock.

"P1 is short for Pokemon Number 1 Grand Prix." Said Rebecca. "Only the best of the best fight in it. Because my father wants to win the P1, he's been training all the time and ignoring his family."

"So if we defeat your father's Hitmonchan, he'll come to his senses and come home." Said Lucy.

"Right." Said Rebecca.

"Ha! Just leave it to us!" cried Brock. The group looked at him in confusion again.

"Pika." Pikachu sighed, which meant 'There he goes again.'

"Leave it….." said Ash.

"To us?" said Misty.

"We'll take care of it." Said Brock. "Lucy, do you have a fighting type Pokemon you can use?"

"I don't." said Lucy.

"Only fighting type Pokemon or Pokemon with fighting type moves are eligible to compete in this event." Said Rebecca. "I probably should've pointed that out before.

"Then I definitely can't compete since I don't have any fighting types." Said Lucy. "But Ash has one."

"You don't mean Primeape, do you?" said Misty worriedly. She remembered when Primeape was still a wild Pokemon and had caused them issues due to its uncontrollable rage and anger.

"Primeape should be able to do the job." Said Ash.

"And I have Geodude." Said Brock. "We'll both enter the tournament and defeat that Hitmonchan!" The group headed to the arena where the tournament would be taking place.

Meanwhile, outside the arena, Team Rocket had spotted a poster for the tournament.

"A big Pokemon match!" cried James.

"And feast your eyes on that prize!" cried Meowth.

"I'd love to get my hands on that championship belt." Said Jessie.

"And if we sold the belt, we could stuff ourselves at the all you can eat buffet!" cried James.

"Unlimited food!" cried Meowth. "Honey glazed ham, roast leg of lamb, strawberry jam."

"Sirloin steaks, chocolate cakes." Said James.

"Can't you numskulls think of anything but food?!" cried Jessie.

"What would you do with the money, Jessie?" said Meowth.

"Who? Me?" said Jessie.

"Yes, Jessie. What would you do if you had some extra cash?" said James.

"First, I'd go to the salon and get a complete facial." Said Jessie. "Then, I'd get my hair and makeup done. Then I'd go on a major shopping spree for dresses and half-back and shoes. Then I'd do a bit of jewelry shopping. And then after all of that, I'd invite some close friends over for a nice dinner at home."

"I hate to rain on your little fantasy, but shouldn't we be figuring out how to get into this competition?" said James. "Only fighting Pokemon are allowed."

"Of which we currently have none." Meowth pointed out.

"Then we'll just have to borrow one, won't we?" said Jessie. "All we have to do is find one." They then heard the footsteps of a trainer and his Pokemon.

"Like that one, there." Said Jessie.

"What is it?" said Meowth.

"Hitmonlee, the Kicking Fiend." Said James.

Later, fireworks went off to mark the start of the P1 Grand Prix.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our fighting festival, the P1 Grand Prix, is about to begin!" cried the announcer. In the restrooms, team Rocket had bound and gagged the trainer that they had seen with a Hitmonlee earlier and stolen his clothes so that they could enter the competition illegally.

"Now we have our fighting Pokemon." Said Jessie. She turned to the trainer. "Please remain seated."

In the ring…..

"The contestants in the P1 Grand Prix are about to enter the ring!" cried the announcer. A door in the ring opened and one of the contestants walked through it.

"Introducing the number one contender, the fighting machine, Hitmonchan, and its trainer, Anthony!" cried the announcer. "Now the challenger, the kicking fiend, Hitmonlee, and its trainer, Giant!" Jessie, in disguise of Giant, started wobbling.

"Stand up straight! You're making me dizzy!" she cried.

"I'm tired, let's trade places." Said James. However, Jessie squeezed her legs against James' head.

"Quit complaining!" she cried.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have two new trainers competing in their P1 debut! Please welcome Ash and Brock.

"Not you again!" cried Jessie. Before Ash or Brock could note the familiar voice, Jessie played dumb and turned away from them.

"Hey Ash, what's the matter?"

"Uh…..nothing I guess." Ash answered. "I just thought I heard something familiar." Ash's first opponent was a trainer named Balboa, who was using a Machop.

"That Machop doesn't look like it's gotten too much exercise." Said Lucy.

"And now for our first match!" cried the announcer. "Machop is ready to battle, but which Pokemon will Ash use?"

"I choose you, Primeape!" cried Ash. He tossed the Poke Ball and Primeape materialized. He was confused as to what was happening at first until Machop got its attention.

"Machop!" cried Machop, which meant 'Hey, you!' Primeape turned around to look at Machop and the two of them locked eyes with each other as the bell rang to begin the fight. Machop started by using its Karate Chop on Primeape, knocking it back.

"Primeape!" yelled Primeape as it got sent to its corner.

"Get up, Primeape!" cried Ash.

"It looks beat." Said Brock.

"It looks like Machop has the advantage in the battle with Primeape!" cried the announcer. "Machop may be small, but it packs plenty of power."

"Primeape, go for High Jump Kick!" cried Ash. Primeape jumped into the air to perform the move, but Machop countered by grabbing Primeape's foot.

"This looks bad!" cried Lucy. Machop began to swing Primeape around.

"Machop's mega muscle power stops Primeape's kick cold!" cried the announcer. "Looks like Machop is getting ready for its special attack."

"Special attack?!" cried Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Machop. Its body is pure muscle. Its special attack is Seismic Toss."

"Oh no! It's going to toss Primeape!" cried Ash. Sure enough, Machop tossed Primeape out of the ring, and Ash quickly dove to save it.

"Primeape!" cried Ash. Primeape couldn't believe that Ash had thrown himself into harm's way in order to save it.

"Pri?" cried Primeape, which meant 'Ash?'

"Primeape, are you okay?" said Ash. Primeape got tears in his eyes because of Ash's selfless act.

"Primeape!" cried Primeape, which meant 'I'm good!'

"All right! Good! Now, we're not going to quit!" cried Ash.

"Primeape!" cried Primeape, which meant 'Got it!'

"Watch out for that Seismic Toss and give it everything you've got!" cried Ash.

"Primeape!" cried Primeape, which meant 'Sure thing!'

"That's amazing!" cried Misty.

"What is?" said Rebecca.

"Primeape used to do whatever it wanted and not listen to anybody, and now it's taking orders from Ash." Said Misty.

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

"Primeape, use your Scratch attack!" cried Ash. Primeape jumped back into the ring and scratched Machop several times.

"Jump, Primeape!" cried Ash. Primeape jumped and into the lights, causing Machop to be blinded.

"Machop?" wondered Machop, which meant 'What's this?'

"Mega Kick, right now!" cried Ash. Primeape struck Machop down and sent him halfway across the ring.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"This match is over!" cried the announcer. "Machop is down and out! Primeape wins the battle!"

"That Primeape is really tough." Said Anthony.

"Hitmonchan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'Sure is.'

"It seems like everything changed when Ash dove to save Primeape." Said Misty. "That's when Primeape started to trust Ash."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Most definitely.'

"That's what's called Eye of the Tiger." Said Lucy. Brock was up next to battle Hitmonlee.

"Our next match is between Hitmonlee and Geodude!" cried the announcer. "Fans, Geodude is hard as a rock. Can Hitmonlee crack Geodude?"

"Geodude's rock solid body should provide a good defense as well as a good offense." Said Lucy. The bell then rang to begin the fight.

"Rebecca! Don't worry! Everything's under control!" cried brock.

"Brock! Watch out behind you!" cried Rebecca. Geodude hit Brock in the head and knocked him down once it was tossed out.

"Monlee." Said Hitmonlee, which meant 'Too easy.'

"This won't take very long." Said Jessie. Brock got back up.

"Geodude, actually hit Hitmonlee this time!" cried Brock. Geodude headed back into the ring.

"Don't show any mercy!" cried Jessie. "Just keep kicking away!" Hitmonlee lunged forward with a flurry of kicks, which Geodude blocked to try and defend itself.

"Geodude's going to get turned into gravel." Said Ash.

"Just how powerful is that Hitmonlee?" said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out to check.

"Hitmonlee, the Kicking Pokemon. Hitmonlee can extend and retract its legs at will to kick opponents from almost any distance."

"I definitely believe that." Said Lucy. "Its legs act like springs, allowing it to kick at any distance and run with lengthy strides. But those kicks will do Geodude in if something doesn't happen soon."

"Brock? Brock!" cried Ash. Brock was too worried about his Pokemon to listen, however. Anthony handed Brock a red towel.

