MarkL1987
Pokémon Trainer
- Pronouns
- He/him
Episode 37: Ditto's Mysterious Mansion
As Ash and his friends continued on their journey, the picture looked sunny and bright. But then, a storm began to roll in. Uh oh, guys!
Pikachu and Eevee felt raindrops on their head.
"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'What's that?'
"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'A bad storm in coming.' The group looked up and started feeling the rain.
"A storm?" said Ash. The rain started coming down harder, forcing the group to start running as fast as they could to find shelter.
"Bad timing for a downpour!" cried Lucy.
"Let's get out of this!" cried Ash.
"But where can we go?!" cried Misty. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"
"Look to the left!" cried Lucy. The gang spotted a mansion off to the side of the road and stopped to have a look at it.
"What's that?" said Ash.
"I don't like the looks of that place." Said Misty.
"Unless you want to stay out here in this wet mess and catch a cold, or even pneumonia, that mansion is our only option." Said Lucy.
"Lucy's right. This is no time to be picky!" cried Ash. The group ran to the mansion and burst through the doors.
"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That was close.'
"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'At least we're safely inside now.'
"Hello? Sorry for barging in!" cried Ash.
"Is anybody here?" called Misty. The group went further into the mansion.
"It looks like some kind of theater." Said Brock.
"Yeah." Said Misty.
"It even has a stage." Said Lucy.
"Hey, since nobody's around, we might as well stick around until the rain stops." Said Ash.
"As long as we don't have to be outside in that terrible storm, I'm inclined to agree with Ash." Said Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee soon noticed something.
"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Look at this, you guys!' They looked and what they saw shocked them, for standing in front of them was what looked to be another Pikachu.
"Where'd that other Pikachu come from?!" cried Ash. The other Pikachu copied everything that Ash's Pikachu did.
"How cute!" cried Misty. She went to the other Pikachu and picked it up.
"Hi there!" cried Misty. Her happiness soon turned to surprise and shock when she saw that the other Pikachu's face was different than Ash's Pikachu. The shock on Misty's face caused her to drop the other Pikachu.
"What is this?! What's wrong with it?!" she cried.
"What's your problem?" said Ash.
"That Pikachu doesn't look right!" cried Misty. They all looked and saw what Misty meant.
"Eevee." Observed Eevee, which meant 'That other Pikachu sure looks weird.'
"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Everything about it is almost identical to me.'
"It could be a new kind of Pikachu." Said Brock.
"New kind? Then I'll have to capture it!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Pikachu's attack landed.
"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. Another Poke Ball came out of nowhere and knocked Ash's Poke Ball to the ground.
"Hey!" cried Ash.
"There's the culprit." Said Lucy. The group turned around and saw someone dressed like Ash.
"Hey Ash, that guy's dressed like you!" exclaimed Misty.
"Except it's a girl." Said Brock.
"A girl?" said Lucy.
"How can you tell?" said Misty.
"Men's intuition." Said Brock.
"Who are you?" said Ash.
"Tell me who you are." Said the stranger in Ash's voice.
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Said Ash.
"I'm Lucy Peters, also from Pallet Town." Said Lucy.
"Duplica, from the House of Imite." Said the stranger.
"Duplica? As in duplicate?" said Lucy.
"You got it." Said Duplica.
"Imite? Like in imitate?" said Ash. "Is that why you look just like me?"
"That's right." Said Duplica.
"You're right, Brock. She's definitely a girl." Said Misty.
"But she may be a little young for me." Said Brock.
"Says the guy who tries picking up girls older than him all the time." Said Lucy.
"You're sad." Said Misty.
"Aw, it still hasn't gotten over that old habit." Said Duplica. The Pikachu glowed and transformed into a pink blob, much to everyone's surprise and shock, except for Lucy.
"I thought so." She said. "This is a Ditto." She got out her Pokedex for more information.
"Ditto, a Transform Pokemon. It is able to rearrange the cells of its body and assume any form. Its only attack is Transform." Misty started petting the Ditto.
"It's squishy." She laughed.
"And also very cute." Added Lucy.
"And Ditto can make itself look just like anything!" cried Ash.
"Can you demonstrate for us?" said Lucy.
"Sure." Said Duplica. "Let's try that cute Eevee of yours there. Ditto, Transform." Ditto glowed and turned into a near copy of Lucy's Eevee.
"No way!" cried Lucy. "Two Eevees?!"
"That's amazing." Said Brock.
"There's one key difference, though." Said Lucy.
"I see it." Said Brock. "Its' face stayed the same. When it transforms, shouldn't it be able to change completely?"
"Yeah. It still can't change its face." Said Duplica.
"But it's the only Pokemon that can transform like that, right?" said Ash. "Or are there others?"
"Nope. Ditto's one of a kind." Said Duplica.
"A transforming Pokemon." Said Brock. "The only attack it has is to copy other Pokemon. That's all it does."
"Isn't that enough?" said Misty.
"Yeah, but then you can't have the fun of teaching it different attacks." Said Ash. "That's kind of boring."
"You just don't understand Ditto's real power." Said Duplica.
"Real power?" said Ash.
"Let's have a little match." Said Duplica. "Then you'll understand, Ashy boy."
"Ashy boy?" said Ash. The light came on over the stage as both Ash and Duplica took their places.
"Ditto's power. Let's just see." Said Brock. Misty nodded as she munched on some popcorn.
"I choose to use my Ditto, of course." Said Duplica.
"You choose what you want." Said Ash. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur materialized.
"Go, little Ditto! Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto changed into Bulbasaur.
"You'll have to be better than that!" cried Ash. Duplica wagged her finger.
"You haven't seen the best part yet!" she cried.
"I'll show her!" cried Ash. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!"
"Ditto, Vine Whip!" cried Duplica. Both attacks collided, resulting in a stalemate.
"It can imitate attacks too?!" cried Lucy.
"Ditto, restrain Bulbasaur!" cried Duplica. Ditto's Vine Whip wrapped itself around Bulbasaur to prevent it from moving, much to Ash's shock.
"Have you had enough yet, Ashy Boy?" said Duplica.
"All right, I understand, I give up." Said Ash. Bulbasaur was released from its restraints and Ditto returned to its normal form, leaving brock, Misty and Lucy in a state of surprise.
"But how, how could the real thing lose?" said Ash.
"Because Transform allows the user to copy the opposing Pokemon's moves." Said Lucy. "Hey Duplica, can I have a try at battling Ditto?"