"If you're a real man, you know when you have to admit defeat." Said Anthony. "Time to face facts, you can lose today and win tomorrow."

"Right." Said Brock. He threw the towel into the ring to indicate that he was forfeiting the match.

"Fans, Brock has thrown in the towel!" cried the announcer. Brock and Ash rushed into the ring to check on Geodude. Brock picked up his Pokemon.

"Geodude, are you okay?" said Brock.

"Geo." Said Geodude, which meant 'I'm sorry.'

"No need to apologize, Geodude. You gave it your best shot." Said Brock.

"Dude." Said Geodude, which meant 'Thanks.'

"Don't worry, you'll be solid as a rock soon." Said Brock.

"Primeape and I will take care of things now, Brock." Said Ash.

"I'm counting on you, Ash." Said Brock.

"Right." Said Ash.

"Now Ash will have to go the distance to try and win this." Lucy said to Eevee. More matches went by as a Machoke defeated a Poliwrath.

"Machoke wins!" cried the announcer. Anthony's Hitmonchan took down a Machamp.

"Monchan!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Take that!' Hitmonlee sweep kicked a Machoke.

"Hitmonlee!" cried Hitmonlee, which meant 'Now you fall!' Ash's Primeape scratched out a Machamp as Misty and Lucy cheered from the sidelines.

"Hooray!" they both cried.

"Ash and Primeape advance to the final match, while the Fighting Spirit Gym's very own Hitmonchan, the number one contender in this tournament, faces off against the legendary kicking fiend Hitmonlee for a chance at the championship!" cried the announcer.

"This is a tough opponent." Said Jessie. "If we play fair, we might lose."

"Not with the plan I cooked up with Meowth." Said James. "And speaking of cooking, I'm broiling in here!"

"Get back in!" cried Jessie. Anthony was giving words of encouragement to his Hitmonchan.

"Keep on moving, keep on fighting!" he cried. "Remember, you're a champion!"

"Monchan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'Sure, coach.' The bell rang to begin the fight as Hitmonchan advanced toward Hitmonlee with blinding speed as Hitmonlee threw a kick. Both of the attacks ended in a standstill.

"Gotta be smart! Gotta be strong! Gotta keep moving!" cried Anthony. Hitmonlee threw a flurry of kicks, but Hitmonchan dodged every one of them.

"Hitmonlee's not landing any kicks." Said Jessie.

"We have to slow Hitmonchan down." Said Meowth. "A little gloppy glue should do the trick." He laughed and stuck the container of glue through the canvas and squeezed the injector to create a puddle of glue on the canvas, which made Hitmonchan stop in its tracks and allow Hitmonlee to land several kicks.

"Hitmonchan's in trouble!" cried the announcer. "Hitmonlee's Mega Kick attack is getting the best of Hitmonchan!"

"Something doesn't seem right here." Said Lucy.

"Hitmonchan!" cried Anthony.

"This is dangerous!" cried Brock. "You should forfeit the match right now!"

"Finish it, Hitmonlee!" cried Jessie. As Hitmonlee went to land the final blow, Rebecca jumped in front of the attack.

"Stop that! Don't hurt my father's Pokemon!" she cried.

"Rebecca!" cried Anthony.

"She's going to get hurt if that attack lands!" cried Lucy. She, Ash, Brock and Misty gasped as Anthony jumped in front of his daughter and took the hit himself, sending him into his corner. The group went to check on him as Rebecca approached.

"Are you all right?" said Ash.

"I'm fine, don't worry about me." Said Anthony.

"Daddy." Said a teary eyed Rebecca.

"Are you hurt, Rebecca?" said Anthony.

"No, I'm fine." Said Rebecca.

"I'm fine." Said Anthony. He threw his towel into the ring to concede the match.

"I give up!" cried Anthony. The bell rang to end the match.

"Anthony throws in the towel! Hitmonlee is the winner!" cried the announcer.

"Well, the good news is that Hitmonchan got defeated." Said Lucy. "The bad news is that it wasn't done fairly."

"Good work, Hitmonchan." Said Anthony. "Are you okay?"

"Monchan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'I'm good.'

"Rebecca, I'm sorry I made you and your mother worry so much." Said Anthony.

"Oh, Daddy." Said Rebecca.

"That's my girl." Said Anthony.

"Isn't that great?" said Ash.

"That whole family's back together." Said brock.

"That means you're up against Hitmonlee, Ash." Said Lucy.

"That's right." Said Brock.

"Your battling brought them back together." Said Misty. "Now, Ash just needs to win one more time to become the champion."

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Just one more.'

"Don't bet on it!" cried Jessie. The group turned and saw Jessie in her Giant disguise.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"I can't wait for the chance to show you goody-goodies what losers you all are." Said Jessie. "You don't stand a chance against us. We're going to win that championship belt!"

"And when we do, you can find us at the all you can eat buffet table!" yelled James. He got smacked in the head by Jessie.

"Will you be quiet?" she snapped.

"Too late. We already know it's you three clowns under there." Said Lucy.

"It's them again!" cried Ash.

"Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"However did you guess?" said Jessie.

"Probably because of the fact that I could see your foul body odor from a mile away." Said Lucy. "You three really should shower every once in a while. Then maybe you wouldn't smell so bad." Jessie removed the disguise.

"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!" James slowly collapsed.

"Surrender now…surrender now, or prepare to…. prepare to…" He started weeping in pain. Jessie gave an embarrassed look.

"Uh, we're not finished." She said. Both of them got to their feet.

"As I was saying, we're going to be the winners around here." Said Jessie.

"And you can bet your buffet on that!" cried James.

"Ash, Primeape, it's time." Said Brock.

"You can do it, Primeape." Said Lucy. The heroes made their way to the ring for the final match of the tournament.

"And now, for the final confrontation!" cried the announcer. Primeape charged.

"Primeape, a newcomer who battled to this last round with tremendous attacks faces the ferocious footwork of Hitmonlee, the kicking fiend." Said the announcer. "Get ready, fans, because this is one match you won't want to forget!" Primeape blocked Hitmonlee's kicks.

"You can't just defend yourself, Primeape!" cried Ash. "Attack!"

"I don't think he can right now." Said Lucy. "Hitmonlee is throwing kicks at an amazing speed."

"If you can't get inside Hitmonlee's kicks, you won't win the battle!" cried Anthony.

"Primeape, get in there and show Hitmonlee that you're not afraid!" cried Ash. Primeape charged in, dodged a roundhouse kick from Hitmonlee and went on the attack.

"You did it!" cried Brock.

"All right!" cried Ash. Primeape threw a flurry of punches, with Hitmonlee unable to do anything.

"What are you doing?!" cried Jessie.

"Kick it!" cried James. Meowth popped out from under the ring and went back to his comrades, but not without Pikachu and Eevee spotting and suspecting something.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'They're up to something.'

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'What could it be this time?'

"The secret weapon is ready!" cried Meowth.

"Ah ha!" cried James.

"All you have to do now is use this remote control." Said Meowth. "Have Hitmonlee jump up, then flip the switch. A hundred thousand volts will run through the ring, followed by an explosion! Primeape will get a charged out of that!" Pikachu and Eevee let out a gasp. They ran back to Ash and Lucy to try and warn them.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'Lucy, Meowth's up to something!'

"What could that stupid cat be plotting now?" said Lucy.

"Pika!" Cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, Meowth's plotting something!'

"Pikachu, what is it?" said Ash.

"Pika! Chu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, it's Meowth! He was underneath the ring and he's done something!'

"I don't have time for this right now." Said Ash. "Hang in there, Primeape!" Pikachu then told Lucy what he had told Ash.

"Oh dear!" cried Lucy. "You and Eevee better go under there and make their plan backfire." Pikachu and Eevee soon headed under the ring and looked around for a device as Hitmonlee jumped and landed on one of the ring posts.

"Hit it!" cried Jessie.

"You got it!" cried James. He pressed a button, but no volts or explosions happened.

"Nothing's happening." Said Jessie.

"Something's wrong?" said Meowth. Hitmonlee and Primeape leaped from the ring posts. Much to Team Rocket's disbelief, Primeape grabbed Hitmonlee.

"Oh no!" cried Jessie and James.

"This is bad!" cried Meowth. Primeape threw Hitmonlee down onto the mat like a professional wrestler and Hitmonlee landed with a thud, knocking him out.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"Hitmonlee." Groaned Hitmonlee, which meant 'It can't be.'

"It's all over!" cried the announcer. "Primeape has defeated Hitmonlee with a Seismic Toss! Primeape wins by a knockout! Primeape is the new P1 Grand Prix champion!" The real Giant then arrived and explained his situation to both the announcer and the referee. Ash, on the other hand, was celebrating Primeape's win.

"It's prime time for Primeape!" cried Ash.

"Primeape!" the fighting type cried, which meant 'We did it!'

"I'm proud of you, Primeape. Congratulations." Said Ash.

"Primeape." Said Primeape, which meant 'Thank you, Ash.'

"Ash, that Primeape of yours has got a lot of natural fighting talent." Said Anthony.

"You think so?" said Ash. Anthony nodded his head.

"With Primeape on your side, the two of you can go far together." He said.

Meanwhile…..

"What went wrong, Meowth?" said Jessie.

"What happened to our secret weapon?!" cried James. Pikachu and Eevee popped out from under the ring.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Excuse me.' She handed Meowth the weapon.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I believe this belongs to you.'

"Here it is!" cried Meowth. "It looks like it works!"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Enjoy!'

"Really appreciate it, you two." Said Meowth. The weapon soon activated, shocking Team Rocket with one hundred thousand volts of electricity, and sending them flying once more.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried.

Later, Ash and his group were getting ready to leave.

"Just keep getting that Primeape of yours stronger, and maybe he can take on a real professional boxing circuit one day." Said Anthony.

"From what we've seen, it has the potential to do just that." Said Lucy.

"Ash, I'd like you to do me a favor." Said Anthony. He held out a Poke Ball and gave it to Ash.

"This is the Hitmonchan you saw me use in the tournament." Said Anthony. "It's also got a lot of power, but that tournament made me realize that I should be spending more time with my family. I want you to do me a favor and take Hitmonchan with you on your journey."

"I'll gladly take him." Said Ash. He held the ball up high.

"We got a Hitmonchan!" he cried.

"Congratulations on that, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Congratulations indeed." Said Brock and Misty.

"Anthony, I don't suppose you have anything for me, do you?" asked Lucy.

"Well, we actually do." Said Rebecca. She gave a Poke Ball to Lucy.

"In here is a Hitmonlee that I was going to use in next year's tournament, but I think you should have it instead." Said Rebecca.

"Thanks a lot, Rebecca." Said Lucy. She showed the ball to Eevee.

"Look at this, Eevee. We got a Hitmonlee." Said Lucy. Eevee smiled at her.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I think he'll be a great addition to our group.'

"There's no need to worry about Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan." Said Ash. "We'll take good care of them.

"Thank you, Ash. Thank you, Lucy." Said Rebecca. The group said goodbye to Anthony and Rebecca and went on their way. Now that Ash and Primeape understand each other, who knows what ceiling Primeape can reach? But for now, new Pokemon and new challenges wait just ahead.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 29: Sparks Fly For Magnemite

Our friends' journey has taken them to a desolate factory town known as Gringy City. Few people live in this depressing place, and even the ocean winds smell like sludge. It's here that their next adventure begins.

"This is a really weird city." Said Ash. "Lots of factories but no people."

"I don't ever remember going through here." Said Lucy. "And I can see why. This place looks like it's completely abandoned.

"Eevee." Eevee whimpered, which meant 'It feels a bit scary.'

Pika." Pikachu assured his friend, which meant 'At least it's not as scary as Lavender Town.'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Don't remind me of that!'

"Yeah, Lavender Town wasn't exactly the greatest experience we've had." Said Lucy.

"This place is called Gringy City." Said Misty. Eevee and Pikachu held up their noses with their paws.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'It really stinks here!'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'The odor here is even worse than Team Rocket's body odor.'

"I've never heard of Gringy City." Said Ash.

"It used to be a lively, busy place with a lot of factories here." Said Misty.

"Yeah, they kind of went overboard with the factories." Said Brock. "Pollution ruined the air and water here."

"I guess we won't find any Pokemon here." Said Ash.

"Never say never, Ash." Said Lucy. "If we do find any Pokemon, they'll probably be all poison types." Then, without warning, Pikachu suddenly started looking unwell.

"Uh, Ash? Look at Pikachu!" cried Lucy. She pointed to the small electric mouse.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?" cried Ash. Pikachu began to fall over.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. He caught Pikachu, but got shocked immediately as an unknown Pokemon watched them from the distance. Ash quickly put on the rubber gloves that his mom had given him for protection, and the group rushed towards the Pokemon Center to find out what was wrong with Pikachu.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I hope Pikachu will be okay.'

"I hope so too, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"Hold on, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "We'll get you to the Pokemon Center as soon as we can!"

"We better get him there quick." Said Lucy. "I can see some sparks starting to come out of his cheeks." As the group rushed into the Pokemon Center, Meowth watched them from the sewers through a periscope.

"That's them, and they're on their way to the Pokemon Center." He said.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all peoples within our nation." Before Jessie and James could continue with their motto, the overpowering smell of the sewers they and Meowth were in got to them.

"I can't take it anymore! This place stinks!" cried James.

"Disgusting!" cried Jessie. She let out a cough.

"Just chill out and put on the suits that I brought you." Said Meowth. Jessie and James changed into the suits.

"This thing pumps in a mixture of oxygen and air freshener." Said Meowth. Jessie and James let out a sigh.

"That smells good." They said.

"Why didn't you tell us about these suits before, Meowth?!" cried James.

"Yeah, we could've choked." Said Jessie.

"Quit complaining!" cried Meowth. "I did come up with this ingenious scheme, after all. Now get in the pipe and swim to the Pokemon Center! We're wasting time here!"

"Your plan's stupid! I'm not going in that sewer!" cried Jessie.

"I'm one hundred percent with Jessie on this one!" cried James. "I want to get Pikachu and Eevee as much as you do, but this is humiliating. It's degrading!"

"We won't go through with it, Meowth, so you'll have to go on this mission alone." Said Jessie. "I'm sorry if that shocks you."

"So am I." said Meowth. He pushed a button in the sub, shocking both Jessie and James.

"I knew you'd see things my way." Said Meowth. Jessie and James had no choice but to enter the sewer, although they weren't too happy about it.

"You'll pay for this, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"Why do we always get the dirty work?" said James.

Inside the Pokemon Center, Ash and Lucy were ringing for Nurse Joy.

"Hey, Nurse!" cried Ash. "Nurse!" He and Lucy both rang the bell a few more times, and soon, Nurse Joy came out yawning.

"Do you all have any idea just what time it is?" said Joy. "Don't you know that you should be sleeping now?"

"I'm sorry, but there's something wrong with his Pikachu." Said Lucy. Joy yawned.

"A cold." She said dismissively.

"This is no cold!" cried Ash. "Your sisters and cousins were a lot more helpful!" Joy gave another yawn.

"There's no need to get excited." She said. "Sparks are coming from its cheeks, right? That's an early symptom of a cold in electric rodent Pokemon like Pikachu. If you leave it here overnight, I'm sure it'll be fine in the morning."

"You know, I had a cold once." Said Lucy. "It was NOT a pleasant experience. I was stuck in bed for at least three days."

"Are you by any chance the oddball in your family?" Ash asked Joy.

"Oh, no. It's all my other relatives that are odd." Said Joy. Everyone looked at her with a confused expression on their faces. Outside, in the polluted waters, a bunch of purple sludge Pokemon emerged. They swarmed into a water entrance that turned out to be a water intake valve for the hydroelectric power plant that was responsible for giving Gringy City its electricity. With the water intake blocked, the generators lost power, as did the whole city.

"What's that?" said a plant worker.

"Our generator's completely shut down!" cried a second worker. "The water intake valve is completely jammed!"

"It can't be!" cried the first worker.

In the sewers, the generator that Meowth had set up shut down due to the intake valve being jammed.

"Hey! What's going on?!" cried Meowth. "The power supply just went dead! If the pump stops working, there's no air. They won't like that…" Meowth began to panic.

"What do I do?" he wondered.

In the water of the sewers…

"My air supply!" cried Jessie. At the Pokemon Center, the power outage had shut down the intensive care unit, which was where multiple Pokemon were being kept, including a Growlithe, a Sandshrew and a Spearow. The group only found this out as they rushed inside.

"What happened to these Pokemon?!" cried Lucy.

"They're in intensive care." Said Joy. "If we don't get the power back soon, well, I just don't want to think about what would happen!"

"Don't just stand there! We have to save them!" cried Ash.

"Nurse Joy, please do something!" cried Misty.

"I don't know what to do." Said Joy. Lucy looked at the Growlithe.

"Your poor thing." She said sadly. She got out her Pokedex to scan it.