"Sure." Said Duplica. "Just take your spot and choose your Pokemon." Lucy reached for a Poke Ball.
"I choose you, Clefairy!" she cried. Clefairy materialized.
"Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto changed into a near perfect copy of Clefairy.
"Clefairy, go for a Double Slap attack!" cried Lucy. Clefairy charged in for the attack.
"Ditto, Pound!" cried Duplica. Right as Clefairy's attack was about to land, Ditto pounded it hard to send it back.
"Clefairy, no!" cried Lucy.
"Use Sing!" cried Duplica. Ditto let out a soothing melody to put Clefairy to sleep, forcing Lucy to recall it.
"Not even Lucy could beat the Ditto." Said Ash. The group soon entered Duplica's costume room.
"Wow! What are all these clothes for?" said Misty.
"I'll show you." Said Duplica. She ran into a rack of clothes dressed as Ash, and came out the other side dressed as Nurse Joy.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it." Said Duplica. She ran into the rack again and came out dressed as Officer Jenny.
"My name is Jenny. You're under arrest for Pokemon poaching!" she cried. Pikachu, Eevee and Ditto enjoyed seeing Duplica's costume and talent of mimicry.
"Great imitation!" cried Misty.
"She's got me fooled." Said Lucy.
"Very good, but she doesn't capture the more adult charm of the real Joy and Jenny." Said Brock. Misty looked at Brock embarrassingly and sweat dropped.
"With all these costumes, I can imitate just about anybody." Said Duplica. "Watch!" She ran into the rack again and came out dressed as Misty. She winked and laughed.
"She's me!" cried Misty. Duplica then ran into another rack and came out dressed as Lucy.
"Now she's dressed in my clothes!" cried Lucy. As the marveled at Duplica's talents, Brock saw Ash staring out the window in frustration.
"Don't be so down, Ash." Said brock. "That Ditto's powers are unbeatable.
"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'He's right, you know.'
"Better than the real Pokemon." Said Misty.
"I just can't believe I lost the match to a great big fake." Said Ash.
"Oh, Ash. Don't think of it as a fake." Said Misty. "Ditto was battling a real Bulbasaur."
"I'm even more impressed with how much knowledge Duplica has." Said brock.
"I think she has more knowledge than me and Ash combined." Said Lucy. "Even though I also lost to that Ditto, I still think it's super strong."
"Like Brock said, Duplica's knowledge is amazing." Said Misty.
"Knowledge?" said Ash.
"Think about it for a second, Ash." Said Brock. "Why do you think Duplica had Ditto use Vine Whip instead of Razor Leaf against your Bulbasaur?"
"The same reason why she had Ditto use Pound rather than Double Slap against my Clefairy." Said Lucy.
"Right." Said Brock. "Duplica must know all of the potential attacks both Bulbasaur and Clefairy have. She could order Ditto to use the strongest attacks possible according to the Pokemon form it takes."
"I guess that means Duplica must know every attack of every Pokemon there is." Said Lucy.
"You must've studied a lot, Duplica, to be able to battle in any situation like that." Said Brock.
"Oh stop it, Brock, you're making me blush." Said Duplica.
"I get it. It's more than just imitation." Said Ash.
"Looks like you and Lucy both have another rival." Said Misty. "Duplica would make a great Pokemon master."
"Actually, I just want to become the world's greatest Ditto master." Said Duplica.
"A Ditto master?" cried the group collectively.
"You got it." Said Duplica. "And I wanna be a big star!"
Flashback
Ditto and Duplica were on stage before a large audience.
"Thank you! Thank you! I'm the amazing Duplica and this is my assistant, Ditto!" cried Duplica. The audience applauded.
"And now, for my first imitation, my impression of…. a Gloom." Said Duplica. She performed the imitation and everyone laughed.
"Now that we have your attention, I'd like to do some of my favorites." Said Duplica. As she proceeded to imitate Metapod, Psyduck, Horsea, Bulbasaur, and a Goldeen, she started narrating outside the flashback.
"You see, I started this Imite House because I like to imitate Pokemon." Said Duplica. "This place is so flat and boring, but people pass by here all the time. I thought maybe if people stop here for a rest, I can entertain them." She went back into flashback mode.
"Now it's time for my assistant, Ditto." She said. "Will the Machoke in the front row please come up to the stage?" The Machoke went on stage.
"Okay, Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto nodded and transformed into a Machoke, but the face wasn't exactly the same, making the audience lose interest.
"Hey!" cried an audience member.
"That face doesn't look right!" cried another. Duplica narrated again.
"The only trouble is, Ditto hasn't been able to fix this weird problem that keeps its face from transforming the right way." She explained. Back in flashback mode, the Machoke left the stage.
"Thank you very much, Machoke, for being a good sport." Said Duplica. "Now, how about this Voltorb? Would you please come up to the stage?" The Voltorb came up to the stage.
"Okay, Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto transformed again, but the face still wasn't right.
"It's still got that dumb face!" yelled an audience member.
"That's so…..you can tell them apart." Said Duplica with a laugh.
"You're both a fake!" cried another audience member. Ditto used Explosion, reverting it back to its normal form and knocking most of the audience on their backs.
End Flashback
"And that's what happens." Said Duplica. She jumped off the stage. "When people watch Ditto, they don't want to see an imperfect transformation. This one is trying its best to master Transform perfectly, but its face still stays the same."
"I guess being a Ditto trainer's tough." Said Ash.
"All young Ditto that try to master Transform have a similar problem, so this one's not alone." Said Lucy. The lights suddenly went out and the spotlight panned around the curtains, to the group's shock and surprise. Team Rocket emerged from under the stage.
"That was a touching story." Said Meowth.
"What? Who are you?!" cried Duplica.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"Make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right! Let's give them a hand!"
"Okay, show's over, time to go back home." Said Ash.
"Quiet, twerp." Said Jessie. "You'll be happy to know that we're not interested in Pikachu and Eevee today."
"We're here for….." said James.
"The Ditto!" cried Meowth. He jumped down from the ladder and grabbed Ditto.
"Wait!" cried Duplica.
"Time for action, Weezing!" cried James. Weezing materialized and spread a Smokescreen around Ash's group to allow Team Rocket to make their getaway. When the smoke cleared, Ditto was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh no! My Ditto's gone!" cried Duplica.
"Those dirty rats!" cried Lucy.
"Team Rocket. What are they up to this time?" said Ash.
Elsewhere, Meowth, Jessie and James had escaped to their hideout, with Jessie and James chuckling in triumph.