"Growlithe, the puppy Pokemon. Growlithe has a brave and loyal personality. It can take on any opponent and scare them off with its bark and bite."

"While Growlithe may be loyal, the main focus right now is to save it and the rest of the Pokemon." Said Lucy. "There just has to be something you can do, Nurse Joy."

"Stop giving Joy a hard time!" Brock exclaimed. "She already said that there's nothing she can do."

"This city is powered by a hydroelectric power plant." Said Joy.

"Right. Let's go!" cried Ash. Pikachu reached out for Ash.

"Pika? Pi?" it asked, which meant 'Can I come too?' Ash shook his head.

"Sorry, Pikachu, but rest is more important for you right now." Said Lucy.

"I promise we'll be back when the power's on again." Said Ash. The group rushed out of the center.

"Good luck, everybody." Said Joy. The group soon arrived at the Gringy City police station.

"Eevee! Vee! Ee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Please help us! We're trying to figure out why the power went out!'

"I'm trying to find out too, but there's no answer at the Power Plant!" cried Officer Jenny.

"Their phone line must be cut." Said Lucy.

"We don't have much time!" cried Ash.

"What does the power plant look like?" asked Misty.

"You can't miss it." Said Jenny. She pointed to where the plant was. "It's the building there with the smokestacks."

"Then let's go!" cried Ash. Just then, they heard some rustling in the bushes. The rustling turned out to be Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"He's persistent, that's for sure." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, you're supposed to be resting at the Pokemon Center." Said Ash. Pikachu shook his head.

"You don't want to wait at the Center?" asked Ash. "I don't get it."

"I do." Said Lucy. "Pikachu probably thinks that we're just going to leave it there and not come back." Pikachu nodded his head.

"See?" said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'But Pikachu.'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'But nothing!'

"Looks like Pikachu's mind is made up." Said Lucy.

"Okay, you can come." Ash said to his best friend. "But you have to take it easy." Pikachu happily jumped into Ash's arms, only for Ash to get shocked as the same mysterious Pokemon from before watched from a distance.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had returned to the surface after their failed mission for fresh air.

"We could've suffocated." Said Jessie.

"The city has been plunged into darkness by a power failure." Said Meowth.

"A power failure, is it?" said James. "I can identify, with failure." Meowth then spotted the heroes.

"There they go!" cried Meowth. "Now we're in luck! We got another chance!"

"For what?" said Jessie.

"For finally, once and for all, capturing the pesky Pikachu and Eevee." Said Meowth. "Come on now! Jessie! James! Let's move it!"

"Give us time to rest, Meowth." Said Jessie. "We almost drowned in the stinking sewer thanks to that ridiculous plan of yours!"

"Meowth! You nearly killed us, you dimwit!" cried James.

"Guys, don't worry. This time, we have a secret weapon that's Meowth proof." Said Meowth. He let out a chuckle.

Meanwhile, the group had arrived at the power plant.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Is this the place?'

"Sure looks like it." Said Lucy.

"Yep. There's the power plant." Said Ash.

"Let's check inside." Said Misty. The group entered the plant, but it appeared to be completely deserted.

"Hello? Is anybody here?" said Ash.

"The place looks empty to me." Said Lucy.

"If no one's here, we may as well look around." Said Ash.

"Okay, but we should stick together." Said Lucy. They looked around but didn't see anybody in front or around them.

"Something's really weird." Said Brock. "Why isn't anybody working here?"

"It looks like the central control room's down that way." Said Misty. The group continued walking onward, and as they did so, something followed them as evidenced by Misty feeling something behind her. She shuddered nervously.

"Something's following us." She said.

"That's impossible, Misty. There's nobody here." Lucy pointed out.

"Lucy's right. This whole place is deserted." Said Ash.

"I know I heard something." Said Misty.

"It's not just your eyes that can play tricks on you." Said Lucy. "Your ears can also do that."

"Listen, Misty, it's okay if you're a total chicken." Said Ash. "Brock, Lucy and I are brave enough to handle things here."

"I'm not a chicken you little twerp!" fumed Misty. "There was something back there whether you believe me or not!"

"Okay, okay, let's just calm down." Said Brock. He and the rest of the group were suddenly spooked by a shape that appeared near Ash.

"There's something right….." said Misty.

"Behind you." Said Brock. Ash turned, but the form had disappeared.

"All right, if anybody's there, you can come on out!" cried Ash. "If you're a ghost or a monster, you can stay where we are and we won't bother you."

"AND YOU CALL ME A CHICKEN?!" screamed Misty. "YOU'RE A TOTAL COWARD!"

"Maybe not a total coward." Said Ash.

"That's enough, Misty!" cried Lucy.

"You're just a…." said Misty.

"Come on, guys. Quit it!" cried Brock. The thing that had been following the group was now appearing behind Pikachu, frightening him and the others.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, there's something behind me!'

"Be quiet, Pikachu." Said Ash, who was now terrified.

"Pika-pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I'm not kidding!'

"Pikachu, I told you to be quiet." Said Ash.

"Pikachu's right, though." Said Lucy. "There is, in fact, something behind him." They turned around, and when they saw what the thing was, they got even more terrified.

"What is that thing?!" cried Ash. The shape came out of the shadows and it was revealed to be a Pokemon.

"Is that a Pokemon?" said Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Magnemite, a magnet Pokemon. It's means of floating in the air are not understood. This mysterious Pokemon is of the electric type."

"So Ash was afraid of a Magnemite this whole time?" said Lucy. "No wonder Misty called him a coward." Ash gave Lucy an angry stare.

"What's a Pokemon like that doing here?" he wondered.

"It caused the blackout." Said Misty. "Magnemite shut down the power plant."

"This one? By itself? No way." Said Brock.

"A whole swarm, though, that's more likely." Said Lucy.

"Dexter did say it was mysterious." Said Misty.

"Great! I'll just capture it, then we can check it out." Said Ash.

"Just a second, Ash. I don't think this Magnemite wants to battle." Said Lucy. She was right, as Magnemite circled all round Pikachu.

"What's with this thing? Why is it circling Pikachu?" said Ash.

"It seems to like Pikachu." Said Brock.

"No, I think there's another reason it's circling around him." Said Lucy. When sparks came out of Pikachu's cheeks, the Magnemite blushed.

"This Magnemite's blushing, like it's in love or something." Said Misty.

"Love?" said Ash.

"You can't be serious." Said Lucy.

"If it were an animal Pokemon, I could understand." Said Brock. "But can an inorganic Pokemon like Magnemite fall in love with an electric rodent?"

"That's a good question." Said Lucy.

"Magnemite's following Pikachu all over the place, almost like it's a streaker or something." Said Ash.

"I think you mean a stalker, Ash." Said Brock.

"Well like I said, this Magnemite really likes Pikachu." Said Misty.

"Yeah, but Pikachu doesn't like it." Said Ash. "Hey, you, Magnemite. Cut it out!" cried Ash. Magnemite stopped following Pikachu and went in a different direction.

"I guess Magnemite gave up." Said Lucy. She then started to smell something.

"Something smells fishy, and I mean it literally." She said.

"Do any of the rest of you smell that?" asked Brock.

"I do, Brock." Said Lucy.

"So do I." said Misty.

"Me too." Said Ash. A ceiling vent grate fell and two purple sludge bombs fell after, along with a couple of poison type Pokemon.

"Ew, those things stink!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'They smell really bad!'

"Lucy and Eevee are right. They stink!" cried Misty.

"What even are they?" cried Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Grimer, a sludge Pokemon. Born from sludge, these Pokemon specialize in sludge attacks."

"Magnemite must've disappeared because of these things!" cried Brock. Lucy was now holding her nose to shield herself from the smell.

"So that's why it stopped following Pikachu." She said.

"Is this what sludge smells like? It really stinks." Said Ash. The Grimer were offended by that remark.

"Ash, don't say anything that might insult their pride or make them mad." Said Lucy.

"I'm sorry. You have a unique scent, I should've known it was the aroma of sludge." Said Ash.

"You can call it whatever you want, but it still stinks!" cried Misty.

"Shut up, Misty!" yelled Ash, Brock and Lucy. The Grimer got even more offended.

"Guys, don't look now but there's an even bigger sludge Pokemon right behind that Grimer army!" cried Lucy. Ash freaked out when he saw the Pokemon.

"It's huge!" cried Ash.

"Grimer's grandpa?" said Misty.

"No. It's Grimer's evolved form." Said Lucy. She brought out her Pokedex.