"Cute little Ditto, our little Ditto." Said Jessie. "Why didn't we think of this before? Now we're unstoppable!"
"Right! Now we can take our name off the loser list and put them in the winning column!" cried James.
"And the boss will make me top cat again." Said Meowth.
"All right, Ditto, we have a little favor to ask you." Said Jessie. She showed Ditto a book with a picture of a Dratini in it and pointed to the picture.
"Transform into this." She said. "Won't you please? Please? Pretty please?"
"Become Dratini, the legendary Pokemon we've never been able to capture." Said James. "It would make a handsome gift for the boss!" They played out a scenario involving handing over Dratini to their boss.
"Sir, we've finally captured Dratini, the legendary Pokemon." Said James.
"Yes, well done." said Jessie. "I will reward you handsomely for your hard work. From now on, you will take my place as the head of Team Rocket." James chuckled.
"Your wish is my command." He said. The scenario then ended.
"Let's do it!" cried James. "Let's make it change right this second, Jessie!"
"What's the hurry?" said Jessie. "Since Ditto is ours for the moment, let's have some fun with it before we hand it over to the boss."
"Some fun?" said James. Jessie showed Ditto a picture of someone.
"Ditto, what would the person in this picture look like if he were an adult?" she said. "Transform and show me."
"Who's picture is that?" said James. "Let me see!"
"No way!" cried Jessie. "This is personal, James. Stop it!"
"Let's see." Said Meowth. He got a glimpse of the picture. "Ha! It's a little boy!"
"Jessie has a boyfriend?" said James.
"He was my first true love." Said Jessie.
"First love?" said James.
"Show me." Said Jessie. Ditto nodded and transformed, but the face issue kicked in, making Jessie look surprised while James and Meowth laughed.
"Your first love sure has an interesting face!" cried James.
"Especially if you're interested in Ditto!" cried Meowth. Jessie attacked James and Meowth for their laughter.
"That wasn't funny!" she yelled. "Is that your idea of a transformation?!" Ditto simply licked Jessie's face, causing James and Meowth to burst into laughter again, only to be smacked around by Jessie again.
"Now, do as I say!" yelled Jessie. She showed the picture of Dratini again. "Transform into this!" Ditto then transformed into a book, making Team Rocket fall over in disbelief.
"I'm starting to see a flaw in this plan." Said James.
"How dare you insult us like this!" cried Jessie. "I'm warning you! You better transform perfectly this time or I'll transform you into jelly!"
At the House of Imite, the group was trying to cheer Duplica up.
"Don't worry, Duplica." Said Misty. "Cheer up. We'll all help you find Ditto."
"We've already sent Pidgeotto, Zubat and Butterfree out on surveillance duty." Said brock.
"Those three should be able to find Ditto without any problem." Said Lucy.
"There you go! See?" said Misty.
"Thanks, you guys." Said Duplica.
"Hey Ash, what's on your mind?" said Brock.
"Yeah, you've been a little quiet." Said Lucy.
"Well, it's just Ditto's Transform." Said Ash. "You can't forget how important the trainer's ability is, too."
"Huh?" said Brock.
"It's not the Pokemon but the trainer who decides what attacks to use in a battle, right?" said Ash.
"Right." Said Lucy.
"That means if you raise a Ditto, its progress and power are connected directly to your own." Said Ash.
"Yeah, I think you're right about that, Ash." Said Lucy.
"It sounds like you've been studying, Ash." Said Misty. Butterfree, Pidgeotto and Zubat soon flew in.
"Free!" Butterfree cried happily, which meant 'We found where Ditto is!'
"You guys found him!" cried Lucy. "Great work, all of you!"
"Let's go and save Ditto!" cried Ash. Everyone agreed.
"Wait! I have an idea." Said Duplica.
"I think I already know what the idea is, but let's hear it anyway." Said Lucy.
Meanwhile, in Team Rocket's hideout, Ditto had transformed into a Meowth, but the face issue was still obvious.
"What's wrong with you?!" cried Jessie. "Why can't you get it right?!"
"I don't have a goofy face like that." Meowth pointed out.
"Get it right this time, Ditto, or you'll regret it!" cried James.
"That's right!" cried Meowth, and he unleashed his sharp claws to show that he meant business. Ditto panicked and quickly reshaped his face to look just like Meowth's, much to the delight of Team Rocket.
"Success!" cried James.
"You really can do it if you try." Said Jessie. "Great work, Ditto."
"Now for a Dratini." said Meowth.
"Sorry, Meowth!" cried Ash. Team Rocket was quite surprised to hear Ash's voice.
"Hey!" cried Jessie. Multiple spotlights were shining around Ash and his friends, all of whom were dressed exactly like Team Rocket.
"Prepare for trouble!" cried Ash.
"And make it triple double!" cried Brock. James growled angrily.
"Quit imitating us!" he cried.
"To protect the world from devastation!" cried Misty.
"To ignite all peoples within our nation!" cried Duplica. Jessie growled angrily now too.
"This is insulting!" she cried, glaring angrily at Ash's group.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" cried Ash.
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" cried Lucy.
"Ash!"
"Misty!"
"Brock!"
"Lucy!"
"Duplica! That's right!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" cried Brock.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight all of us!" cried Duplica.
"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's right!'
"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'You better believe it!'
"That was great to do the whole thing!" cried Lucy.
"Now I know why they like saying all that dumb stuff so much. It's fun!" cried Ash.
"Hey, I know! Maybe we should all become actors." Said Duplica. The group laughed, but Team Rocket didn't find the whole thing funny at all.
"Team Rocket is NOT something to be made fun of, but if you're going to imitate us, at least do it right!" cried Jessie.
"To UNITE all peoples within our nation, not ignite!" cried James.
"We'll be taking Ditto back now!" cried Duplica.
"No way!" said Meowth.
"No way!" cried another Meowth. Jessie and James chuckled, leaving Ash and company confused.
"Hey, I can't tell which one is which." Said Brock.
"But I thought Ditto couldn't imitate faces." Said Ash.
"That's true, but Ditto was finally perfected under the expert care and training of Team Rocket." Said Jessie.
"If by expert care and training, you mean demands and threats." Said Lucy. Jessie and James laughed at their triumph.
"Oh, thank you!" cried Duplica. Jessie and James stopped laughing.
"I've tried everything I could think of to get Ditto to imitate faces." Said Duplica. She started shedding tears. "Now Ditto can finally become the Pokemon that I always knew it could be!"
"Duplica." Said Ash.
"I guess Team Rocket actually did Duplica a favor." Said Lucy.
"That's beautiful." Said Misty.
"Yeah." Said Brock. Jessie and James started shedding tears themselves.
"That's so beautiful. I can't stand it." Said Jessie.
"Neither can I." said James.
"Hey, you guys. Why don't we solve this without a big battle?" said Ash.
"All right. We'll do it your way this time." Said Jessie.
"We'll just give you Ditto." Said James. They handed the "Ditto" over and got into their hot air balloon.
"Hey, what are you doing?" cried Meowth.
"We'll be on our way now!" cried James. The hideout came apart and Team Rocket flew upwards in their balloon.
"Goodbye, everyone!" cried Jessie.
"Good luck with Ditto!" cried James.
"Hold it right there!" cried Duplica. She held up the Meowth that Team Rocket had given her and got ready to throw.
"Duplica! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy.
"This isn't Ditto!" cried Duplica.
"Huh?" said Ash.
"Hey! Let me go, will ya?!" cried Meowth.
"That definitely proves it's not Ditto." Said Lucy. Duplica threw Meowth at the balloon and he landed on its face.
"Impossible! How could you tell?!" cried Jessie.
"It was a perfect transformation!" cried James. Ditto then bit Jessie's arm, making her let go of it, thus allowing Ditto to jump down safely into Duplica's arms.
"I wouldn't be much of a trainer if I couldn't see through that transformation." Said Duplica. "Right, Ditto?" Ditto nodded and winked.
"Dimwits! How'd you manage to mess this one up?!" cried Meowth.
"You're in no position to complain!" cried James.
"It's time for Plan B!" cried Jessie. She pressed a button and a cannon appeared under the balloon. The cannon was pointed at Ash's group, much to their shock.
"Stop! You can't do this!" cried Ash.
"You'll kill all of us!" cried Lucy.
"Quiet, all of you!" cried Jessie. "We're going to win after all!"
"I seriously doubt that." Said Lucy.
"What was that, twerpette?!" cried jessie.
"Oh, nothing, you didn't hear a thing." Said Lucy, who gave an innocent smile.
"Ditto, Transform now!" cried Duplica. Ditto transformed into the cannon.
"That's great!" cried Ash.
"I didn't think Ditto could transform into things like that." Said Lucy.
"Arbok, go!" cried Jessie.
"You too, Weezing!" cried James. Arbok and Weezing materialized.
"Butterfree, go!" cried Lucy. Butterfree materialized.
"Gust attack, now!" Lucy ordered. Butterfree flapped its wings to make a tornado and blow Arbok and Weezing back.
"Now's your chance, Ash!" cried Lucy.
"Right." Said Ash. "Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'On it, Ash!' Pikachu loaded into Ditto.
"Eevee, you join Pikachu in the cannon and aim!" cried Lucy. Eevee nodded and hopped into the cannon.
"Ditto, fire!" cried Duplica. Ditto fired Pikachu and Eevee right at Team Rocket.
"Fire!" cried Jessie. She pressed the button again and fired a net at Pikachu and Eevee.
"Now!" cried Ash and Lucy. Pikachu unleashed a Thunder Shock, sending the volts traveling through the net and throughout the balloon, making Team Rocket get shocked. Eevee sprang onto the balloon, and Meowth clinched onto it tighter by using his claws, resulting in the balloon springing a leak and sending Team Rocket on their way.
"Jessie, we lose everything!" cried James.
"Even our hot air!" cried Jessie.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Team Rocket cried. Ditto then returned to its normal form and jumped into Duplica's arms for a hug. Pikachu and Eevee jumped back down to the ground and ran back to Ash and Lucy respectively.
"That was great! You've finally learned how to completely transform!" cried Duplica. "Ditto, would you please transform into a Pikachu?" Ditto transformed into a perfect copy of Pikachu.
"That's amazing!" cried Misty. "Ditto transforms perfectly now!"
"It finally mastered its only attack." Said Lucy.
"I can hardly believe it. Team Rocket was actually good for something." Said Ash.
"Yeah, and the way Ditto transforms into objects is great!" cried Brock.
"I didn't expect Ditto to turn into a cannon like that." Said Lucy. "That was amazing."
"You're just as real as the real thing." Said Misty.
"Hey, Ditto. Great job." Said Ash. Pikachu and Ditto both thanked Ash, but they both sounded so similar that Ash was confused.
"But now I can't tell which Pikachu is mine." He said.
"Then I guess you need to keep training, Ashy boy." Said Duplica. She piked up the Pikachu on the right. "Right, Ditto?" Ditto reverted back to its normal form as it and Duplica hugged. Ash and his friends smiled.
"There's a happy ending if I've ever seen one." Said Lucy.
Later, Duplica was fixing up the place.
"There. The House Of Imite is now officially open again!" she cried.
"Congratulations!" cried Ash.
"You did it, Duplica!" cried Misty.
"You and Ditto are gonna become stars for sure!" cried Lucy.
"Thanks for everything!" cried Duplica. "Come back and see us anytime, okay?!"
"I'll try and convince my dad to come and see one of your shows." Said Lucy.
"Please do." Said Duplica.
"Good luck, and take care of yourself, Ditto master!" cried Ash. The group departed.
"Imagine the strength of all the Pokemon in one!" cried Ash. "Maybe I'll catch a Ditto for myself someday."
"After seeing that incredible power it had, I might have to find one for myself too." Said Lucy. Our heroes were able to help bring the sunshine into another trainer's life. Who knows what adventures and rewards await them, beyond the rainbow.
Elsewhere, Team Rocket's balloon had crashed in the woods and jessie and James were trying to get Meowth into a costume.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" cried Meowth.
"Hold still, Meowth!" cried James.
"Stop it! Let me go! Cut it out, will ya?!" cried Meowth. The costume Jessie and James were trying to get Meowth into was that of a Dratini.
"Ow! Quit it!" cried Meowth.
"Will you stop it, Meowth?!" cried James.
"The only way that we can get out of this mess is to dress you up like a Dratini and present you to the boss." Said Jessie.
"Pea brains! This won't work!" cried Meowth. He unleashed his claws and attacked Jessie and James. "Take that! And that!" That caused Jessie and James to attack Meowth back.
"How dare you touch my face!" cried Jessie.
"For that, we'll turn you into a Grimer!" cried James.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Hitmonchan
Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)
Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three)
Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair
As Ash and his friends continued on their journey, the picture looked sunny and bright. But then, a storm began to roll in. Uh oh, guys!
Pikachu and Eevee felt raindrops on their head.