"Muk, Grimer's evolved form. Use extreme caution, as its slimy form contains poison."

"If it's pure poison, nobody will want to come near it!" cried Lucy, who was still holding her nose. "Not only that, but the smell's getting even worse!"

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Awful.' The Grimer army charged at the group, sending them running off screaming and panicking.

"Why'd you have to open your mouth and make the Grimer mad, Misty?" said Ash.

"I had to open my mouth!" cried Misty. "I couldn't use my nose."

"If I wasn't covering my nose, I'd have bonked you." Said Lucy.

"But it wasn't my fault!" cried Misty. The group then ran into somebody.

"What are you doing here?" asked the first plant worker.

"I'm Brock, this is Misty, these are my friends, and we're here to help." Said Brock.

"Skip the introductions, we have to get out of here!" cried Misty.

"There's a Grimer army on our tail!" cried Lucy. Sure enough, the Grimer army rounded the corner.

"The Grimer are here, too!" cried the first worker. The second worker screamed loudly. Everyone ran behind the workers in order to escape the Grimer army.

"Back to the control room!" cried the second worker.

"Hey! Wait for us!" cried Ash. The group reached the control room and closed the door.

"Looks like we're safe. For now." Said Lucy. What she didn't know, however, was that the Growlithe from the Pokemon Center had been following her the entire time.

"Tell us what's going on!" cried Ash. "This blackout is a disaster to the city! Pokemon are going to die at the Pokemon Center if the power doesn't come back on soon!"

At the Pokemon Center, Nurse Joy was watching over the Pokemon.

"Hang in there." She said. "Those guys are going to get the power back on real soon, I'm sure. At least, I hope so."

Back at the plant…..

"They need that power!" cried Ash.

"But, we can't!" cried the first worker. The Grimer continued entering the intake valve outside.

"There's so many Grimer that they're blocking the sea water intake." The first worker went on.

"We have to bring the water to a boil so it can turn the turbines, or the generator won't work at all." said the second worker.

"So do something!" cried Lucy.

"I'm afraid that's easy to say." Said the second worker. "We've been trying to…."

"Ash! Lucy! The Grimer are ramming the door! I can't hold it!" cried Brock. One by one, the Grimer rammed the door in order to enter the room as the group helped to reinforce the door.

"I hate to say it, but if we don't act fast, we'll be on the Muk's menu!" Said Misty.

"You may be right, Misty, but we still have to keep them out." Said Lucy. She firmly held the door, along with brock.

"You're all right, but what can we do?" said Ash. The Grimer managed to break the door down and enter the room.

"They got in!" cried Lucy.

"You guys are all Pokemon trainers, right?" said the first worker. "You have to use your Pokemon to help us out!"

"That's right!" cried the second worker. "If you can get rid of the Grimer, the generator will work."

"What do you expect us to do?" said Ash. "Pikachu's sick. He can't take on all those Grimer alone!"

"Ash is right! We're completely outnumbered!" cried Lucy. Pikachu weakly stepped forward.

"Pikachu, you're the only one who can help." Said Ash.

"Kachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Okay!'

"I just hope he has enough strength." Said Lucy.

"You're our last chance! Give 'em your Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. Pikachu shocked one of the Grimer but two more took its place.

"It's no good. There's too many of them!" cried Ash.

"There's also a bigger problem. That Muk bringing up the rear!" cried Lucy. Suddenly, Magnemite and several Magneton arrived through the ventilation shaft to defend the group.

"Looks like Magnemite went to get the cavalry." Said Lucy.

"What are they?" said Ash.

"Magnemite and their evolved form, Magneton." Said Brock. "They're friends of our stalker!" While the Magnemite and Magneton used Thunder Shock, Growlithe gathered up the courage to unleash the strongest Flamethrower he could hold, causing all the Grimer to flee. Outside, the same thing happened with the Grimer blocking the sea water intake. With the blockage now removed, the generator was able to start up again.

"Yeah!" cried Brock.

"Yay!" cried Misty.

"The lights are back on!" cried Ash.

"Finally!" cried Lucy.

"The turbine's moving again!" cried the second worker.

"The Grimer have all cleared away from the sea water intake valve!" cried the first worker.

"Yes!" cried Ash.

"Hold on, there's still one left." Said Misty. Sure enough, the Muk was still standing.

"It's that Muk." Said Ash.

"And I don't think it looks too happy that it lost its army." Said Lucy.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" cried Ash. The attack landed, but Muk proved to be resilient.

"That's some strong sludge." Said Lucy. Magnemite stepped in with a Thunder Shock of its own, Magneton unleashed a Thunderbolt, and Growlithe stepped in with a Flamethrower, making the Muk severely weak.

"Now, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. He tossed the ball at Muk, and after shaking and wobbling a bit, it pinged, meaning it was caught.

"I did it! I captured a Muk!" cried Ash. "Ash Ketchum saves the day once again!" The rest of his friends were standing far away from him.

"What's wrong?" said Ash.

"I think it's the smell." Said Lucy.

Back outside, Ash aired out the Poke Ball, but kept Muk inside.

"The smell comes through the Poke Ball!" cried Ash. Everyone else laughed.

"That's the bad news." Said Misty.

"But the good news is that Pikachu's one hundred percent better." Said Lucy.

"That's right. Pikachu was sick until just a little while ago." Said Brock.

"And that's nothing to "sniff" at." Said Lucy.

"If an electric mouse builds up too much electricity, its body becomes magnetized, and it seems like it has a cold." Said the second plant worker.

"We sure owe Magnemite here a big thank you, don't we?" said Ash. Magnemite lowered itself to Pikachu's level, but as Pikachu started to thank Magnemite, it moved away from him.

"Hey! Until just a minute ago, Magnemite was obsessed with Pikachu." Said Misty.

"What's going on? Now it's ignoring Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Maybe Magnemite fall in and out of love, just like humans do." Said Brock.

"Could Magnemite have fallen in love with Pikachu at first sight because its body was magnetized?" said the second plant worker.

"That must be the reason." Said the first worker. "Animals are attracted to other animals by scent, so Magnemite are attracted to other Pokemon by their magnetic force. Because Pikachu had built up so much magnetic force, it must've been very attracted to that Magnemite."

"Oh." Said Misty.

"I get it." Said Brock. "After Pikachu ran out of electricity, it was no longer magnetized. That's why Magnemite isn't interested in Pikachu anymore."

"It's a good thing, huh, Pikachu?" said Ash. "Now Magnemite won't follow you around anymore."

"Chu!" said Pikachu, which meant 'Yeah!'

"I'm just glad this whole power outage situation is over." Said Lucy. From under the water, Team Rocket spotted the group through a periscope.

"We got 'em now!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket's Gyrados submarine rose from the polluted water with a giant magnet attached to it.

"Now the fun begins, with our new secret weapon!" cried Jessie. "Tell them, James!"

"Now that Pikachu is magnetized, our plan is to take this high powered electric magnet and….." said James.

"Finally capture Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Jessie and James.

"Hey! Who are you talking to?" said Meowth. "Let's just catch Pikachu and Eevee!"

"Why don't you just keep your snide remarks to yourself?" cried Jessie.

"That's right." Said James. He pressed a button and activated the magnet. Unknown to team Rocket, multiple Magnemite and Magneton got attracted to the magnet.

"That sounds strange." Said Jessie.

"Certainly does." Said James.

"Yeah." Said Meowth. Even more Magnemite and Magneton got attracted to Team Rocket's magnet until the sub sunk.

"Team Rocket's splashing off again!" cried Team Rocket. The group soon arrived back at the Pokemon Center.

"All those Grimer here just prove that the ocean's totally polluted." Said Misty. "You guys have to clean up the sea around here. I know you can do it."

"If this happens again, we won't be here to help." Said Lucy.

"You're right, Misty, Lucy." Said Officer Jenny. "We'll do everything we can to make sure the ocean is really clean again."

"If you clean up the air and the water, you may just bring this place back to life." Said Brock.

"Thanks, Ash. You and your friends worked so hard to make sure all the Pokemon survived." Said Nurse Joy. "You've inspired me to become a better nurse."

"We salute all of your fine work." Said Jenny.

"Oh please, ladies, that's very nice of you." Said Ash. Growlithe on the other hand, was nuzzling against Lucy's leg.

"Growlithe!" it cried, which meant 'I love you!'

"Just like how Magnemite was interested in Pikachu for a while, that Growlithe seems to be very interested in Lucy." Said Misty. Growlithe jumped into Lucy's arms and licked her with affection, making her laugh.