"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'What's that?'
"Eevee." Eevee answered, which meant 'A bad storm in coming.' The group looked up and started feeling the rain.
"A storm?" said Ash. The rain started coming down harder, forcing the group to start running as fast as they could to find shelter.
"Bad timing for a downpour!" cried Lucy.
"Let's get out of this!" cried Ash.
"But where can we go?!" cried Misty. "We're in the middle of nowhere!"
"Look to the left!" cried Lucy. The gang spotted a mansion off to the side of the road and stopped to have a look at it.
"What's that?" said Ash.
"I don't like the looks of that place." Said Misty.
"Unless you want to stay out here in this wet mess and catch a cold, or even pneumonia, that mansion is our only option." Said Lucy.
"Lucy's right. This is no time to be picky!" cried Ash. The group ran to the mansion and burst through the doors.
"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'That was close.'
"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'At least we're safely inside now.'
"Hello? Sorry for barging in!" cried Ash.
"Is anybody here?" called Misty. The group went further into the mansion.
"It looks like some kind of theater." Said Brock.
"Yeah." Said Misty.
"It even has a stage." Said Lucy.
"Hey, since nobody's around, we might as well stick around until the rain stops." Said Ash.
"As long as we don't have to be outside in that terrible storm, I'm inclined to agree with Ash." Said Lucy. Pikachu and Eevee soon noticed something.
"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Look at this, you guys!' They looked and what they saw shocked them, for standing in front of them was what looked to be another Pikachu.
"Where'd that other Pikachu come from?!" cried Ash. The other Pikachu copied everything that Ash's Pikachu did.
"How cute!" cried Misty. She went to the other Pikachu and picked it up.
"Hi there!" cried Misty. Her happiness soon turned to surprise and shock when she saw that the other Pikachu's face was different than Ash's Pikachu. The shock on Misty's face caused her to drop the other Pikachu.
"What is this?! What's wrong with it?!" she cried.
"What's your problem?" said Ash.
"That Pikachu doesn't look right!" cried Misty. They all looked and saw what Misty meant.
"Eevee." Observed Eevee, which meant 'That other Pikachu sure looks weird.'
"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Everything about it is almost identical to me.'
"It could be a new kind of Pikachu." Said Brock.
"New kind? Then I'll have to capture it!" cried Ash. "Pikachu, Thunder Shock!" Pikachu's attack landed.
"Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. Another Poke Ball came out of nowhere and knocked Ash's Poke Ball to the ground.
"Hey!" cried Ash.
"There's the culprit." Said Lucy. The group turned around and saw someone dressed like Ash.
"Hey Ash, that guy's dressed like you!" exclaimed Misty.
"Except it's a girl." Said Brock.
"A girl?" said Lucy.
"How can you tell?" said Misty.
"Men's intuition." Said Brock.
"Who are you?" said Ash.
"Tell me who you are." Said the stranger in Ash's voice.
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town." Said Ash.
"I'm Lucy Peters, also from Pallet Town." Said Lucy.
"Duplica, from the House of Imite." Said the stranger.
"Duplica? As in duplicate?" said Lucy.
"You got it." Said Duplica.
"Imite? Like in imitate?" said Ash. "Is that why you look just like me?"
"That's right." Said Duplica.
"You're right, Brock. She's definitely a girl." Said Misty.
"But she may be a little young for me." Said Brock.
"Says the guy who tries picking up girls older than him all the time." Said Lucy.
"You're sad." Said Misty.
"Aw, it still hasn't gotten over that old habit." Said Duplica. The Pikachu glowed and transformed into a pink blob, much to everyone's surprise and shock, except for Lucy.
"I thought so." She said. "This is a Ditto." She got out her Pokedex for more information.
"Ditto, a Transform Pokemon. It is able to rearrange the cells of its body and assume any form. Its only attack is Transform." Misty started petting the Ditto.
"It's squishy." She laughed.
"And also very cute." Added Lucy.
"And Ditto can make itself look just like anything!" cried Ash.
"Can you demonstrate for us?" said Lucy.
"Sure." Said Duplica. "Let's try that cute Eevee of yours there. Ditto, Transform." Ditto glowed and turned into a near copy of Lucy's Eevee.
"No way!" cried Lucy. "Two Eevees?!"
"That's amazing." Said Brock.
"There's one key difference, though." Said Lucy.
"I see it." Said Brock. "Its' face stayed the same. When it transforms, shouldn't it be able to change completely?"
"Yeah. It still can't change its face." Said Duplica.
"But it's the only Pokemon that can transform like that, right?" said Ash. "Or are there others?"
"Nope. Ditto's one of a kind." Said Duplica.
"A transforming Pokemon." Said Brock. "The only attack it has is to copy other Pokemon. That's all it does."
"Isn't that enough?" said Misty.
"Yeah, but then you can't have the fun of teaching it different attacks." Said Ash. "That's kind of boring."
"You just don't understand Ditto's real power." Said Duplica.
"Real power?" said Ash.
"Let's have a little match." Said Duplica. "Then you'll understand, Ashy boy."
"Ashy boy?" said Ash. The light came on over the stage as both Ash and Duplica took their places.
"Ditto's power. Let's just see." Said Brock. Misty nodded as she munched on some popcorn.
"I choose to use my Ditto, of course." Said Duplica.
"You choose what you want." Said Ash. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur materialized.
"Go, little Ditto! Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto changed into Bulbasaur.
"You'll have to be better than that!" cried Ash. Duplica wagged her finger.
"You haven't seen the best part yet!" she cried.
"I'll show her!" cried Ash. "Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!"
"Ditto, Vine Whip!" cried Duplica. Both attacks collided, resulting in a stalemate.
"It can imitate attacks too?!" cried Lucy.
"Ditto, restrain Bulbasaur!" cried Duplica. Ditto's Vine Whip wrapped itself around Bulbasaur to prevent it from moving, much to Ash's shock.
"Have you had enough yet, Ashy Boy?" said Duplica.
"All right, I understand, I give up." Said Ash. Bulbasaur was released from its restraints and Ditto returned to its normal form, leaving brock, Misty and Lucy in a state of surprise.
"But how, how could the real thing lose?" said Ash.
"Because Transform allows the user to copy the opposing Pokemon's moves." Said Lucy. "Hey Duplica, can I have a try at battling Ditto?"
"Sure." Said Duplica. "Just take your spot and choose your Pokemon." Lucy reached for a Poke Ball.
"I choose you, Clefairy!" she cried. Clefairy materialized.
"Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto changed into a near perfect copy of Clefairy.
"Clefairy, go for a Double Slap attack!" cried Lucy. Clefairy charged in for the attack.
"Ditto, Pound!" cried Duplica. Right as Clefairy's attack was about to land, Ditto pounded it hard to send it back.
"Clefairy, no!" cried Lucy.
"Use Sing!" cried Duplica. Ditto let out a soothing melody to put Clefairy to sleep, forcing Lucy to recall it.
"Not even Lucy could beat the Ditto." Said Ash. The group soon entered Duplica's costume room.
"Wow! What are all these clothes for?" said Misty.
"I'll show you." Said Duplica. She ran into a rack of clothes dressed as Ash, and came out the other side dressed as Nurse Joy.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of it." Said Duplica. She ran into the rack again and came out dressed as Officer Jenny.
"My name is Jenny. You're under arrest for Pokemon poaching!" she cried. Pikachu, Eevee and Ditto enjoyed seeing Duplica's costume and talent of mimicry.
"Great imitation!" cried Misty.
"She's got me fooled." Said Lucy.
"Very good, but she doesn't capture the more adult charm of the real Joy and Jenny." Said Brock. Misty looked at Brock embarrassingly and sweat dropped.
"With all these costumes, I can imitate just about anybody." Said Duplica. "Watch!" She ran into the rack again and came out dressed as Misty. She winked and laughed.
"She's me!" cried Misty. Duplica then ran into another rack and came out dressed as Lucy.
"Now she's dressed in my clothes!" cried Lucy. As the marveled at Duplica's talents, Brock saw Ash staring out the window in frustration.
"Don't be so down, Ash." Said brock. "That Ditto's powers are unbeatable.
"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'He's right, you know.'
"Better than the real Pokemon." Said Misty.
"I just can't believe I lost the match to a great big fake." Said Ash.
"Oh, Ash. Don't think of it as a fake." Said Misty. "Ditto was battling a real Bulbasaur."
"I'm even more impressed with how much knowledge Duplica has." Said brock.
"I think she has more knowledge than me and Ash combined." Said Lucy. "Even though I also lost to that Ditto, I still think it's super strong."
"Like Brock said, Duplica's knowledge is amazing." Said Misty.
"Knowledge?" said Ash.
"Think about it for a second, Ash." Said Brock. "Why do you think Duplica had Ditto use Vine Whip instead of Razor Leaf against your Bulbasaur?"
"The same reason why she had Ditto use Pound rather than Double Slap against my Clefairy." Said Lucy.
"Right." Said Brock. "Duplica must know all of the potential attacks both Bulbasaur and Clefairy have. She could order Ditto to use the strongest attacks possible according to the Pokemon form it takes."
"I guess that means Duplica must know every attack of every Pokemon there is." Said Lucy.
"You must've studied a lot, Duplica, to be able to battle in any situation like that." Said Brock.
"Oh stop it, Brock, you're making me blush." Said Duplica.
"I get it. It's more than just imitation." Said Ash.
"Looks like you and Lucy both have another rival." Said Misty. "Duplica would make a great Pokemon master."
"Actually, I just want to become the world's greatest Ditto master." Said Duplica.
"A Ditto master?" cried the group collectively.
"You got it." Said Duplica. "And I wanna be a big star!"
Flashback
Ditto and Duplica were on stage before a large audience.
"Thank you! Thank you! I'm the amazing Duplica and this is my assistant, Ditto!" cried Duplica. The audience applauded.
"And now, for my first imitation, my impression of…. a Gloom." Said Duplica. She performed the imitation and everyone laughed.
"Now that we have your attention, I'd like to do some of my favorites." Said Duplica. As she proceeded to imitate Metapod, Psyduck, Horsea, Bulbasaur, and a Goldeen, she started narrating outside the flashback.
"You see, I started this Imite House because I like to imitate Pokemon." Said Duplica. "This place is so flat and boring, but people pass by here all the time. I thought maybe if people stop here for a rest, I can entertain them." She went back into flashback mode.
"Now it's time for my assistant, Ditto." She said. "Will the Machoke in the front row please come up to the stage?" The Machoke went on stage.
"Okay, Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto nodded and transformed into a Machoke, but the face wasn't exactly the same, making the audience lose interest.
"Hey!" cried an audience member.
"That face doesn't look right!" cried another. Duplica narrated again.
"The only trouble is, Ditto hasn't been able to fix this weird problem that keeps its face from transforming the right way." She explained. Back in flashback mode, the Machoke left the stage.
"Thank you very much, Machoke, for being a good sport." Said Duplica. "Now, how about this Voltorb? Would you please come up to the stage?" The Voltorb came up to the stage.
"Okay, Ditto, Transform!" cried Duplica. Ditto transformed again, but the face still wasn't right.
"It's still got that dumb face!" yelled an audience member.
"That's so…..you can tell them apart." Said Duplica with a laugh.
"You're both a fake!" cried another audience member. Ditto used Explosion, reverting it back to its normal form and knocking most of the audience on their backs.
End Flashback
"And that's what happens." Said Duplica. She jumped off the stage. "When people watch Ditto, they don't want to see an imperfect transformation. This one is trying its best to master Transform perfectly, but its face still stays the same."
"I guess being a Ditto trainer's tough." Said Ash.
"All young Ditto that try to master Transform have a similar problem, so this one's not alone." Said Lucy. The lights suddenly went out and the spotlight panned around the curtains, to the group's shock and surprise. Team Rocket emerged from under the stage.
"That was a touching story." Said Meowth.
"What? Who are you?!" cried Duplica.
"Prepare for trouble!"
"Make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right! Let's give them a hand!"
"Okay, show's over, time to go back home." Said Ash.
"Quiet, twerp." Said Jessie. "You'll be happy to know that we're not interested in Pikachu and Eevee today."
"We're here for….." said James.
"The Ditto!" cried Meowth. He jumped down from the ladder and grabbed Ditto.
"Wait!" cried Duplica.
"Time for action, Weezing!" cried James. Weezing materialized and spread a Smokescreen around Ash's group to allow Team Rocket to make their getaway. When the smoke cleared, Ditto was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh no! My Ditto's gone!" cried Duplica.
"Those dirty rats!" cried Lucy.
"Team Rocket. What are they up to this time?" said Ash.
Elsewhere, Meowth, Jessie and James had escaped to their hideout, with Jessie and James chuckling in triumph.
"Cute little Ditto, our little Ditto." Said Jessie. "Why didn't we think of this before? Now we're unstoppable!"
"Right! Now we can take our name off the loser list and put them in the winning column!" cried James.
"And the boss will make me top cat again." Said Meowth.
"All right, Ditto, we have a little favor to ask you." Said Jessie. She showed Ditto a book with a picture of a Dratini in it and pointed to the picture.
"Transform into this." She said. "Won't you please? Please? Pretty please?"
"Become Dratini, the legendary Pokemon we've never been able to capture." Said James. "It would make a handsome gift for the boss!" They played out a scenario involving handing over Dratini to their boss.
"Sir, we've finally captured Dratini, the legendary Pokemon." Said James.
"Yes, well done." said Jessie. "I will reward you handsomely for your hard work. From now on, you will take my place as the head of Team Rocket." James chuckled.
"Your wish is my command." He said. The scenario then ended.
"Let's do it!" cried James. "Let's make it change right this second, Jessie!"
"What's the hurry?" said Jessie. "Since Ditto is ours for the moment, let's have some fun with it before we hand it over to the boss."
"Some fun?" said James. Jessie showed Ditto a picture of someone.
"Ditto, what would the person in this picture look like if he were an adult?" she said. "Transform and show me."
"Who's picture is that?" said James. "Let me see!"
"No way!" cried Jessie. "This is personal, James. Stop it!"
"Let's see." Said Meowth. He got a glimpse of the picture. "Ha! It's a little boy!"
"Jessie has a boyfriend?" said James.
"He was my first true love." Said Jessie.
"First love?" said James.
"Show me." Said Jessie. Ditto nodded and transformed, but the face issue kicked in, making Jessie look surprised while James and Meowth laughed.
"Your first love sure has an interesting face!" cried James.
"Especially if you're interested in Ditto!" cried Meowth. Jessie attacked James and Meowth for their laughter.
"That wasn't funny!" she yelled. "Is that your idea of a transformation?!" Ditto simply licked Jessie's face, causing James and Meowth to burst into laughter again, only to be smacked around by Jessie again.
"Now, do as I say!" yelled Jessie. She showed the picture of Dratini again. "Transform into this!" Ditto then transformed into a book, making Team Rocket fall over in disbelief.
"I'm starting to see a flaw in this plan." Said James.
"How dare you insult us like this!" cried Jessie. "I'm warning you! You better transform perfectly this time or I'll transform you into jelly!"
At the House of Imite, the group was trying to cheer Duplica up.
"Don't worry, Duplica." Said Misty. "Cheer up. We'll all help you find Ditto."
"We've already sent Pidgeotto, Zubat and Butterfree out on surveillance duty." Said brock.
"Those three should be able to find Ditto without any problem." Said Lucy.
"There you go! See?" said Misty.
"Thanks, you guys." Said Duplica.
"Hey Ash, what's on your mind?" said Brock.
"Yeah, you've been a little quiet." Said Lucy.
"Well, it's just Ditto's Transform." Said Ash. "You can't forget how important the trainer's ability is, too."
"Huh?" said Brock.
"It's not the Pokemon but the trainer who decides what attacks to use in a battle, right?" said Ash.
"Right." Said Lucy.
"That means if you raise a Ditto, its progress and power are connected directly to your own." Said Ash.
"Yeah, I think you're right about that, Ash." Said Lucy.
"It sounds like you've been studying, Ash." Said Misty. Butterfree, Pidgeotto and Zubat soon flew in.
"Free!" Butterfree cried happily, which meant 'We found where Ditto is!'
"You guys found him!" cried Lucy. "Great work, all of you!"
"Let's go and save Ditto!" cried Ash. Everyone agreed.
"Wait! I have an idea." Said Duplica.
"I think I already know what the idea is, but let's hear it anyway." Said Lucy.
Meanwhile, in Team Rocket's hideout, Ditto had transformed into a Meowth, but the face issue was still obvious.
"What's wrong with you?!" cried Jessie. "Why can't you get it right?!"
"I don't have a goofy face like that." Meowth pointed out.
"Get it right this time, Ditto, or you'll regret it!" cried James.
"That's right!" cried Meowth, and he unleashed his sharp claws to show that he meant business. Ditto panicked and quickly reshaped his face to look just like Meowth's, much to the delight of Team Rocket.
"Success!" cried James.
"You really can do it if you try." Said Jessie. "Great work, Ditto."
"Now for a Dratini." said Meowth.
"Sorry, Meowth!" cried Ash. Team Rocket was quite surprised to hear Ash's voice.
"Hey!" cried Jessie. Multiple spotlights were shining around Ash and his friends, all of whom were dressed exactly like Team Rocket.
"Prepare for trouble!" cried Ash.
"And make it triple double!" cried Brock. James growled angrily.
"Quit imitating us!" he cried.
"To protect the world from devastation!" cried Misty.
"To ignite all peoples within our nation!" cried Duplica. Jessie growled angrily now too.
"This is insulting!" she cried, glaring angrily at Ash's group.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" cried Ash.
"To extend our reach to the stars above!" cried Lucy.
"Ash!"
"Misty!"
"Brock!"
"Lucy!"
"Duplica! That's right!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" cried Brock.
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight all of us!" cried Duplica.
"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's right!'
"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'You better believe it!'
"That was great to do the whole thing!" cried Lucy.
"Now I know why they like saying all that dumb stuff so much. It's fun!" cried Ash.
"Hey, I know! Maybe we should all become actors." Said Duplica. The group laughed, but Team Rocket didn't find the whole thing funny at all.
"Team Rocket is NOT something to be made fun of, but if you're going to imitate us, at least do it right!" cried Jessie.
"To UNITE all peoples within our nation, not ignite!" cried James.
"We'll be taking Ditto back now!" cried Duplica.
"No way!" said Meowth.
"No way!" cried another Meowth. Jessie and James chuckled, leaving Ash and company confused.
"Hey, I can't tell which one is which." Said Brock.
"But I thought Ditto couldn't imitate faces." Said Ash.
"That's true, but Ditto was finally perfected under the expert care and training of Team Rocket." Said Jessie.
"If by expert care and training, you mean demands and threats." Said Lucy. Jessie and James laughed at their triumph.
"Oh, thank you!" cried Duplica. Jessie and James stopped laughing.
"I've tried everything I could think of to get Ditto to imitate faces." Said Duplica. She started shedding tears. "Now Ditto can finally become the Pokemon that I always knew it could be!"
"Duplica." Said Ash.
"I guess Team Rocket actually did Duplica a favor." Said Lucy.