"I think you're right, Misty." Said Lucy. She grabbed a Poke Ball from her backpack and tossed it high into the air. Growlithe jumped up to it and hit the button with his nose, making him get sucked inside. The ball then landed back in Lucy's hand and pinged.

"Looks like you have a new loyal companion to join you, Lucy." Said Jenny.

"Congratulations, Lucy." Said Ash.

"Thank you, Ash." Said Lucy. Ash turned to Joy and Jenny.

"Now, you try and make sure this city stays clean." He said.

"We will. And please come back to visit us." Said Joy. The group walked off, with Joy, Jenny and the other Pokemon from the center bidding them farewell.

"Bye!" Joy called to them. The group left Gringy City with big smiles, and even bigger hopes, for a future that's cleaner and greener than ever before.

Over at Oak's lab, a transporter device went off to indicate two new arrivals.

"I wonder what Ash and Lucy have caught this time." He said. The first ball to come out was the one belonging to Growlithe, who immediately ran up to Oak and nuzzled his leg.

"A Growlithe, huh? I bet this one was caught by Lucy." Said Oak. The Growlithe ran off, and then another Poke Ball arrived.

"Now, what do we have in this one?" said Oak. The ball opened to reveal a horrible stench.

"What is that dreaded smell?" said Oak. Ash's newly captured Muk materialized.

"What on earth gave Ash the idea to send me a Muk?!" cried Oak. "Muk! Yuck!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Primeape

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Hitmonchan, Muk

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Growlithe

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 30: The Great Hit Mon Rescue

Today, we find Ash and Lucy having some bonding time with the Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee that both of them received lately.

"Okay Hitmonlee, let's see you try out your High Jump Kick on that tree behind me." Said Lucy. Hitmonlee wound up to perform the move, but he nearly kicked Lucy in the face. She had to duck out of the way to avoid being hit.

"That's an impressive kick, except you're not supposed to aim it at me." She said. "Let's try this again." She pointed to the tree.

"Hit that, not me." She said. Hitmonlee tried again, and this time, he hit the tree perfectly.

"That's much better!" cried Lucy. Not too far away, Ash was trying to get Hitmonchan to control his punching.

"Raise your fist back, and fire." Said Ash. Hitmonchan did as told, except he threw and actual Fire Punch in Ash's direction, causing him to duck for cover.

"I didn't mean to do an actual Fire Punch, Hitmonchan." Said Ash, letting out a sigh.

"Pika. Chu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'He needs some work.'

"It's probably because Hitmonchan is Hitmonchan's having a hard time understanding that I'm his trainer now." Said Ash to Pikachu. "Hey, Lucy, any luck with Hitmonlee?"

"No." said Lucy. "I've been working with him all morning. He's getting better but still needs work."

"Same here with Hitmonchan." Said Ash. They both kept trying to get their new Pokemon to keep their attacks under control. While Hitmonlee was steadily improving on listening to Lucy's directions, Ash was having a tougher time with Hitmonchan.

"Maybe you should take a break from training Hitmonchan for a while." Said Misty.

"And besides, it's time for lunch anyway." Said Brock.

"Come on, guys, maybe we can get some work done after we eat." Said Ash.

"I have an idea, Ash." Said Lucy. "How about we introduce Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan to our other Pokemon."

"Good idea. The other Pokemon haven't really met them yet." Said Ash. They went over to the spot that Brock had set up to cook lunch.

"Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Pidgeotto, come on out." Said Ash. The four Pokemon all materialized.

"Clefairy, Staryu, Butterfree, time to meet our new friend." Said Lucy. All three Pokemon materialized.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Don't forget about us!'

"I think you and Pikachu have already met them, Eevee." Said Lucy. Brock gave the Pokemon their Pokemon food.

"Guys, we have some new friends that we want you to meet." Said Ash. "Say hello to Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee." Ash and Lucy's other Pokemon gave the two newbies warm greetings. Brock then handed everyone their lunch, which was bowls of warm, beef chili.

"Ah, nothing like some relaxing chili on a warm day." Said Misty. She was about to sip when Psyduck popped out of his ball and grabbed Misty's bowl.

"Psyduck! What do you think you're doing?!" cried Misty. "Give me that!" She quickly grabbed her bowl back, but not before Psyduck had devoured the whole thing.

"Psyduck." He said with a satisfying smile. But Misty wasn't satisfied at all and angrily grabbed Psyduck's ball.

"Return!" she yelled angrily.

"Don't worry, I made extra." Said Brock. He gave another helping to Misty.

"Thank you, Brock." Said Misty.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'May I try some of that chili please?'

"Yes, Pikachu, you can have some." Said Ash. He gave a spoonful to Pikachu before enjoying the rest.

A little while later, after the group had finished eating, Ash and Lucy recalled their Pokemon and were about to go back to training when something flew at Ash out of nowhere and slashed him hard in the face.

"Ow!" he cried.

'Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, are you okay?'

"I think so." Said Ash.

"What even attacked you?" said Lucy.

"I don't know." Said Ash. Just then, whatever had slashed him flew back quickly. Pikachu and Eevee had to duck to void being hurt themselves.

"That thing is so fast." Said Lucy. "I've seen plenty of Pokemon, but I don't think I've seen that one." It flew back again and then stayed a couple of inches above the ground. It was breathing heavily.

"Looks like it's tired out from that flying." Said Lucy.

"I still don't know what it is, though." Said Ash. He took out his Pokedex.

"Scyther, the Mantis Pokemon. It is known for its ninja like speed and aggressive nature, particularly when threatened."

"I guess this Scyther thinks you're threatening it." Said Lucy.

"But why? I'm dot doing anything to him." Said Ash. "He's the one attacking me!"

"You're probably in his territory, Ash." Said Brock. "Scyther hate when their space gets invaded." Misty then freaked out.

"I may be crazy, Ash, but that's a bug Pokemon, isn't it?" she said.

"Yes it is." Said Ash.

"I was afraid of that!" cried Misty, and she hid behind Brock. Ash looked angrily at the Scyther.

"If you think you can just attack me like that for no reason, you're sadly mistaken!" he cried. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock now!" Pikachu unleashed its electric attack, but Scyther spun around to repel the move.

"What?!" cried Ash.

"It's still angry." Said Lucy. "Electric attacks won't work."

"Then I'll have to try something else." Said Ash. "Hitmonchan, go!" Hitmonchan charged at the Scyther.

"Comet Punch!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan wound up, but Scyther just kept slashing him over and over again, making the fighting type cry out in pain.

"Hitmonchan!" cried Ash.

"Just forget about trying to catch Scyther, Ash!" said Lucy. "It's way too powerful right now."

"A Pokemon master never lets their target get away." Said Ash. "Hitmonchan, try a Seismic Toss!" Hitmonchan tried to grab a hold of Scyther, but the bug type was too quick. It then let out a powerful Hyper Beam that sent Hitmonchan to the ground.

"Hitmonchan!" cried Ash. Lucy, Hitmonlee and Ash ran over to where Hitmonchan had fallen.

"Are you okay?" asked Ash. Hitmonchan nodded and slowly got up. The Scyther, on the other hand, had disappeared. Ash then noticed some bad wounds on Hitmonchan's arms.

"Wow, that Scyther really did a number on him." Said Lucy. Brock and Misty had seen everything and rushed to Hitmonchan's aid.

"Brock, I think Hitmonchan's really hurt." Said Ash.

"Let's take a look at you." Said Brock. He saw the bad marks that had been left by Scyther's attacks.

"Don't worry, I know how to make you better." Said Brock. He quickly applied some Super Potion to Hitmonchan, and the injury started to subside.

"Hitmon." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'That feels much better.'

"Now, Hitmonchan, what do you say we try again?" said Ash. Hitmonchan nodded.

"Hold on, Ash." Said Brock. "I think Hitmonchan should take it easy for a bit."

"But….." said Ash.

"No buts." Said Lucy. "A trainer's judgement in knowing when their Pokemon should have a break is very important."

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'She's right.'

Later on at night, while the group was sleeping, Hitmonchan was dreaming about the matches he had fought in the recent P1 tournament. Hitmonlee was also dreaming, but his thoughts were a bit different.

"Chan. Hitmon?" asked Hitmonchan, which meant 'What are you thinking about?'

"Lee. Hit. Lee." Hitmonlee answered, which meant 'I'm still remembering when Team Rocket practically cheated in the P1.'

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'It was sure exciting.'

"Lee?" said Hitmonlee, which meant 'Anthony was really obsessed with you, wasn't he?'

"Monchan." Answered Hitmonchan, which meant 'He was.' Hitmonchan then let out a sigh.

"Lee. Hitmon?" asked Hitmonlee, which meant 'Is something wrong?'

"Chan. Hit. Monchan." Hitmonchan answered, which meant 'I'm not sure if Ash really cares about me at all.'

"Lee." Said Hitmonlee, which meant 'I'm sure he does. You're probably just going through an adjustment period.'

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'That may be so, but Anthony really knew how to train me. With Ash, it's like whatever I try isn't good enough.'

"Lee." Said Hitmonlee, which meant 'Remember that Ash hasn't had you for very long yet.'

"Chan?" asked Hitmonchan, which meant 'So?'

"Lee." Answered Hitmonlee, which meant 'So, you have to give the kid a chance.'

"Chan! Hit!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'He let me get attacked by a Scyther!'

"Lee. Hit. Lee. Hitmon." Said Hitmonlee, which meant 'That could happen to anybody.' Pikachu and Eevee had heard the loud commotion and woke up with a yawn.

"Pika pi?" he asked sleepily to Eevee, which meant 'What's with all that noise?'

"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'I have no idea.'

"Pi. Chu. Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Let's check it out.' Pikachu and Eevee ran over to where Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were talking.

"Eevee Vee?" Eevee asked, which meant 'What are you guys talking about?'

"Chan." Answered Hitmonchan, which meant 'Stuff.'

"Pika Pi?" said Pikachu, which meant 'What kind of stuff?'

"Lee." Answered Hitmonlee, which meant 'Just stuff. You two go back to Ash and Lucy.' The two of them wanted to stay and listen, but Hitmonchan shooed them both away.

"Chan. Chan. Hit." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'I honestly don't think Ash cares about me one bit.' He stood up and started to walk away.

"Hit. Lee?" asked Hitmonlee, which meant 'Where are you going?'

'Chan.' Hitmonchan answered, which meant 'Someplace to clear my head for a bit.' He walked off down the path by himself, and all the while, Hitmonlee was sensing that something was seriously wrong with the punchy Pokemon.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Eevee had cleverly hidden behind a bush so that they wouldn't see the conversation.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Do you think we should follow him?'

"Eevee." Eevee said with a nod, which meant 'Yes. If there really is something bothering him, we need to find out what's happening.' The two of them quietly stayed a bit of a distance behind Hitmonchan as he walked along so that he wouldn't suspect anything. After going along for a little bit, he saw a boxing ring standing in the path.

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'This seems odd.' He inspected the ring carefully, although he was a bit suspicious. Pikachu and Eevee ran up to the ring.

"Pika pi?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Why would somebody place a ring in the middle of the forest like this?'

"Eevee Vee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'I think the bigger question is who put it here.'

"Pika. Pi. Chu." Answered Pikachu, which meant 'I may already know whose idea it was to set this up.' Hitmonchan slowly stepped to the center of the ring, expecting to find an opponent for him to fight. Instead, he found a bell, and a card attached to a string. Hitmonchan looked at what was on the card.

"Hitmon. Monchan." He said, which meant 'To start fight, ring the bell.' He looked all over for some sort of button, but couldn't find it. Then he saw that the bell was attached to the string. Pikachu and Eevee were watching closely.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'No, Hitmonchan, don't pull on that!' The yelling did no good, however, as Hitmonchan pulled the string anyway. The bell rang, and the center of the ring gave way to a pit underneath.

"Chan!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Ah!'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hitmonchan!' Eevee and Pikachu ran to the spot in the ring where the floor had opened.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Are you all right?'

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Are you hurt?'

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'I'm okay.' Then, a net dropped down over Hitmonchan, and he started being pulled upwards.

"Pika pi?!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Who's there?!' The sound of familiar laughter answered that question.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And make it double!"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Not these three screwballs again!'

"Be quiet, you little pipsqueak!" cried Meowth.

"Yeah, don't you know it's rude to interrupt the motto?!" cried James. Jessie cleared her throat and continued.

"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!" Hitmonlee rushed over upon hearing the commotion.

"Lee? Hitmon?!" cried Hitmonlee, which meant 'What did I miss?'

"Nothing for now, but you're about to witness Team Rocket's capture of a Hitmonchan." Said Jessie.

"And since it doesn't have a trainer, there ain't nothing you can do about it!" cried Meowth.

"Pika Pi! Chu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'But he does have a trainer!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'That's right! His name is Ash!'

"Oh, you mean that stuck up twerp who always hangs around with three other twerps, including that girlfriend of his." Said James.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Lucy is not Ash's boyfriend!'

"Yeah, whatever." Said Meowth. "Anyway, let's get this Hitmonchan to the boss!" Team Rocket floated away in their balloon, with poor Hitmonchan not being able to do a thing.

"Chan!" he cried, which meant 'Ash, help me!' Meowth just laughed at him.

"Nobody can help you now!" cried Meowth.

"Once the boss is through with you, you'll be the top boxer in all of Team Rocket history!" cried Jessie. She laughed as the balloon disappeared.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'This is bad!'

"Pikachu! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'We have to warn Ash and Lucy!'

At the campsite…

Ash was snoozing away in his sleeping bag, dreaming of capturing lots of Pokemon with Hitmonchan's help.

"Scyther, you're mine….." he said in his dream. But his dream sequence was soon interrupted by the sound of Pikachu, Hitmonlee and Eevee running up to him.

"Pika! Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash! Lucy! Wake up!' Lucy carefully rubbed her eyes.

"What is it, guys?" she said.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'It's bad!' Brock and Misty were now waking up due to Pikachu and Eevee's loud cries.

"Can't a girl just get some beauty sleep for once?" said Misty.

"Yeah, you two better have a good reason for interrupting my own beauty sleep." Said Lucy.

"Pika! Pi! Pikachu! Chu!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Eevee and I just saw Hitmonchan get taken away by Team Rocket!'

"What?!" cried Ash.

"Where did they take him?" asked Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'We don't know.'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'We have to find him!' Misty let out a yawn.

"We'd love to look for him, but it's the middle of the night." She said.

"Go back to sleep, guys. We'll look for him in the morning." Said Brock. He yawned and went back to sleep. Lucy sleepily recalled Hitmonlee and went back to be herself.

The following morning, the group was going through the forest looking for Hitmonchan.

"Hitmonchan!" cried Ash.

"Hitmonchan, where are you?" said Lucy.

"I blame myself for Hitmonchan disappearing." Said Ash. He started to get teary eyed.

"Don't cry, Ash." Said Lucy. "This isn't your fault. Hitmonchan had only known Anthony for the longest time before he gave it to you."

"What is Team Rocket's doing something bad to him?!" Ash cried.

"We won't know until we see him." Said Brock. They kept looking around in every sort of direction possible, but no matter where they looked, they didn't see him.

"We're never going to find Hitmonchan on foot, Ash." Said Lucy.

"If only there was a way to speed up this whole search." Said Ash.

"There is." Said Misty. "You, Brock and Lucy all have flying types on you. That should help us out a lot.

"Misty's right." Said Lucy. "If we use flying Pokemon, this will go a lot better." She grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Butterfree, go!" she cried. Butterfree materialized.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized.

"Zubat, come on out!" cried Brock. Zubat materialized.

"Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Zubat, we need you to fly around and look for where Team Rocket might be." Said Ash. All three Pokemon nodded and flew off.

"I guess we can call them the Flying Pokemon Surveillance Team or something." Said Lucy.

"Just as long as they find Hitmonchan. That's all I care about right now." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Don't worry, Ash, they'll find him.'

"I sure hope you're right, Pikachu." Said Ash. Pidgeotto, Zubat and Butterfree were all furiously flying around overhead looking for any sign of Hitmonchan or Team Rocket.

"Free?" asked Butterfree to Pidgeotto, which meant 'Do you see them yet?' Pidgeotto shook his head.

"Pidgeotto." The bird replied, which meant 'Not yet.'

"Free." Said Butterfree, which meant 'How worried do you think Ash is about Hitmonchan?'

"Pidgeotto." Answered Pidgeotto, which meant 'Probably very worried.' The three of them looked around for a while, and then Zubat spotted something on a tree.

"Bat!" cried Zubat, which meant 'Follow me!' Zubat led Pidgeotto and Butterfree to the tree and saw Hitmonchan tied to it. He was trying to wiggle himself out, but when he saw the three Pokemon that Ash, Lucy and Brock owned, he was very relieved.

"Free!" cried Butterfree, which meant 'We found him!'

"Chan. Hitmon." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'Thank goodness you guys are here.' Inside the cabin that was right by the tree, the Team Rocket trio was still sound asleep.

"Chan." Said Hitmonchan, which meant 'They probably won't wake up for a while.'

"Pidgeotto!" cried Pidgeotto, which meant 'Let's get back to Ash and his friends quickly!'

"Free!" cried Butterfree, which meant 'They'll want to see this!' The three Pokemon started to fly back as quick as they could.

Meanwhile….

"Hitmonchan's my responsibility now." Said Ash. "I should've known better than to let this happen."

"Ash, it's okay." Said Lucy.

"Yeah, Ash, don't doubt yourself." Said brock.

"But suppose Hitmonchan doesn't care about me anymore." Said Ash.

"I highly doubt that." Said Misty. Psyduck suddenly popped out and ran over to Ash to give him a comforting hug.

"See? Even Psyduck cares about you, and he's not even your Pokemon." Said Misty. She gave Psyduck an angry look.

"Why can't you just stay in your Poke Ball like you're supposed to?" she muttered. She quickly recalled Psyduck, and a little while later, Butterfree, Zubat and Pidgeotto returned.

"Did you guys find him?" said Lucy. Butterfree nodded, and Pidgeotto motioned for the group to follow them.

"Let's hurry! We have to rescue Hitmonchan before it's too late!" cried Ash. They followed the three flying types back down the path quickly. Hitmonchan was still struggling to try and get out of the ropes that he was tied to.

"Chan! Chan!" he cried, which meant 'I hate when they make these ropes so tight.' He let out a sigh, but then he smiled when he saw Ash and his friends coming towards him.

"Hitmonchan!" cried Ash. "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"Ash was really worried about you." Said Lucy. "Come on, let's try and get these ropes off of him." Ash and Lucy went to work trying to take the ropes off of Hitmonchan, but they struggled mightily.

"These ropes are so tight." Said Ash.

"Pikachu, maybe you can try an electric attack to make these ropes go away." Said Lucy. Pikachu unleashed a Thunder Shock, but it did no good.

"Team Rocket must've made those ropes shock proof." Said Misty.

"Knowing them, I wouldn't be surprised." Said Brock. Pikachu prepared to try again, but Ash held him off.

"Don't Pikachu." Said Ash. "These ropes aren't affected by electricity." He grabbed a Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Charmander, I choose you!" he cried. The fire type materialized.

"Good thinking, Ash." Said Lucy. "If electricity won't work, fire should."

"Charmander, use your Flamethrower attack to burn away the ropes." Ash instructed. Charmander nodded.

"Char!" roared the fire type, and he shot out a stream of fire at the ropes, burning them to a crisp and allowing Hitmonchan to be free.

"Nice work, Charmander." Said Ash.

"Hitmon!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Ash! You do care about me!'

"Of course I care about you, Hitmonchan." Said Ash. "I know we got off to a bit of a rough start, but if we work together, we can make a great team. What do you say?" Hitmonchan nodded and gave Ash a hug.

"Uh, Ash, I think we've got a problem." Said Lucy.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"Look behind you!" cried Lucy. Ash turned and saw jessie, James and Meowth looking angrily at him.

"So, you think you can steal that Hitmonchan back after we stole it from you first, huh?" said Meowth.

"For your information, this Hitmonchan is my friend!" cried Ash.

"Just what were you going to do with this Hitmonchan?" asked Lucy.

"We were going to take it to the boss and have it become a full time boxer because of its powerful punching." Said James.

"But then you twerps had to show up and ruin everything, again!" cried Meowth.

"So I guess we're going to have to battle." Said Jessie. "Ekans, go!"

"Koffing, go!" cried James. Koffing and Ekans materialized.

"Charmander, go!" cried Ash. "Flamethrower!"

"Koffing, Sludge attack!" cried James. Koffing fired black sludge into Charmander's face as he had been preparing his Flamethrower.

"Charmander!" cried Ash.

"Charmander's not so charming anymore, is it?" said Jessie. Ash recalled Charmander and was about to send out another Pokemon when Hitmonchan whispered something to him.

"What is it?" said Ash. Hitmonchan pointed to team Rocket.

"You want to battle them?" said Ash. Hitmonchan nodded.

"All right, go!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan stared at Team Rocket angrily.

"I'll help you, Ash!" cried Lucy. "Hitmonlee, go!" Hitmonlee materialized.

"Hitmonlee, High Jump Kick!" cried Lucy. Hitmonlee gave Koffing a swift and powerful kick into the nearby tree. Unknown to everyone, the Scyther from the day before was secretly watching from a fair distance

"No, Koffing!" cried James.

"Ekans, use your Poison Sting!" cried Jessie. Ekans shot the purple poison needles at Hitmonlee, striking it and making it weak.

"Hitmonlee!" cried Lucy.

"Don't worry, I'll spray an Antidote on it later." Said Brock.

"Thanks, Brock." Said Lucy.

"Hitmonchan, use your Thunder Punch, now!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan unleashed a powerful electric punch, striking Ekans and paralyzing it.

"What the?!" cried Jessie.

"Now for the Seismic Toss!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan grabbed a hold of Ekans, spun him around a few times before throwing him into the tree.

"I knew we should've taken it to the boss right away instead of camping out first." Said Meowth.

"You leave your claws out of this, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"Maybe we don't have a Hitmonchan to take to the boss, but we can at least settle for the two little rodents." Said James.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Don't even think about it!'

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" cried Ash. Pikachu unleashed the powerful attack, sending Team Rocket flying upwards into the air.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried.

"Hitmonchan, you were awesome!" cried Ash.

"Three cheers for Hitmonchan!" cried Lucy. As the group was celebrating, the Scyther came out and flew towards Ash.

"Scyther scy!" it cried, which meant 'That was amazing!'

"Scyther, we meet again!" Ash cried at the Scyther. "Wait, have you been watching me this whole time?" The Scyther nodded, and then it looked at Hitmonchan.

"I don't understand what it's doing." Said Ash.

"I think Scyther saw how well you and Hitmonchan battled together and now it wants to join up with you." Said Lucy.

"Is that right, Scyther?" said Ash. Scyther nodded, and held up a blade.

"Oh yeah, there's one additional tidbit." Said Lucy. "It'll join you, but on the condition that you use Hitmonchan to battle and capture it."

"All right, Scyther, Hitmonchan and I accept." Said Ash. "Are you ready, Hitmonchan?"

"Chan!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Ready, Ash!' Lucy, Brock and Misty stood back to give Ash space.

"I may not like bug Pokemon, but I really hope Ash captures this Scyther." Said Misty.

"Go, Hitmonchan! Comet Punch, now!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan struck Scyther with repeated blows.

"Scyther!" cried the bug type. It gave a glow from its eyes.

"That's Scyther's Leer attack!" cried Lucy. "One of those makes Hitmonchan's defense decrease!"

"We'll have to try and strike fast." Said Ash. "Thunder Punch!" Hitmonchan performed the move, but Scyther flew back and forth using Agility to dodge the move. Then, Scyther used Double Team to make copies of itself.

"Hitmonchan, punch every one of those until you find the real Scyther!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan gave blow after blow, disposing the copies until only the real Pokemon remained. Then, Scyther used its Slash attack and gave Hitmonchan a hard strike.

"No! It's like yesterday all over again!" cried Ash. "Don't give up, Hitmonchan! Remember all the things Anthony taught you before!" Hitmonchan started to think of the advice its now former trainer had given it, and then a fire lit up in Hitmonchan's eyes.

"Now it's time to show Scyther what you're made of." Said Ash. "Fire Punch!" Hitmonchan delivered a powerful flame punch, burning Scyther and sending it to the ground. It was now weak and could barely move.

"Seismic Toss time!" cried Ash. Hitmonchan used both hands to grab Scyther, spin it around and send it down to the ground with a thud.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. He tossed an empty Poke Ball at Scyther, and it got sucked inside. The group watched with anticipation as the ball wobbled and shook a few times before pinging.

"I caught a Scyther!" cried Ash, holding the ball up high.

"Way to go, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Thanks, but a lot of the credit goes to Hitmonchan." Said Ash. "From now on, the two of us are a real team. Right?"

"Chan!" cried Hitmonchan, which meant 'Right!' After a rough start, it seems like Hitmonchan and Ash are now very good friends. Whether Hitmonchan will eventually become a world champion or not, who knows. For now, it's off to more adventures and more Pokemon.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Staryu, Butterfree (Pink)

Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther

Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Growlithe