"That's beautiful." Said Misty.
"Yeah." Said Brock. Jessie and James started shedding tears themselves.
"That's so beautiful. I can't stand it." Said Jessie.
"Neither can I." said James.
"Hey, you guys. Why don't we solve this without a big battle?" said Ash.
"All right. We'll do it your way this time." Said Jessie.
"We'll just give you Ditto." Said James. They handed the "Ditto" over and got into their hot air balloon.
"Hey, what are you doing?" cried Meowth.
"We'll be on our way now!" cried James. The hideout came apart and Team Rocket flew upwards in their balloon.
"Goodbye, everyone!" cried Jessie.
"Good luck with Ditto!" cried James.
"Hold it right there!" cried Duplica. She held up the Meowth that Team Rocket had given her and got ready to throw.
"Duplica! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy.
"This isn't Ditto!" cried Duplica.
"Huh?" said Ash.
"Hey! Let me go, will ya?!" cried Meowth.
"That definitely proves it's not Ditto." Said Lucy. Duplica threw Meowth at the balloon and he landed on its face.
"Impossible! How could you tell?!" cried Jessie.
"It was a perfect transformation!" cried James. Ditto then bit Jessie's arm, making her let go of it, thus allowing Ditto to jump down safely into Duplica's arms.
"I wouldn't be much of a trainer if I couldn't see through that transformation." Said Duplica. "Right, Ditto?" Ditto nodded and winked.
"Dimwits! How'd you manage to mess this one up?!" cried Meowth.
"You're in no position to complain!" cried James.
"It's time for Plan B!" cried Jessie. She pressed a button and a cannon appeared under the balloon. The cannon was pointed at Ash's group, much to their shock.
"Stop! You can't do this!" cried Ash.
"You'll kill all of us!" cried Lucy.
"Quiet, all of you!" cried Jessie. "We're going to win after all!"
"I seriously doubt that." Said Lucy.
"What was that, twerpette?!" cried jessie.
"Oh, nothing, you didn't hear a thing." Said Lucy, who gave an innocent smile.
"Ditto, Transform now!" cried Duplica. Ditto transformed into the cannon.
"That's great!" cried Ash.
"I didn't think Ditto could transform into things like that." Said Lucy.
"Arbok, go!" cried Jessie.
"You too, Weezing!" cried James. Arbok and Weezing materialized.
"Butterfree, go!" cried Lucy. Butterfree materialized.
"Gust attack, now!" Lucy ordered. Butterfree flapped its wings to make a tornado and blow Arbok and Weezing back.
"Now's your chance, Ash!" cried Lucy.
"Right." Said Ash. "Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'On it, Ash!' Pikachu loaded into Ditto.
"Eevee, you join Pikachu in the cannon and aim!" cried Lucy. Eevee nodded and hopped into the cannon.
"Ditto, fire!" cried Duplica. Ditto fired Pikachu and Eevee right at Team Rocket.
"Fire!" cried Jessie. She pressed the button again and fired a net at Pikachu and Eevee.
"Now!" cried Ash and Lucy. Pikachu unleashed a Thunder Shock, sending the volts traveling through the net and throughout the balloon, making Team Rocket get shocked. Eevee sprang onto the balloon, and Meowth clinched onto it tighter by using his claws, resulting in the balloon springing a leak and sending Team Rocket on their way.
"Jessie, we lose everything!" cried James.
"Even our hot air!" cried Jessie.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" Team Rocket cried. Ditto then returned to its normal form and jumped into Duplica's arms for a hug. Pikachu and Eevee jumped back down to the ground and ran back to Ash and Lucy respectively.
"That was great! You've finally learned how to completely transform!" cried Duplica. "Ditto, would you please transform into a Pikachu?" Ditto transformed into a perfect copy of Pikachu.
"That's amazing!" cried Misty. "Ditto transforms perfectly now!"
"It finally mastered its only attack." Said Lucy.
"I can hardly believe it. Team Rocket was actually good for something." Said Ash.
"Yeah, and the way Ditto transforms into objects is great!" cried Brock.
"I didn't expect Ditto to turn into a cannon like that." Said Lucy. "That was amazing."
"You're just as real as the real thing." Said Misty.
"Hey, Ditto. Great job." Said Ash. Pikachu and Ditto both thanked Ash, but they both sounded so similar that Ash was confused.
"But now I can't tell which Pikachu is mine." He said.
"Then I guess you need to keep training, Ashy boy." Said Duplica. She piked up the Pikachu on the right. "Right, Ditto?" Ditto reverted back to its normal form as it and Duplica hugged. Ash and his friends smiled.
"There's a happy ending if I've ever seen one." Said Lucy.
Later, Duplica was fixing up the place.
"There. The House Of Imite is now officially open again!" she cried.
"Congratulations!" cried Ash.
"You did it, Duplica!" cried Misty.
"You and Ditto are gonna become stars for sure!" cried Lucy.
"Thanks for everything!" cried Duplica. "Come back and see us anytime, okay?!"
"I'll try and convince my dad to come and see one of your shows." Said Lucy.
"Please do." Said Duplica.
"Good luck, and take care of yourself, Ditto master!" cried Ash. The group departed.
"Imagine the strength of all the Pokemon in one!" cried Ash. "Maybe I'll catch a Ditto for myself someday."
"After seeing that incredible power it had, I might have to find one for myself too." Said Lucy. Our heroes were able to help bring the sunshine into another trainer's life. Who knows what adventures and rewards await them, beyond the rainbow.
Elsewhere, Team Rocket's balloon had crashed in the woods and jessie and James were trying to get Meowth into a costume.
"Hey! What are you guys doing?" cried Meowth.
"Hold still, Meowth!" cried James.
"Stop it! Let me go! Cut it out, will ya?!" cried Meowth. The costume Jessie and James were trying to get Meowth into was that of a Dratini.
"Ow! Quit it!" cried Meowth.
"Will you stop it, Meowth?!" cried James.
"The only way that we can get out of this mess is to dress you up like a Dratini and present you to the boss." Said Jessie.
"Pea brains! This won't work!" cried Meowth. He unleashed his claws and attacked Jessie and James. "Take that! And that!" That caused Jessie and James to attack Meowth back.
"How dare you touch my face!" cried Jessie.
"For that, we'll turn you into a Grimer!" cried James.
TO BE CONTINUED
Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charmander, Squirtle, Hitmonchan
Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Bulbasaur, Clefairy, Squirtle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)
Ash's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three)
Lucy's Spare Pokemon At Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair