Pokémon Pokemon Do-Over

[MarkL1987]

Episode 58: The Ultimate Test

"Let's eat!" the gang cried. It all began with an innocent question from Misty.

"You know, you and Lucy haven't gotten a badge in a long time, Ash." She said. "Think either of you will ever get another one?" Ash started choking on his sandwich.

"Uh, Misty, you do realize that Cinnabar Island is off the coast of the mainland, right?" said Lucy. While she continued to chastise Misty, Brock and Todd tended to Ash.

"Take it easy, Ash. Drink this!" cried Brock. Ash drank the water Brock had given him and saved himself.

"It's all skill!" cried Ash. "I win matches with skill!"

"How much skill does it take to win a match against Team Rocket?" asked Misty.

"Not very much at all, really." answered Lucy. "But either way, we've both beaten six gyms out of eight, which means we only need two more to qualify for the Pokemon League. Still doubt us now?"

"All right, Misty, if you want real skill, I'll show that to you!" cried Ash. "I challenge you to a match right now!"

"That goes for me too!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Change your mind, please!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Same for you, Lucy!'

"No, we will NOT change our minds!" cried Ash. Todd's shutter was soon heard.

"Hold it." He said.

"Why should we hold it?!" cried Lucy.

"Not you." Said Todd. "Pikachu and Eevee. Those are perfect expressions!"

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'It is?'

"Hey, cut it out!" cried Ash.

"Yeah, this is no time to try and add to your photo album." Said Lucy.

"Okay, fine." Said Todd. "You both want to prove that you have skills somehow, right?"

"That's EXACTLY what we want to prove!" cried Ash.

"What are you suggesting, Todd?" asked Lucy.

"Well, why don't you both get yourselves admitted?" suggested Todd.

"Admitted to where?" Ash wondered.

"Take the Pokemon League Admissions Exam." Said Todd.

"The Pokemon League…" said Ash.

"Admissions Exam?" said Misty.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Do either of you know what that is?'

"Pi." Answered Little Pikachu, which meant 'I've never heard of it.'

"Eevee." Replied Eevee, which meant 'No clue.'

"Togepi." Added Togepi, which meant 'I don't know anything about it either.' The group soon made their way to the location of the Pokemon League Admissions Exam. To get into the Pokemon League, trainers have to travel from one Pokemon gym to another and collect badges to prove that he or she has defeated each gym master. However…

"Here at the Pokemon League Admissions Center, we evaluate applicants based on the combined written and practical skills exam." The head instructor explained. "Those who are able to pass receive a special badge that qualifies them for the Pokemon League." He showed the badge, which amazed the group.

"Both of you take these." Said the instructor. He handed Ash a tag with the number seven on it, and Lucy a tag with the number eight on it.

"Those are your testing numbers." The instructor added.

"Lucky seven!" cried Ash.

"And a crazy eight for me!" cried Lucy.

"See, Misty? We have skills, and luck!" cried Ash.

"A little modesty wouldn't hurt." Misty muttered.

"Oh no! I wanted number seven!" cried a familiar female voice. Ash and Lucy noticed the female that was watching them and thought she looked familiar, but they couldn't quite put their fingers on it.

"Let's see." Said the female voice. "Age, seventeen. Profession, diva."

"That girl definitely looks familiar." Said Lucy.

"Wow! Look at all the different kinds of people showing up for the exam!" cried Misty.

"Yeah. Nobody that I'm not better than." Said Ash. Nurse Joy soon walked by and caught Brock's eye.

"Nurse Joy!" he cried.

"Yeah, but which one?" said Lucy.

"Just a minute!" cried the instructor. "You'll both have to leave your Poke Balls here with me."

"Why?" asked Ash.

"You're not allowed to use your own Pokemon during the exam." The instructor answered.

"What?" cried Ash.

"It's essentially to prevent cheating." Said Lucy.

"That's exactly right, miss." Said the instructor. Ash and Lucy handed their Poke Balls over.

"Can I take care of their Pikachu and Eevee during the exam?" asked Misty.

"Of course!" cried the instructor.

"You'll also need to keep an eye on Togepi." Said Lucy.

"No problem." Said Misty. Lucy handed the infant over to Misty.

"Good luck, Mr. Ketchum!" cried the instructor. "You too, Ms. Peters!"

"I'd wish you luck too, but you're both so skilled." Said Misty.

"You got that right!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Good luck, Ash.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Good luck to you, Lucy.' The gang approached and talked to Nurse Joy prior to the start of the exam.

"So you want to become a Pokemon master too, Nurse Joy?" asked Ash.

"Well, it always has been a dream of mine." Answered Joy.

"So, uh, where are you from, Nurse Joy?" asked Brock.

"I'm Nurse Joy from Fuchsia City, sister to the Vermillion City Joy." Answered Nurse Joy.

"You're the most beautiful one yet." Said Brock.

"That's what you always say, Brock." Said Misty.

"Togepi!" Added Togepi, which meant 'Every time!'

"I came here for the exam because my work keeps me too busy to travel very much." Said Joy.

"This exam is a really good idea then." Said Lucy.

"Yes. It's perfect for people whose age or health keeps them from traveling around." Said Joy. "And it's also nice for people like me who can never seem to be able to get away from work."

"I can feel it! I'm sure you're going to pass the test!" cried Brock.

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

"That'd make a nice human interest shot." Said Todd.

"Hey! Save your film for Pokemon!" cried Ash.

"Last I checked, you specialized in taking Pokemon photos, not people photos." Added Lucy. The group then noticed another familiar looking person walk in the building. He spotted them, got nervous, and walked away nervously.

"That's weird. That guy looked familiar too." Said Ash. The male stranger turned in his exam form.

"Here's the exam form." He said.

"Fine." Said the instructor. "Let's see. It says here that your name is James." James panicked a bit.

"Will you please keep it down?" he cried. His reaction got the attention of the girl that was standing next to him.

"Is that?!" she cried.

"Hey! Get lost, old bat!" cried James. The female was offended by that comment.

"Old?!" she yelled. The mad woman dragged James outside.

"What are you?!" cried James. "Unhand me, you! Please, let me go! Come on!" The female removed her glasses.

"So I'm an old bat, am I?!" she cried.

"You're Jessie!" cried James. "That outfit is atrocious!"

"And what are you doing here?" asked Jessie as she put her glasses back on.

"What am I doing here?" said James. "Truth to tell, I, not unlike many other people, dream of becoming a Pokemon master. Make fun if you must!" He laughed.

"No, you're doing just fine on your own." Said Jessie.

"I want to live my dream instead of my reality." Said James.

"I can see why." Said Jessie.

"What's your reason for being here?" asked James.

"I simply wanted to add another talent to my very impressive and very extensive resume." Answered Jessie. "As you know, I'm already an accomplished hostess, florist, costume designer, wine expert, beautician, style consultant. In fact, one of the only things that I'm not…."

"Is a Pokemon master!" Meowth butted in.

"Meowth!" cried Jessie and James.

"What are you doing here, furball?!" cried Jessie.

"Looking for you." Meowth answered. "The one who suddenly remembered an important engagement." He turned to Jessie. "This seems suspiciously unlike a visit to your sick uncle's beside." He then focused on James. "And I thought you had a dental appointment."

"Well, uh, it was just such a beautiful day….." started James.

"That we decided to have a picnic." Finished Jessie.

"Don't try to fool me!" cried Meowth. He used his Scratch attack on both of his teammates.

"Come clean, what are you both doing here?" he asked.

"Mind your own business!" cried Jessie. James took out a ball of string.

"Take this and leave us alone!" he cried. Meowth chased after the ball while Jessie and James ran back toward the building.

"Hurry up!" cried Jessie.

"The exam's about to start!" cried James. Soon, the first part of the exam was ready to begin.

"This first test will measure your overall knowledge of Pokemon." Said the instructor. "Ready? Begin!"

"I can't wait! This'll be easy!" cried Ash. A picture of a Pokemon appeared on each computer monitor, and the testers had to listen and figure out the answer to the questions that they were given.

"Lickitung's tongue is twice the length of its body." Said the computer. "True or false?"

"I'm pretty sure it was longer than that." Said Ash. He pressed the false button.

"To me, that tongue looks like it's the right size." Said Lucy. She hit the true button below her monitor. A picture of Vulpix appeared next.

"Ninetales evolves from Vulpix only by use of the Fire Stone. True or false?"

"Oh, this is too easy." Said Ash. "True, true!"

"I know Brock has a Vulpix, and he still has that Fire Stone should he ever decide to use it someday." Said Lucy. "But nonetheless, that's definitely true." They both hit the true button. A picture of Hitmonlee came up next.

"Hitmonlee is also known as the Punching Demon."

"Let's see, it's either Hitmonlee or Hitmonchan that's the puncher." Said Ash. "I think it's true!" He hit the true button for his answer. Lucy shook her head.

"Ash should know that Hitmonchan is the one who punches." Said Lucy. "Hitmonlee is the kicker. I know because I have one." She pressed the button marked false. Magikarp was the next picture that came up.

"The only attack Magikarp originally knows is Splash. True or false?"

"That is most definitely true." Said Lucy.

"Gah! Magikarp! Just hearing that name makes my blood boil!" cried James.

"True." Said Jessie. She was answering her questions without even thinking.

"That's true too." She said, and hit the true button.

"Caterpie is the world's smallest Pokemon. True or false?"

"True, but only because it weighs slightly less than Weedle." Said Lucy. She hit the true button.

"Yeah, that's true." Said Jessie.

"Look at her! She's so good!" cried James. A picture of a Koffing appeared next.

"Koffing was first discovered in a public bathhouse. True or false?"

"I actually don't know." Said Lucy. She guessed false.

"True." Said Jessie. She pressed the same button multiple times for every question that was left.

"All I have to do is guess, and I'll get half of them right." Said Jessie. Soon, the second test was about to begin.

"We will now measure your ability to recognize Pokemon!" cried the instructor. "Please name the Pokemon by identifying its silhouette or any part of its body as it's displayed here!"

"All right! This is going to be a piece of cake!" cried Ash.

"You say this now." Said Lucy.

"Here's the first question." Said the instructor. A large, black circle appeared on the front screen.

"Identify this Pokemon." He answered.

"This is going to be a breeze for me!" cried Ash. "It's a Voltorb!"

"Ah, how simple." Said James. "It's a Poke Ball without a doubt."

"Obviously, it's an Electrode." Said Jessie.

"I'm pretty sure that's a Jigglypuff." Said Lucy.

"The correct answer is…. Jigglypuff seen from above!" cried the instructor. Everyone but Lucy fell over in disbelief.

"How did you figure that out, Lucy?" Ash wondered.

"If you view Jigglypuff on top, it looks exactly like the shape of a Voltorb, and that one is known to trick us into thinking it's Voltorb." Lucy explained. "I also have a Jigglypuff myself in case you forgot!"

"Next question. What Pokemon displays this pattern?" asked the instructor.

"I swear I've seen that Pokemon, but I don't quite remember." Said Ash.

"It must be an Omanyte shell." Said James.

"It's an Arbok when it's all coiled up." Answered Jessie.

"Hey! It's a Poliwhirl!" cried Ash.

"That has to be another trick." Said Lucy. "I think that's a Poliwag."

"The correct answer: Poliwag." Said the instructor. Lucy smiled, but Ash, Jessie and James fell over in disbelief again.

"As any master would know, when Poliwag evolves into Poliwhirl, the swirl on its stomach reverses direction." Said the instructor. Brock and Misty watched what was happening through the glass window.

"Hey, this is hard." Said Misty.

"And it's getting harder by the minute!" cried Brock.

'Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No joke.'

"Question fifteen: What Pokemon does this tail belong to?" asked the instructor. The tail of a fire Pokemon was on the screen.

"It's either Charmander, Charmeleon or Charizard." Said Ash. "It's got to be Charmander!"

"I don't think so." Said Lucy. "Charmander's tail is much smaller than that. I think that's Ponyta."

"The answer is…..Ponyta." said the instructor.

"No, it can't be." Groaned Ash. Jessie finally lost her temper.

"Can't you ask me a question that I know the answer to?!" she cried.

"Please take your seat!" yelled the instructor.

"This is a joke!" cried Jessie. "These stupid questions won't make you a Pokemon master!"

"For your information, young lady, a Pokemon master must understand all aspects of their Pokemon's life in order to achieve oneness with their Pokemon!" cried the instructor.

"You're not making any sense at all! I'm done with this!" cried Jessie.

"Get out!" yelled the instructor. Jessie angrily threw her test number down.

"I can't wait to go!" she cried, and left the room.

"But, Jessie, I…" said James.

"Dear, what a shame." Said Joy. "That's too bad."

"That girl's attitude seems familiar too." Said Ash.

"Not to mention her temper." Added Lucy.

Meanwhile, Meowth was sleeping next to his ball of yarn outside when Jessie angrily approached him.

"Hey!" she cried, and kicked Meowth. "Let's go!"

"Where am I going?" wondered Meowth.

"You're going with me to help me get my revenge!" yelled Jessie.

Meanwhile, inside the building, the scores had been counted and were now being displayed for everybody to see.

"Here comes the scoreboard." Said Misty. "The one on the right got the lowest scores, and the ones on the left got the highest."

"Look, Nurse Joy's near the top!" cried Brock. Lucy almost jumped for Joy when she saw her picture in the top spot.

"There's me!" she cried. "And I got a perfect score, too!"

"Well done, Lucy!" cried Misty.

"Thank you." replied Lucy.

"Where's your picture, Ash?" asked Todd.

"It must be where they put the highest scorer." Said Ash.

"That's not possible because I was the one who got the highest." Said Lucy. She pointed to the opposite screen. "Your picture is down there." It turned out that Ash, Jessie and James had all gotten the lowest scores.

"But that's impossible!" cried Ash. Todd started taking pictures of Ash's embarrassing score.

"Quit it!" cried Ash.

"Well, Ash, I guess you didn't have enough skill or luck to pass the test." Said Misty.

"Pokemon isn't about tests, it's about battles!" cried Ash.

"Not entirely." Said Lucy. "They're also our partners, just like how Pikachu and Eevee are our partners."

Meanwhile, James was standing in a corner by himself.

"Jessie's been expelled." He said. "Now I'll have to do my best for her!"

Later, outside, the third and final test was about to start, which was a battling test. The first battle was Nurse Joy's Squirtle against a Charmander that belonged to a different instructor.

"All right, Squirtle, Water Gun attack!" commanded Joy. The attack landed right on target.

"Squirtle, give it the Skull Bash, now!" cried Joy.

Meanwhile, Brock, Misty and Todd were watching from the bleachers, and they got embarrassed when Brock started cheering for Joy.

"Nurse Joy, you're doing great! Yeah!" he cried before directing his attention to Todd. "All right, shoot away! I want eight by ten glossies, and wallet sizes too!"

"Yeah, sure." Said Todd.

Meanwhile, Ash, Lucy and James were selecting which type of Poke Balls to use during the test.

"Feel free to select whichever one you like." Said the instructor.

"I don't really know which set I should pick." Said Ash.

"I guess you can't tell us which kind of Pokemon are inside them, huh?" said Lucy.

"That's what makes it a test." Replied the instructor. "All of these Pokemon are trained for battle so that they'll obey your commands. This test determines whether a trainer can adapt, regardless of which Pokemon comes out."

"With whom do we have to battle?" asked James.

"With me." Answered the instructor.

"Right! Then I'll take these." Said Ash.

"I'll take these." Said James.

"I call dibs on these ones over here." Said Lucy. "Learn from my battle, Ash, because I already know I'm going to ace this test!"

"Your friend here is a very confident young lady, isn't she?" chuckled the instructor.

"Sometimes a little too confident." Muttered Ash. The bell soon rang and Lucy took the field as the head instructor brought out a Kadabra for his first Pokemon.

"Kadabra, psychic type." Said Lucy.

"Are you ready, miss?" asked the instructor.

"Ready and willing, sir!" Lucy replied. "Poke Ball number one, go!" A Gastly materialized, which made Lucy sweat drop.

"Just her luck." Said Misty. "She's afraid of Ghost Pokemon, and she ends up getting a Gastly to start."

"Okay, Lucy, just stay calm." Lucy said to herself. "Sorry, sir, but I'm kind of afraid of Ghost types."

"Gastly Gast." Said Gastly, which meant 'You don't have to be. Just order me to use any of my attacks.'

"What attacks does Gastly know?" Lucy thought to herself.

"Kadabra, Psybeam." Ordered the instructor. The attack zoomed towards Gastly.

"Quick, Gastly. Double Team!" ordered Lucy. Gastly obliged and dodged the attack by making multiple copies of itself. The Psybeam hit one of the fakes, and the copies circled around, which left Kadabra with nowhere to run.

"Night Shade attack!" Lucy ordered. Gastly struck Kadabra with Night Shade, knocking it out.

"Amazing! You beat my first Pokemon!" cried the instructor.

"Way to go, Gastly!" cried Lucy. "Maybe using a Ghost type Pokemon isn't so scary after all."

"Is it possible that Lucy may have gotten over her fear of Ghost types?" asked Misty.

"It seems that way, but she can't let her guard down yet." Said Brock. "Remember, she still has two Pokemon left to deal with." The instructor brought out his next Pokemon, which was a Weepinbell.

"Bell!" cried Weepinbell.

"A grass type." Said Lucy. "I hope this next one can counter it. Poke Ball number two, go!" A Ponyta materialized.

"A fire type! That's perfect!" cried Lucy. "I should win this one easily!" The bell rang to start the next battle.

"Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!" ordered the instructor. Weepinbell sharpened its leaves like blades and charged towards Ponyta.

"Use Agility to dodge!" cried Lucy. Ponyta dodged effortlessly.

"Now use Ember!" cried Lucy. Ponyta spit out pieces of fire at Weepinbell.

"Stun Spore." Said the instructor.

"Jump and dodge it." Said Lucy. Ponyta jumped over the oncoming attack.

"Now for Fire Spin!" cried Lucy. Weepinbell became engulfed in the flames and was unable to move due to the circle of Fire Spin. Weepinbell coughed up some soot and fainted.

"That's two down." Said Misty. "Lucy's really good."

"She might be able to ace this." Said Brock. The final Poke Ball that the instructor used materialized a Hitmonlee.

"My final battle." Said Lucy. "I just have to win this to pass the test. Poke Ball number three, go!" A Hitmonchan materialized.

"That's a Pokemon that Ash has!" cried Lucy.

"Hitmonlee, Rolling Kick!" cried the instructor. Hitmonlee charged.

"Counter with Mega Punch!" cried Lucy. The attacks collided.

"Now use your Mega Kick!" cried Lucy. The attack landed, sending Hitmonlee slightly upwards.

"You certainly know what you're doing, Lucy." Said the instructor.

"Thanks." Said Lucy.

"Use High Jump Kick!" cried the instructor. Hitmonlee jumped into the air.

"Wait for it." Said Lucy. Hitmonlee started coming down.

"What's Lucy trying to do?" asked Misty. Hitmonlee got closer to its target.

"Dodge it!" cried Lucy. Hitmonchan dodged the move, causing Hitmonlee to hurt itself.

"That's why she did that." Said Brock.

"What do you mean, Brock?" asked Misty.

"High Jump Kick may be a powerful fighting type move, but it's also very risky." Brock answered. "If it misses, the user takes damage instead of the target!"

"Now, finish it with a Comet Punch!" cried Lucy. With one final powerful punch, Hitmonlee skidded back to the instructor's side. It tried to get up, but collapsed.

"Yes! I did it!" cried Lucy.

"Very impressive. She called the right shots at the right time!" cried Brock. "She can definitely go far in the Pokemon League." James soon took the field for his battle test.

"Come on, James. Beat that ignoramus!" cried Jessie.

"Right. Really beat the guy." Said Meowth.

"This one's for you, Jessie!" cried James. He threw the Poke Ball, and to the shock of Brock, Misty and Team Rocket, a Pikachu materialized.

"With this, I can't lose!" cried James. "Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt. I've been destroyed by Pikachu's attacks so many times that I know them all by heart!"

"That's kind of pathetic when you think about it." Said Jessie.

"Yeah." Said Meowth.

"Now we begin." Said the instructor. "Go!" A Graveler materialized out of the Poke Ball that was thrown.

"It's a Graveler!" cried James. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu.

"Ooh, that feels good to say!" cried James. Pikachu attacked, but Graveler was unfazed. It charged forward and knocked Pikachu backwards right into James' face.

"I don't get it! How come the Thunderbolt attack didn't work?!" he cried.

"You should've known that electricity doesn't work on rock type Pokemon." Said the instructor. "Minus one point!"

"Well then, how about this!?" cried James. He threw his other two Poke Balls, which revealed an Ivysaur and a Charizard.

"With these I can win." Said James. "Now what do you say?!" He laughed triumphantly.

"Goodbye!" cried the instructor. "It's against the rules to use two Pokemon at once!"

"I never play by the….." James started, but he realized at that moment that he had screwed up.

"You're expelled, now get out!" the instructor ordered.

"He failed again." Groaned Jessie.

"Don't think of it as failing, think of it as not succeeding." Said Meowth. Finally, it was Ash's turn to battle.

"Now we'll see if Ash can win one." Said Misty.

"Go get 'em, Ash!" cried Brock.

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

"Thanks, just leave it to me!" cried Ash. "Hey Todd, make sure you get some great shots!"

"Don't worry! Just make sure you win!" cried Todd.

James, on the other hand, was sulking.

"I'm such a loser!" he cried. Jessie and Meowth soon showed up.

"James, I have a plan that will make us all winners." Said Jessie.

"Yeah!" cried Meowth.

Meanwhile, Ash's battle was starting.

"Are you ready, Ash?" asked the instructor.

"Ready!" cried Ash.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried the head instructor. A Flareon materialized.

"Okay, I need something that can beat a Flareon." Said Ash. "First Poke Ball, go!" To the surprise of the heroes, a Weezing materialized.

"I got a Weezing?!" cried Ash.

"That's bad." Said Team Rocket.

"I gotta get this! His face looks just like Weezing's!" cried Todd. He started snapping the photos, a sound that Ash heard.

"Not now!" he cried.

"It's time to start the battle." Said the instructor. "Flareon, go! Flamethrower, now!" Flareon fired, but Weezing dodged, giving Ash an idea.

"I know!" he cried. "Weezing, give 'em your Smog attack, now!" Weezing released the attack as Flareon fired another shot, but the flame hitting the smog caused an explosion and sent Flareon flying back, but it landed on its feet as the heroes watched on.

"Now, Flareon, the Leer!" cried the instructor. Flareon's eyes glowed due to the Leer attack.

"Come on, Weezing, fight back with Smokescreen!" cried Ash. Weezing spread the smoke, making Flareon temporarily lose sight of it.

"Hey, not too shabby." Remarked the instructor.

"Go, Weezing! Tackle attack!" cried Ash. Through the smoke, Weezing struck and knocked Flareon out.

"All right! My first victory!" cried Ash.

"I guess Ash is a pretty good battler after all." Said Misty.

"Even Team Rocket could win if they fought like that." Said Brock. Jessie and James were scribbling down how to battle like Ash, much to Meowth's embarrassment.

"Hurry! Take notes, take notes!" cried James.

"Now for round two!" cried the instructor. He tossed his second Poke Ball, which revealed a Jolteon.

"Okay, a Jolteon." Said Ash. "Next Poke Ball, go!" An Arbok materialized.

"Ash got the Pokemon that Jessie has!" cried Misty.

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

"Let's see, what are Arbok's attacks?" said Ash.

"Jolteon, Agility attack!" cried the head instructor. Jolteon started running so fast that it disappeared and then reappeared.

"I remember!" cried Ash. "Arbok, Glare!" Arbok's eyes glowed, which stopped Jolteon dead in its tracks.

"Squeeze it with your Wrap attack, now!" cried Ash. Arbok coiled around Jolteon, but the spikes made it jump up in pain.

"That was no good. I forgot all about Jolteon's spikes!" cried Ash.

"Quick, Jolteon! Use the Thunder attack!" cried the instructor. The attack landed.

"Arbok, no!" cried Ash.

"Too bad you overloaded Jolteon's spikes." Said the instructor. "Sizing up your opponent before an attack is a fundamental rule!"

"Arbok, return!" cried Ash. Arbok was recalled to its Poke Ball.

"Okay, third Poke Ball, go!" cried Ash. To the surprise of Team Rocket, Brock and Misty, Ash's final Pokemon ended up being a Meowth.

"Meowth?" Ash chuckled.

"This ought to be interesting." Said Brock.

"Hey, Meowth! Good luck!" cried Team Rocket's Meowth.

"Let's see, Meowth's attacks are…." Said Ash

"Use the Fury Swipes!" cried Team Rocket's Meowth. The test Meowth reacted to the voice of Team Rocket's Meowth, as did Ash.

"Poke Ball, go!" cried the instructor. A Vaporeon materialized.

"A Vaporeon." Said Ash. "Okay Meowth, use the Fury Swipes!" Meowth charged into battle.

"Vaporeon, use your Ice Beam, now!" cried the instructor. The attack hit and the test Meowth was frozen solid.

"Meowth!" cried Ash.

"Looks like another victory for me." Said the instructor. He recalled Vaporeon.

"That was fast." Said Ash.

"Look what you did!" cried Team Rocket's Meowth. He started scratching Ash's face.

"How could you treat a fellow Meowth that way?!" he cried. He then kicked his frozen counterpart free.

"Sorry you had to go through that." Said the Team Rocket Meowth. His ability to talk intrigued the instructor.

"Say, I'd love to catch that talking Meowth there." He said. "Poke Ball, go!" But a Flamethrower, Vine Whip and Thunderbolt knocked the Poke Ball back to the instructor, much to his shock. Jessie and James were standing on the battlefield with their test Pokemon.

"Return those Pokemon immediately!" he cried.

"We're not taking orders from you anymore, mister exam man!" cried jessie.

"Now we're the ones who are going to test YOU!" cried James.

"What?!" cried the instructor.

"Prepare yourself for trouble!" cried Jessie.

"I suggest you make it double!" cried James.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Ash.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!"

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!" They removed their disguises.

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

"Don't interfere with my test!" cried Ash.

"I'm lucky I already finished mine." Said Lucy.

"Just go home and study harder and you can try again next time!" cried the instructor.

"Unfortunately for you, there won't be a next time." Said Jessie. "But now that we've rounded up these Pokemon, it's payback time!"

"Pikachu, Ivysaur, Charizard, go!" cried James. "Are you ready?!" The Pokemon responded.

"And I'm going to teach you a lesson for picking on a Meowth!" cried Meowth. The head instructor just looked confused.

"We won't let you do it!" cried Misty.

"Go, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee, front and center!" cried Lucy.

"Ivysaur, the Vine Whip, now!" cried Jessie.

"Charizard, Flamethrower, now!" cried James.

"Pikachu, Thunder, now!" cried Meowth.

"Listen up, Charizard, Ivysaur, Pikachu! About face, now!" ordered the instructor. The Pokemon obeyed immediately and went on the attack.

"How did you?" said Misty.

"Oh, I get it." Said Ash. "They obeyed you because you're the one who raised all of them."

"Very good, Ash." Said the instructor.

"You handle this one, Ash." Said Lucy.

"With pleasure, Lucy." Said Ash. "Meowth, Weezing, Arbok, stop Team Rocket!" The three Pokemon attacked, with Jessie getting caught up in Arbok's coils.

"Stop it, Arbok! That hurts!" cried Jessie.

"Cut it out!" cried Meowth.

"Weezing, I can't breathe!" cried James.

"Okay, Weezing, Explosion, now!" cried Ash. Weezing self-destructed, making a huge hole in the battlefield and sending Team Rocket away.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" cried Jessie and James.

Later, the instructor had bad news for the test takers.

"I'm terribly sorry, everyone." He said. "But Team Rocket's intrusion has interfered with the entire examination. We have to start over from the very beginning." To say that Lucy didn't take too kindly to this news would be an understatement.

"WHAT?!" she cried.

"You mean after all that hard work we did?" said Joy.

"Of course Team Rocket would have to ruin everything." Said Lucy. "Well, there goes my perfect score."

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I'm sorry, Lucy.'

"It's not your fault, Eevee." Said Lucy. "It's Team Rocket who's to blame for this."

"Well, Ash, you did a fine job of getting rid of Team Rocket." Said the instructor. "What do you say? Do you want to give the test another try?"

"No thanks, sir. I don't think so." Said Ash.

"I'm sure you'll pass this time." Said the instructor.

"Oh, it's not that." Said Ash. "I just think I'm better off getting badges my own way for now."

"Oh, speaking of badges…." Said the instructor. He pulled out the special badge he had talked about upon the group's arrival.

"This badge is for you, Lucy." He said. "Despite Team Rocket interfering, you did finish your test before that happened, so we can record your score as official. Congratulations, this badge is yours."

"Thanks, sir." Said Lucy. "Ash has a good point, though. We both want to win badges our own way. Can I still keep this one, though?"

"Of course." Said the instructor. "Feel free to take it as a souvenir. And Ash, I want to reward you with something too." He held out the Poke Balls Ash had used for the battle test.

"I want you to have the Arbok, Weezing and Meowth that are in here." He said. "I think you deserve them after getting rid of the enemies for us."

"Thank you, sir." Said Ash.

"You proved that you're a great battler after all, Ash." Said Misty.

"I guess so." Said Ash.

"If you learned that lesson, then I guess the test really was worth taking." Added Misty.

"That test also helped me get over my fear of Ghost type Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"I suppose that's true." Said Ash. "It was sure awesome to battle with all those different Pokemon, though."

"Especially with a Gastly." Said Lucy.

Later, the group was departing the testing facility. Many roads lead to the Pokemon League. Ash and Lucy's chosen path is to win all eight gym badges. Only then can they fulfill their dream of reaching the ultimate goal. Becoming Pokemon masters.

Todd soon ran towards the entrance of the facility holding an injured Meowth in his hands.

"Where's Ash and the others?" he asked.

"They already left." Joy answered. "They're on their way to the next gym." Joy and the instructor noticed the Meowth that Todd was holding, which made Joy gasp.

"What's wrong with that Meowth?" she cried.

"It got hurt in the explosion!" cried Todd. The Meowth that was in his arms turned out to be Team Rocket's Meowth.

"Where am I?" Meowth wondered.

"This must be…." Said the instructor. He took Meowth into his own arms.

"Huh? Meowth! What's going on?!" he cried. "Where's Jessie? Where's James?" He then saw who was holding him.

"I finally got my talking Meowth!" cried the instructor.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" Meowth screamed. He jumped out of the instructor's arms. Uh, I think there seems to be a little mix up here.

Meanwhile….

"We'll show those twerps the next time!" cried Jessie.

"The next time Team Rocket triumphs!" cried James.

"Meowth, don't you have anything to say?" asked Jessie. She then noticed that Meowth wasn't there, as did James.

"Where did he go?" James asked.

"Meowth!" they cried. "Meowth?! Where are you, Meowth?"

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Arcanine, Kabuto, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Arcanine, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 59: The Breeding Center Secret

As our heroes take a break in their journey, Todd, their photographer friend, decides to take a few Pokemon pictures.

"Come on, turn around, Togepi!" cried Misty.

"Don't be shy." Said Lucy. "Turn around and look at the camera and say Togepi!"

"Togepi!" cried Togepit, which meant 'Hi! I'm Togepi!' Todd snapped the photo.

"Great! That was a cool shot." Said Todd.

"More like a cute shot to me." Said Lucy. "Remember, Togepi's still a newborn." Suddenly, the voice of a weather anchor was heard on a television screen.

"Now, a Pokemon weather update." She said. The group looked at the screen so they could watch.

"Our area will remain clear and sunny today with highs in the upper seventies." The weather anchor." Said proudly.

"Sounds like good weather." Said Ash.

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Pretty.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Gorgeous.'

"It should be great for taking pictures." Said Todd. A commercial appeared after the weather.

"Pokemon love power!" cried a female voice. "Find it at our Five star Breeding Center, where every Pokemon is treated like a loved one." She showed a Charmander on screen.

"This guest evolved into a Charmeleon, and then a Charizard, in just a few short days." She continued. "At the Five Star Breeding Center, a little pampering goes a long way. So why go through all the fuss, when you can just bring your Pokemon here to us?"

"What's that?" wondered Ash.

"Looks like someone opened a new breeding center." Answered Brock.

"Breeding Center?" said Ash.

"It's the newest thing." Replied Todd. "Breeding Centers raise Pokemon for kids who can't do it themselves. It's like a Pokemon spa."

"A really good breeding center can even help your Pokemon evolve." Said Lucy.

"Wow! Let's go check it out!" cried Ash. When the five of them arrived at the center, they found a line of people already ahead of them.

"There's no need to push!" cried the lady. "We have plenty of rooms left in our luxury suites! We guarantee your Pokemon will soon be like new, and some may even evolve!"

"She seems really nice." Misty commented. Brock took a closer look.

"And do you know why we're so popular?" the female asked. "It's because we believe in love." She picked up someone's Sandshrew. "We feel every Pokemon is loveable. We believe in Pokemon love power!"

"Love power!" cried the female and male together.

"Love. Power." Brock repeated. Misty shook her head.

"Lucy, do something about mister lovesick puppy over there." She said.

"Pleasure's all mine, Misty." Said Lucy. She shoved Brock out of the way.

"You need to stop this, Brock." Said Lucy. "This behavior's unhealthy for you."

"Wow! She certainly knows how to attract customers." Said Todd.

"Yeah." Misty replied, although she was a bit suspicious. The line of trainers went inside.

"Our next guest." Said the female.

"Right this way!" cried her male partner.

"I have a Pokemon too!" cried Misty.

"Well you're certainly in the right place." Said the female.

"What do I have to do in order to check my Pokemon in here?" asked Misty.

"You're actually going to leave one here, Misty?" said Ash.

"Yep. I'll give it a try." Answered Misty.

"But which one? Not your Staryu." Said Todd.

"Togepi and my Pikachu are too little." Said Lucy. "And Eevee's way too cute to leave here." Misty brought out her Psyduck and put it on the desk.

"My Psyduck!" she cried. "I want to leave my Psyduck here with you!"

"It's so cute." Remarked the female worker. "Don't you just love those eyes? They're bright and bouncy as ping pong balls!"

"Yeah, and I wish I had a paddle." Muttered Misty.

"So then, is there anything special you'd like us to do?" asked the female worker.

"For starters, you might try knocking some common sense into its big ugly head." Said Misty. "There's a lot of unused space in here!"

"Strange, it looks intelligent to me." Said the female worker. Almost everyone fell over.

"And you have to change this clueless looking face." Misty added.

"That'd take a miracle." Said Ash. Lucy gave him a bonk on the head.

"YOU stay out of this!" she yelled.

"Funny you should say that." Said the female worker. "Our motto here at the breeding center is: A little Pokemon love power works miracles." Psyduck was given a tag with a number twelve on it and put on a conveyor belt leading to the back of the center.

"Have fun, Psyduck." Said Ash.

"Bye, Psyduck. Good luck." Said Misty. Psyduck soon disappeared from view.

Later, the group was walking down the street.

"Psyduck will prove if that place is any good." Said Misty.

"Is it just me, or did those to people in the white coats look familiar?" asked Lucy.

"I bet you're just going to leave Psyduck there and never go back for it." Said Ash.

"No way!" cried Misty. "I'd never abandon Psyduck like that!"

"I sure hope not." Said Lucy.

"Well I think that Psyduck has some good points." Said Ash. "Want me to take it off your hands?"

"I was the one who caught Psyduck, and I plan to keep it." Said Misty. "Even if it's still annoying when I get it back."

"Whatever you say, Misty." Said Lucy. The group soon stopped at a restaurant door and noticed the poster that was on it.

"Hey, look, a restaurant!" cried Brock.

"Come to think of it, Ash and I are pretty hungry." Said Lucy. "I wouldn't mind stopping here for a bite to eat."

"Hey, look at this." Said Ash. They looked at the writing that was on the poster.

"All you can eat, for free?!" cried Misty. "All right! I'm heading right for the dessert bar!"

"I'm right behind you!" cried Lucy.

"It can't really be free, though, can it?" wondered Ash.

"There has to be some sort of catch, like you have to eat ten dinners to get one free." Said Todd.

"Well I'd eat ten dinners if they came with ten desserts." Said Misty.

"As would I." said Lucy. "Let's see, there's five of us, so two dinners each…..Oh dear. Only one of us would be able to claim the free meal." The door to the restaurant soon opened and the head chef came out.

"No need to eat that much!" he chuckled. "Unless you all really want to. The buffet's free on one condition."

"What's the condition?" everyone asked.

"All you have to do is show me my favorite Pokemon and I'll treat you to all the food you can eat!" cried the chef. "Plus all the desserts you can eat too!"

"I'm sure one of us will have your favorite." Said Lucy.

"Okay, come on out everyone!" cried Ash. With the exception of Charizard, all of the other Pokemon Ash was carrying materialized. The chef looked closely at all of Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Squirtle and Hitmonchan before shaking his head.

"None of these." He said. Ash fell in disbelief, while everyone else stumbled.

"Well then, how about Pikachu?" said Ash.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'It has to be me!'

"I'm afraid not." Said the chef. Ash and Pikachu lowered their heads in disappointment.

"I'll try next." Said Lucy. Out of her group that she sent out, Squirtle remained in its ball due to Ash's being already out and due to the chef having already rejected it. Her Ivysaur, Jigglypuff and Butterfree all came out. Jigglypuff was about to sing, but Lucy covered up her mouth.

"This isn't the time to do your song, Jigglypuff!" she cried.

"That pink Butterfree of yours is unique, young lady, but it's not my favorite, nor are any of these other ones." Said the chef.

"Maybe Eevee's your favorite." Said Lucy. She held up her Eevee, who squealed happily.

"Sorry, kid, but it's not Eevee." Said the chef. Lucy and Eevee frowned.

"Maybe your favorite is Onix, or Geodude, or Zubat. Or maybe, just maybe, it's Vulpix!" cried Brock.

"Nope." Said the chef.

"Well, how about Goldeen, Starmie, Staryu, Horsea, Oddish, Vaporeon, or Omanyte?" said Misty. "Or maybe…." She and Lucy held up Togepi.

"Our Togepi!" the girls cried. The chef shook his head.

"None of them are my favorite." He said.

"Maybe it's a Pokemon that we haven't caught yet." Said Ash. The chef held up another picture.

"My favorite Pokemon is this one right here." He said. The group was shocked at what they saw, as Psyduck was in the picture.

"Psyduck?!" they cried.

"You're a Psyduck fan?" asked Brock.

"That looks like a picture that I took!" cried Todd.

"I think Psyduck is the greatest thing since the invention of the microwave oven!" cried the chef. "I'm such a big fan that every time someone comes in with a Psyduck, I let them eat for free.

"Sir, if we come back in a couple of minutes, will you still be here?" asked Misty.

"Sure. I have to wait on a delivery of fifty gallons of ice cream." Said the chef.

"Yay! Yay! Yay!" cried Misty. "Back in a flash!" The group followed Misty as she ran off.

"It figures that Psyduck isn't around the one time I actually need it!" she cried.

"You're the one who left it at that center in the first place!" cried Lucy. They reached the breeding center as fast as they could, however…

"Oh no, it's already closed!" cried Misty.

"Guess we'll just have to come back tomorrow." Said Lucy.

"We won't get that free buffet today." Said Todd.

"No way! I'm getting into that dessert bar now!" cried Misty. "There might not be any ice cream left tomorrow! Let's see if there's a back way!" She stomped off angrily.

"When Misty's mad, she's really mad." Lucy remarked. The group soon found a back door.

"Hello?! Anybody there?! I need to get the Pokemon I left here!" cried Misty. "Please open up the door so I can get back to that dessert buffet!" The door was left unlocked, much to the surprise of everyone.

"It's open." Whispered Misty.

"How very odd." Added Lucy. The group entered the building but found nobody there.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home." Said Lucy.

"Is there anyone here who can help us?" said Misty. "It's so dark in here that I can't see."

"Hey, I've got a light." Said Brock.

"So do I." said Lucy. She and Brock flipped on their flashlights and spotted something.

"Are those…cages?!" cried Todd.

"No breeding center I know of would have cages in them." Said Lucy. "Something's definitely not right."

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I'm scared now, Lucy!'

"You're not the only one, Eevee." Said Lucy. "I'm getting creeped out myself." They all looked inside the cages and were shocked to see Pokemon in them. All of them were looking miserable.

"What's this?!" cried Misty.

"It's the Pokemon!" cried Brock.

"This doesn't look like any luxury hotel to me!" cried Ash.

"They're all crammed into cages!" cried Todd.

"How cruel!" cried Lucy.

"These Pokemon definitely don't look like they want to smile for the camera." Said Todd. Brock soon spotted Psyduck's cage.

"Hey! Here's your Psyduck, Misty!" cried Brock. Everyone looked at Psyduck and saw that his eyes were different.

"I have to say, it definitely looks a little smarter compared to when I dropped it off." Said Misty.

"Take a closer look." Instructed Brock. "They just pulled its eyes back with tape."

"That's terrible!" cried Misty. She removed the tape from Psyduck's eyes.

"Psy-y-y." said Psyduck, which meant 'I don't like it in here.' Everyone soon heard and saw a crane arm carrying another cage and putting it on a conveyor belt.

"What's that?" said Ash. On the other side of the wall, the two employees were examining the Pokemon in the next cage that was brought in.

"The next Pokemon's a Sandshrew." Said the male.

"Looks like this one is in pretty good shape. It can be very useful, as long as we can teach it to use Fury Swipes." Said the female.

"We've got an awful lot of Pokemon piled up in this dump." Said the male.

"Just goes to prove that a lot of Pokemon trainers are suckers." Said the female. "Now all we have to do is pick out the choice Pokemon and send them out to the boss."

"We'll be his absolute favorites!" cried the male.

"And we'll be in for a big bonus!" cried the female.

"This breeding center was a great idea!" cried the male.

"We believe in love power! That's because we love power." They said, and both laughed evilly. What they didn't know was that Ash and friends had heard every word of the conversation.

"So, it's all a big fake." Whispered Ash.

"We have to do something to stop them!" whispered Lucy.

"We can't let them treat Pokemon like this!" cried Brock.

"Hey! I think I have an idea!" cried Todd.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'What's your idea?'

"Pika!" cried the two Pikachu, which meant 'Tell us!'

"I'll take pictures of this place so that everyone can know what's happening." Said Todd.

"Yeah, that's a great idea." Said Misty.

Meanwhile, the two employees were talking with their boss, Giovanni, indicating that they were members of Team Rocket.

"So, tell me. How is the breeding center scam going?" asked Giovanni.

"Very well." Said the female. "As planned, we've collected lots of promising Pokemon."

"Excellent. Send them to me immediately." Said Giovanni. "I want to pick the choices ones for myself."

"Yes sir!" cried the pair.

"I want to congratulate the two of you on your splendid work on this project." Said Giovanni. "Unlike those other blundering idiots."

"Just doing our job, but I fail to see how you put up with Jessie or her stupid partner James." Said the female. "They're an embarrassment."

"They are completely unreliable." Said Giovanni. "It's a good thing I didn't tell them about this plan. They would've ruined it. Butch, Cassidy, you know I'm counting on you."

"Yes sir!" cried Butch and Cassidy.

"We won't disappoint you." Said Cassidy. Giovanni ended the video call.

Meanwhile, Todd was taking pictures.

"Todd! Take a picture of that! There!" cried Misty.

"Okay." Said Todd. However, Butch noticed what was going on.

"Huh?" he said.

"What, Butch? Something wrong?" asked Cassidy.

"I thought I saw something back there!" cried Butch. "It looked like a flash. I better go check it out." The group overheard and started to worry as Butch's silhouette approached the door and prepared to open it. But when he did, he found the room completely empty. He saw a flash coming from the two Pikachu, who were trying to shock their way out.

"The light was only from these Pikachu." Said Butch. He left the room, while Ash and the others hid behind some cages.

"You both pulled it off." Whispered Ash.

"That was too close." Lucy whispered.

"I think I have all the shots I'm going to need." Whispered Todd.

"Good. We better get out of here, quick." Whispered brock.

"Wait! We can't!" Misty cried quietly. "Psyduck!"

"What's wrong?" whispered Ash.

"The cage is locked." Whispered Misty, who was trying to rattle it open. "I can't just leave Psyduck trapped in this awful place."

"Psy." Whispered Psyduck, which meant 'Thank you.' The nearby window soon began to shake.

"What's that?" said Ash.

"Probably more company." Said Lucy. "We'll have to hide again." Everyone hid as a familiar trio entered the building.

"Be quiet as a mouse!" cried Jessie.

"Did you say Meowth?" said Meowth.

"Ugh." Groaned Jessie. "Come on, this way!"

"This is so…. exciting!" cried James. He got whacked on the head by a mallet that Meowth was holding.

"Keep it quiet, James Bond." Meowth whispered. Ash's group watched them quietly.

"Breaking into this breeding center was genius." Said Jessie. "It's a burglar's dream.

"I told you this place was going to be packed with Pokemon." Said Meowth.

"And we're going to steal every last one." Said Jessie.

"That'll put us back on the boss' good side." Said Meowth.

"But we've never been on his good side before!" cried James. He started picking the lock of one of the cages.

"Almost got it." He said.

"All the Pokemon we could ever want!" cried Meowth.

"Hey!" cried Ash. His sudden appearance startled Team Rocket.

"What are the three of you doing here?!" cried Todd.

"I'd put that very same question to you!" cried Meowth.

"Keep it down! You'll get us all in trouble!" whispered Lucy.

"How did you even get in here, anyway?" Jessie asked quietly.

"That's not your concern!" cried Lucy quietly.

"Don't tell me you goody-goody twerps finally decided to become baddy baddies like us." Said Meowth.

"You better not try and take over our territory!" cried jessie.

"I knew all along that we couldn't trust you!" cried James.

"Will you shut up?!" cried Ash.

"This time, you guys are in way over your heads." Whispered Misty.

"She's right. We have to get these Pokemon out of here fast or we're all going to be in danger." Lucy whispered.

"I know what you're doing." Snickered Jessie. "You're trying to trick us into helping you steal all of these Pokemon for yourselves."

"Fine! Believe what you want!" cried Misty.

"This isn't the time for arguing, Misty." Said Lucy. The lights came on, and Butch and Cassidy spotted them.

"I knew there was something rotten back here!" cried Cassidy. "I was right! Looks like some rats have snuck in."

"What should we do with them?" asked Butch.

"We'll exterminate them!" cried Cassidy.

"We're not afraid of creeps like you!" cried Lucy.

"Let's mix it up!" cried Meowth.

"You don't know who you're dealing with." Said Cassidy.

"But we'll be glad to show you." Said Butch.

"Prepare for trouble and make it double!" they both cried. Both of them took off their lab coats to reveal their Team Rocket uniforms.

"To infect the world with devastation!"

"To blight all peoples in every nation!"

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love!"

"To extend our wrath to the stars above!"

"Cassidy!"

"Butch!"

"Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight!"

"That's right!" A Raticate dropped down in front of them and gave its cry to end their version of the motto.

"Did they say that their names were Cassidy…." Said Ash.

"And Botch?" finished Lucy. Butch got furious with that.

"I literally just said that it's Butch!" he cried. "Pay attention next time!"

"Copycat!" cried Meowth.

"Does this mean that you belong to Team Rocket too?" asked James.

"Jessie! It's been a while!" cried Cassidy. Jessie growled in frustration.

"Do you know her or something?" asked James.

"She used to hang around with me all the time." Answered Jessie. "She's just jealous because I'm so beautiful."

"Definitely more beautiful than Cassidy." Remarked Lucy.

"You haven't changed a bit, unfortunately for you." Said Cassidy.

"And you're still a selfish little brat!" roared Jessie. "How dare you use that motto!"

"It's an outrage! It took us months to find a motto that we could swipe!" cried Meowth.

"Steal your own slogan!" cried James.

"Save your arguments for the boss when he finds out that you're stealing his Pokemon." Said Cassidy. Meowth gulped, and Jessie and James went into a panic.

"We're in trouble!" Meowth cried.

"The boss is really ticked off that he hasn't heard from you!" cried Butch. "He thinks it's insulting!"

"But we can't call him until we do something wrong right!" cried James.

"He might throw us off the team!" cried Meowth.

"We got this mission because the boss couldn't trust you." Said Cassidy. "When he finds out that you managed to bungle it anyway, well I can't think of what might happen to you, but I suppose getting thrown off the team is the best you could hope for after this. Isn't that right, Jess?" Jessie simply growled as Meowth forced his two teammates to the ground.

"We'd be infernally grateful if you could forget this ever happened." Meowth begged.

"What's it worth to you?" said Cassidy. Ash, Lucy, Brock, Misty and Todd all attempted to slip out of the room, but Cassidy heard the door open.

"No so fast, children!" she cried, making Ash and Lucy gulp nervously. "Now that you know about out little secret, I'm afraid we can't let you leave!" Ash and friends started making a break for it.

"We don't know anything about any secrets!" cried Ash.

"We were just trying to get an all you can eat buffet!" cried Lucy. Cassidy wasn't having any of it.

"You kids can't get away from me!" she cried. "I'm no pushover like Jessie."

Speaking of…

"Let's make a run for it!" cried Meowth. However, James stopped at one of the cages.

"What's the matter?" asked Meowth.

"This is the breeding center where I left my Weepinbell the other day." James answered. He opened the cage, and was surprised at what he saw.

"It evolved into a Victrebell!" he cried "Isn't that just….." Victrebell chomped down on his head as Meowth and Jessie started to drag him away.

"I just wish his brain would evolve a little." Said Meowth. He then screamed as a cage came down and trapped him, Jessie and James.

Meanwhile, Ash's group quickly spotted the door.

"There's the exit!" cried Ash.

"I think we're going to make it!" cried Lucy. But she was wrong, as another cage came down. Misty, Eevee, Togepi and both Pikachu were fortunate to escape the cage. But Ash, Lucy, Todd and Brock were all caught.

"We're trapped!" cried Ash.

"What do we do now?" cried Misty.

"Misty, you'd better hide." Said Lucy. "And take Eevee, Pikachu and Togepi with you."

"Okay. Come on, guys." Said Misty. She, Pikachu, Eevee and Togepi hid in a nearby corner, while Cassidy and Butch surrounded the heroes.

"Our little rat trap worked!" smirked Cassidy.

"You crooks had better let us out of here right now!" cried Lucy. Butch noticed the camera hanging around Todd's neck and snatched it away.

"What's this?!" Butch demanded.

"That's mine!" cried Todd.

"Heh. You won't be needing this!" cried Butch. Ash, Lucy, Brock and Todd growled angrily at him.

Later…

"Burglars! Oh, I'm still shaking like a leaf!" Cried Cassidy. "Officer! Thank goodness our security system stopped them before they could hurt the poor Pokemon!"

"Don't worry, we'll make sure that these thieves are punished." Said Officer Jenny. "Thanks to you, our city's a little safer." A large cage containing Ash, Lucy, Brock, Todd, Jessie, James, Meowth and Victrebell was being wheeled out.

"I'm telling you, you're arresting the wrong guys!" cried Ash. "We're innocent!"

"Those guys are the crooks, not us!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Hey, speak for yourself." Said Meowth. An officer tossed the large cage into the back of the police truck.

"Just look in the warehouse, then you'll see." Said Ash.

"Save your story for the station house!" yelled Jenny. She closed the back door of the truck firmly, with Butch and Cassidy gleefully waving at them.

"This is the low point." Groaned Meowth. "Being turned in not by these brats, but by our own teammates!"

"Great. Now we're all going to jail." Groaned Lucy. The police truck drove off, and once it was far enough out of the way, Misty came out from her hiding spot in a nearby back alley.

"Oh no! Now we've got to convince Jenny that they're innocent!" she cried.

"Pika." Said Pikachu sadly, which meant 'I know.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Poor Lucy. I know she's not a crook.'

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'And neither is Ash.'

"I know that myself too, guys." Said Misty. She nervously paced back and forth.

"Think, Misty. There has to be some way to prove their innocence." She said. A lightbulb then went off in her head.

"I have an idea!" she cried. "All we have to do is get a hold of the pictures that Todd took!"

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Great idea, Misty!'

"Togepi!" cried Togepi, which meant 'Wonderful idea!'

"Eevee Vee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'But how are we going to do that without Butch and Cassidy noticing?'

"Just leave that part up to me." Misty answered.

The next day, she arrived back at the center wearing a disguise.

"Excuse me?" she said. "I left a Psyduck here yesterday?"

"We have a two day holding policy." Answered Cassidy.

"Uh, but you see, I have to take an emergency trip, and I really need my Psyduck to come with me." Misty lied.

"I understand." Said Cassidy. "Just a minute." She disappeared into the back room.

"Okay, Pikachu, Eevee, go for it." Said Misty. The two of them popped out of her jacket and ran off. Togepi and Little Pikachu also popped out.

"You two stay back here." Said Misty. Pikachu and Eevee started scanning every room looking for Todd's camera.

"Those two sure are taking a long time." Said Misty. "I wish they would hurry." Cassidy returned with Psyduck.

"Miss?" she said.

"Yes?" cried Misty.

Meanwhile, Pikachu and Eevee spotted the camera sitting on top of a pile of boxes.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ah ha!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'There it is!'

"Pika Pi Chu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Quick, let's get this over to Misty!' The two of them climbed up the box pile, grabbed the camera and ran back down and out of the room.

Meanwhile…...

"I'm afraid there wasn't enough time to give your Psyduck a proper facial, so there hasn't been much improvement." Said Cassidy. "Don't you have to leave?"

"Well, I'm not in that much of a hurry." Misty laughed sheepishly. Pikachu and Eevee nudged her leg.

"Pika." Whispered Pikachu, which meant 'We got it.' Misty bent down and saw Eevee and Pikachu holding the camera.

"Is something wrong?" asked Cassidy.

"On second thought, I got to run. Bye!" cried Misty. She quickly ran out of the center with Psyduck, Eevee, Pikachu and Togepi in tow, leaving Cassidy very confused.

"Great work, guys." Misty whispered. She ripped her disguise off.

"Time to bust our friends out of jail!" she cried.

Meanwhile, down at the police station….

"Let us out! We're not the crooks!" cried Ash.

"Those two at that breeding center are the criminals!" yelled Brock.

"That's right, not us!" cried Todd.

"Just go down there and see for yourself!" exclaimed Lucy. In another corner of the cell, James was admiring his new Victrebell.

"What a fabulous Victrebell!" he cried. "It's so strong, friendly looking, and healthy too!" The grass type chomped down on James' head again, causing Jessie and Meowth to shake their heads.

"Have you ever been to jail, Lucy?" asked Ash. Lucy shook her head.

"No, but I did get suspended from school once." She answered. "It wasn't even my fault, either. I better explain."

Flashback

"We were about to take a test on the different habitats that Pokemon live in." Lucy explained in voiceover mode.

"Okay, class, you will have one hour to complete this exam." Said the teacher. "Answer the questions the best you can, and good luck." Everyone started writing down answers.

"Of course, I had studied like I was supposed to, and so I knew a lot of the answers." Said Lucy in voice over form. "But someone right beside me who clearly hadn't studied thought it would be a good idea to try and look over my shoulder and copy my work. I didn't think anything of it at first, but as the test wore on, he kept doing it. 'Will you knock that off?!' I cried at him. Unfortunately, that got the attention of the teacher, and she wasn't too happy."

"I can only imagine." Said Ash in voice-over.

"Both of you up to my desk with those papers right now!" the teacher yelled. Lucy and the other kid gulped nervously, but obeyed. One quick glance at the paper later spelled bad news.

"These tests are exactly alike!" cried the teacher. "One of you was cheating, and I want to know who!" The boy glared at Lucy.

"Don't look at me like that!" she cried. "I never cheat!"

"Then how do you explain this test, young lady?!" the teacher demanded.

"Uh…" Lucy stammered. She was at a loss for words.

"No answer, huh?" Said the teacher. "Then I'm afraid I have no choice. Miss Peters, you are suspended for the rest of the week!"

"What?! That's not fair!" cried Lucy. "He cheated, not me!"

"Don't make this worse for yourself, young lady." Said the teacher.

"I was forced to grab my things and go home." Said voice-over Lucy. "And when my dad found out, he was livid! I ended up being confined to my room for the rest of that week. But the next day, the boy's conscience got the better of him. My teacher called us at lunchtime with good news."

"The kid that was copying your work yesterday admitted to cheating on the test." She Said. "He's being suspended, and you can come back to school right away."

"That news thrilled both myself and my dad." Said voiceover Lucy. "He canceled my punishment and hurried me to school as quickly as possible."

"I'm glad this all worked out." Said Lucy.

"So am I, pumpkin." Said Zack.

End Flashback

"Since then, nothing like that has ever happened to me." Lucy finished. She then turned and faced Jenny.

"Officer Jenny, please let us out!" cried Lucy. She gripped the bars of the cell tightly and tried to pull on them. "We already said that we're innocent! I don't even know how much longer I can stand being in the same cell as those three wastes of space in the corner over there!" But Jenny wasn't interested at all.

"If you're trying to win sympathy, it won't work." She said. "The judge is going to throw the book at you Pokemon snatchers!" Everyone groaned, but then Misty stormed into the room.

"You're making a mistake!" she cried. A smile lit up on Ash and Lucy's faces.

"Misty! Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Togepi! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. "I'm so happy to see all of you!"

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Are you okay, Lucy?'

"Now that you're here, I'm more than okay." Lucy answered.

"These guys have been telling the truth, Officer Jenny!" cried Misty. She took a set of pictures out of her bag. "And these photographs prove it!"

"Oh, what a cute little Pikachu!" cried Jenny. The pictures she was looking at consisted of Pikachu, Eevee, Squirtle and Staryu having fun on a beach.

"Oops, wrong pictures." Said Misty. She quickly switched photo sets and took out the correct ones.

"Look at these!" she cried. Jenny was horrified when she saw the evidence photos, which consisted of some miserable looking Pokemon stuffed into cages.

"Oh no! That's terrible!" she cried.

"That place isn't a real breeding center at all!" cried Misty. "They just steal the best ones that are brought in!"

"Those two told me that place was like a Pokemon spa." Said Jenny.

"That was a lie!" cried Lucy.

"They crammed the Pokemon into cages!" cried Todd.

"Pika, Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's right!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Pikachu and I saw everything with our own eyes!'

"That's why they told you that we were the crooks, because we found out about their plans!" cried Ash.

"They tricked me?" cried Jenny.

"When we heard what those crooks were up to, we went to stop then too." Added Meowth.

"It's true, honest." Said Jessie.

"Yeah, we're good guys for once." Said James. Lucy rolled her eyes at Team Rocket.

"Oh, please." She said. "You three only broke in there so you could steal all those Pokemon for yourselves!" Jessie, James and Meowth fell over in disbelief.

"By the way, which of you took these evidence photos?" asked Jenny.

"That would be me." Todd answered.

"Thanks a lot for doing that." Said Jenny. "This is more than enough to bust Cassidy and Butch." The police truck quickly made its way back to the center, and Jenny, Misty, Ash, Todd and Brock quickly surrounded Butch and Cassidy.

"So, you thought you could frame these kids when it was you who were stealing Pokemon!" cried Jenny. "You're under arrest!"

"But we're not…." Stammered Cassidy.

"We already know everything, so there's no use resisting!" cried Jenny.

"Raticate, go!" cried Cassidy. Raticate materialized out of the Poke Ball.

"Eevee, go!" cried Lucy. "Use your Take Down attack!" Eevee charged at Raticate and gave it a hard shove.

"Go, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "Thunderbolt attack!" Pikachu zapped Raticate with its powerful electric attack.

"Raticate got fried!" cried Cassidy.

"Tough break." Said Butch.

"Let's go!" cried Cassidy. They started to run.

"You crooks aren't going anywhere!" cried Lucy. "Ivysaur, I choose you!" Ivysaur materialized.

"Ivysaur, it's Vine Whip time!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur wrapped its vines tightly around Butch and Cassidy to prevent them from escaping. They were soon thrown into the back of the police truck.

"Love. Power?" they cried.

"The only thing that I love about this is you two getting your comeuppance after what you did to us!" cried Lucy. "Have fun in the slammer with your teammates!" The doors of the truck slammed shut and it drove away.

"Pikachu and Eevee were the ones who snuck into the breeding center and got Todd's camera back." Said Misty.

"Pikachu, you're the greatest!" cried Ash.

"So are you, Eevee." Added Lucy. "I'm very proud of you."

"All of you did a terrific job." Said Jenny. "Now we'll return all of the Pokemon back to their rightful owners."

"That's great, Jenny." Said Ash.

"Anyone hungry?" Jenny asked. She brought them to the restaurant the group had stopped at the previous day. Misty was happily chowing down.

"More ice cream, please!" she cried.

"Hey, take it easy there." Said Ash.

"Yeah, Misty, leave some for the other customers." Said Lucy.

"Don't worry, there's plenty of ice cream left, Misty." Chuckled Jenny. Psyduck and the chef were watching everything.

"And all of it is free since you brought this cute Psyduck to visit my restaurant!" cried the chef.

"You have good taste!" cried Misty. She kept devouring more food.

Meanwhile, Jessie and James were escaping from the jail by digging a tunnel underground.

"I can't stand it here!" cried Jessie. "There's not a single mirror in our cell!"

"I refuse to wear those horrible prison uniforms!" cried James.

"And I wouldn't give this food to a Muk!" cried Meowth.

"We never should've tried to steal from that friend of yours, Jessie!" cried James.

"I'll show her who's the queen of mean!" cried Jessie.

Meanwhile, Ash's group was getting ready to move on.

"I guess the four of you are all heading to Cinnabar Island, right?" Said Todd.

"That's right." Said Ash.

"I'm going to head into the mountains to get some new shots of wild Pokemon." Said Todd.

"That's great." Said Brock.

"We'll all miss you." Said Lucy.

"Bye! I hope we meet again real soon!" cried Misty.

"Same here." Said Todd. So, thanks to a few helpful photographs, getting out of jail was a snap for our heroes. As their journey continues on, who knows what adventures lie ahead? Or, below?

"James, watch where you're throwing that dirt!" cried Jessie.

"Watch?! I can't see a foot in front of my face!" cried James.

"If you don't quit squawking, you'll see a foot in front of your face all right!" cried Meowth. "Mine!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Arcanine, Kabuto, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Arcanine, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 60: Princess Vs. Princess

"All right, my favorite holiday!" cried Misty. "Let the Princess Festival begin!"

"Today, the women rule!" cried Lucy.

"Listen up!" cried Jessie. "This is the one day of the year…"

"Where you have to do everything I tell you to do!" cried Misty, Lucy and Jessie.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'This is the best day of the whole year!' Ash, Brock and James looked at the girls with puzzled looks on their faces.

"Everything?" said Ash.

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Seriously?'

"How is that different from any other day of the year?" wondered James.

Every year….

"March 3rd, to be precise." Lucy interjected.

Thank you, Lucy. Now, where was I? Oh yes. Every year on March 3rd, the Princess Festival salutes women and girls everywhere. And our friends have found themselves in the center of the celebration.

"Oh, these stuffies are so cute!" cried Misty. She picked up a Poliwag stuffy.

"Look, Eevee, they have a stuffy of you here!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Please buy it!' Lucy chuckled.

"All right, if that's what you want, then I'll get it." She replied.

"Eevee!" replied Eevee, which meant 'Yay!' Togepi then spotted a stuffy of himself and got excited.

"Togepi!" he cried, which meant 'Get this one, please!' Lucy smiled at the infant.

"All right, Togepi. Then that way you and Eevee can play with those together." Said Lucy.

"Togepi!" cried Togepi, which meant 'Thanks!'

"We'll take these." Said Misty. "And, since it's Princess Day, we get a special discount."

"Even better!" exclaimed Lucy. During the Princess Festival, every store becomes a bargain hunter's paradise, with all kinds of beautiful new clothes and toys for sale at drastic discounts, if you're a woman. But if you're a male, well, you get to carry packages.

"I wish every day could be Princess Festival Day." Sighed Misty.

"That would be a dream come true for us, but it would be a nightmare for the boys." Said Lucy.

Later, the group was seated at a table at a restaurant.

"Look at all this food!" cried Misty. "Everything looks so delicious!"

"You're right, Misty!" cried Lucy. "It looks so good!"

"All it's all for us!" cried Misty.

"Little cakes with pink icing!" cried Lucy. "I can't resist!" She took a cake for herself and gave another one to Eevee. The guys were amazed at how much food the girls were consuming.

"Gosh. How much can you two possibly eat during this festival?" said Ash.

"Plenty." Misty answered. "Girls get to eat for free during the festival."

"My body's built so that I never gain any weight no matter how much I eat." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'It's the truth.' The girls then saw that Brock and Ash were barely eating, as evidenced by the very small portion of lettuce on their plates.

"Is that all you're having?" asked Lucy.

"Unfortunately, guys have to pay." Said Ash.

"Oh yeah, I forgot." Said Misty. Brock soon got the attention of a waitress.

"Excuse me, miss, would you allow me to be your prince on this Princess Day?" he asked. The waitress laughed.

"That is so cute." She said. "When you grow up big and strong, you'll meet a nice girl."

"Ah!" cried Brock. He started chowing down.

"Shot down again, huh, Brock?" said Lucy. Misty then spotted something.

"Look at that sign over there." She said. Everyone looked at the sign that they assumed Misty had spotted.

"What about it?" said Ash. "It's just an ad for an actor in some dumb movie."

"Not that one." Said Lucy. "The sign right next to it." They looked at the right sign.

"Looks like a great sale." Said Misty.

"We better hurry!" cried Lucy. The two Pikachu shook their heads.

"Pika pi." Said Little Pikachu, which meant 'Here we go again.'

Over in a clothing store….

"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, blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" Jessie laughed.

"Meowth, that's right!" Jessie placed all her clothing purchases on a cashier counter.

"Charge all of this to the Team Rocket account!" she cried.

Later, Team Rocket was relaxing in the park.

"Jessie, this is boring!" cried James. "I hate this silly Princess Festival!"

"Stop complaining!" snapped Jessie. "You don't think I'm doing all this shopping just for myself, do you?!"

Huh?" cried James and Meowth.

"You mean you bought stuff for us?" said Meowth.

"In your dreams!" cried Jessie. "No. I'm buying lots of great gifts for the boss so that he won't be mad at us for not catching Pikachu and Eevee."

"You think that'll work?" said James.

"Only if she can find a Pikachu and Eevee at half price." Answered Meowth. Team Rocket then heard some rustling nearby and saw a giant pink Pokemon.

"What in the world is that?" cried Jessie. The Pokemon sent out its tongue and ate all the food Jessie had bought, which shocked her.

"It's got good taste." Said James.

"That's one hungry Lickitung!" cried Meowth. The Lickitung then spat out the cans holding the food and ate the remainder of Jessie's purchases.

"Stop that!" cried Jessie. The Lickitung headed for the box containing the clothes that she had bought earlier.

"Hey, that was our present for the boss!" she cried. "Go get your own dinner!" The Lickitung spat out the clothes.

"No! Those are original copies of genuine designer fakes!" cried Jessie. Lickitung started to walk away as Jessie grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Don't think you're going to just eat and run, Lickitung!" she growled. "Go, Arbok!" The poison type materialized, but Lickitung used its Lick attack to paralyze Arbok, much to Team Rocket's shock.

"Arbok, is licked!" cried James.

"How DARE you?!" cried Jessie. She reached for another Poke Ball.

"I'll show you!" she cried. "Poke Ball, go!" The Poke Ball hit Lickitung and sucked it inside. The ball then wobbled and pinged. Meowth and James were surprised.

"She captured the Lickitung!" cried Meowth.

"What are you going to do with it?" asked James.

"I'll deal with this thing later." Answered Jessie. "Right now, I'm going to give my credit cards a good workout." She started walking out of the park.

"Uh oh." Said Meowth.

"The Princess Festival Shop-A-Thon continues." Said James. He and Meowth followed Jessie.

Later on, at a clothing store, the girls were at a clothing store where everyone was fighting.

"Let go of that!" cried Misty.

"Back away from the dress, sister!" cried Lucy. She somehow managed to pry the dress she wanted out of the other person's hand. The guys just sat back and watched the proceedings.

"Gee Brock, I never knew that shopping was such a dangerous sport." Said Ash. On another bench across the hall, James and Meowth were watching everybody go at it.

"I don't think I'm tough enough to be a woman." Said James.

"Yeah." Said Meowth. Lucy then saw a beautiful pink dress she wanted, but as she was about to get it, someone else charged toward it.

"Oh no you don't!" cried Lucy. She managed to grab hold of the dress just as the other person was about to reach for it. Misty then spotted some clothing that she liked.

"Ah, this is perfect!" she cried. "I'll take it!" Jessie spotted the same thing and noticed Misty.

"Not you again!" cried Misty.

"Let go of it, kid!" cried Jessie.

"You let go! I saw it first!" cried Misty.

"It wouldn't look good on you." Said Jessie. "It's for someone who has a sense of style."

"Well it can't be for you, then!" cried Misty.

"I know how we can settle this." Said Jessie. "How about we have a little battle to decide?"

"Okay with me!" cried Misty. They both took out a Poke Ball. Before they could start battling, another woman passed by and took the clothing that Misty and Jessie had both wanted.

"I'll take that." Said the woman.

"Hey, that's mine!" cried Misty and Jessie. The woman glared at them, which made them back off.

"Um, sorry, I must've been mistaken." Said Misty.

"Oh, that'll look divine on you." Said Jessie. The intercom then came on.

"Attention, Princess festival shoppers!" it cried. "Attention, Princess festival shoppers!" Everyone turned their attention to the intercom.

"In just a few minutes, we will be holding the main event of this year's Princess festival, the Queen of the Princess Festival Contest!"

"The contest!" cried Misty and jessie.

"A contest? Cool!" cried Lucy.

"That means tons of beautiful girls!" cried Brock.

"Pika Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'And plenty of Pokemon for us to see!'

"The prize for the contest winner will be a beautiful collection of one of a kind princess dolls." Said the intercom.

"Princess dolls?!" cried Jessie, Misty, and Lucy.

"I don't know what those dolls look like, but I know I want them!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'If you want them that badly, then enter the contest!'

"That's just what I plan to do, Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"And in addition to the dolls, the winner will also get their picture taken with screen sensation Fiorello Cappuccino!" cried the intercom.

"I want that too!" cried Lucy. With the exception of her, Misty and Jessie, all the other women started screaming and dashed right in front of the men and the rest of Team Rocket, trampling them.

"Say, kid. Why not use the contest to solve our little dispute." Suggested Jessie.

"And the winner gets to keep the doll collection?" said Misty.

"Fine by me." Said Jessie.

"You know, Eevee, since this contest is kind of an event, I should wear special clothes to make myself look like a princess." Said Lucy.

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

Later, the other women in the grandstands of the contest were going crazy over Cappuccino, who happened to be in the announcer's booth.

"Wow! What a crowd!" cried the announcer. "It certainly looks like quite a princess Festival competition this year, doesn't it Fiorello?"

"Yes, it's very exciting." Said Fiorello.

"And the winner of our contest must be as poised as a Jynx, sit as serenely as a Jigglypuff, and possess the grace and charm of an Oddish. Now let's meet our Princess Festival contestants!" The curtain rose, and Jessie, Misty and Lucy, along with the other contestants, were revealed, and the guys were surprised at how beautiful they looked.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Misty looks so beautiful!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'So does Lucy!'

"Lucy looks so nice that I could practically kiss her." Said Ash.

"Well, we certainly seem to have a lovely group of young ladies assembled this year." Said the announcer. "Don't you agree, Fiorello?"

"Yes, they're all beautiful." Answered Fiorello.

"Being so smart and beautiful and talented, I shouldn't have a problem winning." Said Misty.

"I'm sure you'll win the contest, little girl." Said Jessie. "Or maybe your friend could. If they have a peewee division."

"Peewee division?!" cried Lucy. "I'll show her who the peewee is!"

"And now, let's take a look at the special prize they'll be competing for! Right here!" cried the announcer. The doll collection rose from the stage.

"There's no other like it in the world!" cried the announcer. "It's unique! It's antique! It's a beautiful, handmade, custom crafted, one of a kind, Pokemon Princess doll set! Batteries sold separately."

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

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Those dolls are all so pretty!'

"I'd like one of those myself." Said Ash. Misty, Jessie and Lucy kept their eyes on the prize.

"Pokemon Princess dolls." Said Jessie.

"The only set in the world." Said Misty.

"They all look so cute!" cried Lucy.

"What a shame. Putting so much effort into a contest that you and your little friend are going to lose." Said Jessie.

"We'll see who loses." Said Misty.

"You tell her, Misty." Added Lucy.

"Now, would all contestants please prepare their Poke Balls?" said the announcer.

"You mean, you want us to battle?" said Misty.

"This isn't just an ordinary beauty contest, then?" asked Lucy.

"Oh no! The festival winner must also be a skilled Pokemon trainer." answered the announcer.

"Si." Added Fiorello. He held up a bracket sheet. "This is how the contestants match up."

"The rules are simple." Said the announcer. "The contestants are broken up into divisions, and they may use up to four Pokemon to battle!"

"Now we're talking!" cried Lucy.

"Okay!" cried Misty.

"May the best woman win." Said Jessie.

Later, Lucy was preparing her Pokemon for battle, while Misty and Jessie were asking their respective teammates to let them borrow some of their Pokemon.

"Please, guys." Said Misty. "I really need to borrow your Pokemon. Just for the contest?"

"Yeah, but Misty, the Pokemon won't just listen to any trainer." Said Ash.

"He's actually right for once." Said Lucy. "Only the trainer who catches the Pokemon will be the one that the Pokemon takes orders from."

"If you tell them to follow all my instructions, they will." Said Misty. "Please say yes."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I'll help you, Misty!' He jumped into Misty's arms.

"Oh, thanks a lot, Pikachu!" cried Misty.

"You must really want that picture with Fiorello." Said Ash.

"I'm doing it for the doll set, just like Lucy is." Said Misty.

"The doll set?" said Ash.

"It's because it's one of a kind, isn't it?" asked Lucy.

"You and Ash are only children, so you wouldn't understand." Said Misty. "But when you're the youngest of four sisters, having something that belongs to only you is important. All my sisters had their own princess dolls, but all I ever got was their broken old hand-me-downs. Then they'd say "Isn't that great, Misty? You get three whole sets of dolls for yourself". But now, I'll win my very own princess dolls!"

"It must be a girl thing." Brock whispered.

"Maybe it isn't a girl thing, maybe it's just a Misty and Lucy thing." Said Ash. Lucy smacked Ash on the head for that remark.

"My reasoning for wanting the dolls is simple." Said Lucy. "When I was only four, I saw this set of dolls being advertised in a television commercial. I wanted them so badly, but when I told my dad about it, he said no. 'They're too expensive.' He would say. I tried to reason with him, but as you would expect with parents, he didn't budge. So I never had a chance to own those dolls. But now that I have an opportunity to win them here, I'm not letting this chance pass me by!"

"That's why I need to use your Pokemon!" Misty begged.

"Calm down there, Misty." Said Brock. "We'll help you. You can borrow our Pokemon."

"Yeah, we'll help." Ash said weakly.

"Oh, and I almost forgot." Said Lucy. She handed Togepit over to brock.

"You'll need to watch the baby while Misty and I are battling." Said Lucy.

"No problem." Said Brock. Misty was soon picking her Pokemon.

"Pikachu's an electric type, Bulbasaur's a grass type." She said. "Vulpix is a fire type, and with my Starmie as a water type, how can I lose? Thanks for your help, guys." Lucy had decided on who she was going to use.

"Let's see now. Eevee, you're definitely going to be one of my four." She said.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I can't wait to battle!'

"For my other three, I think I'll go with Squirtle, Butterfree and Ivysaur." Said Lucy.

"Those are good choices." Said Ash.

"Thanks, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Now, Pikachu and Bulbasaur, you both do whatever Misty tells you to do." Said Ash. "But more importantly, make sure you give it your all. Go out there and win."

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'You got it, Ash!'

"Bulba!" cried Bulbasaur, which meant 'I'll do my very best!'

"You too, Vulpix." Said Brock.

"Vulpix!" cried the little fox, which meant 'Got it!'

"Thank you, both of you." Said Misty. "Now, Lucy and I are ready to battle!"

Later, the tournament was officially underway.

"Go, Kingler!" cried a trainer. Kingler materialized.

"Hang in there, Misty!" cried Ash.

"Don't worry about me, guys!" cried Misty. "Go, Bulbasaur!" Bulbasaur charged onto the battlefield.

"In the Eastern Division, we have a match between Bulbasaur and Kingler!" cried the announcer.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip, go!" cried Misty. The attack wrapped up Kingler.

"The attack against Kingler has worked!" cried the announcer. "Kingler's been Vine Whipped and the poor Pokemon is powerless!" The trainer recalled Kingler, eliminating it from the match.

"Looks like it's back to the Poke Ball for Kingler!" cried the announcer. "What Pokemon will take its place? This is getting exciting, folks!" A Pinsir came out next, but Bulbasaur quickly disposed of it with a Tackle attack. A Cubone came out next, only for it to fall victim to Bulbasaur's Vine Whip attack. Finally, Raticate got taken out by Bulbasaur's Razor Leaf, securing a win for Misty.

"This Bulbasaur won't give its opponents even the slightest chance!" cried the announcer. "It's a real fighter, and Misty is off to a very strong start!"

"That's right! And I'm going to have a very strong finish too!" cried Misty. In another Eastern Division battle, Lucy's Squirtle was facing off against someone's Charmander.

"Squirtle, Water Gun attack!" cried Lucy. Squirtle's Water Gun doused Charmander and sent it to defeat.

"There goes the fire of that Charmander." Said the announcer. "Who will Lucy's opponent send out next?"

"I chose you, Dugtrio!" cried the trainer. Dugtrio materialized.

"Squirtle, Bubble!" cried Lucy. A stream of bubbles hit the ground type and before it could move, it was knocked out.

"And young Lucy is now two for two!" cried the announcer. "Can she make it three for three?" A Flareon came out next.

"Flareon, Flamethrower!" cried the trainer. Flareon shot out a stream of fire.

"Squirtle, use Withdraw!" cried Lucy. Squirtle ducked inside his shell just in time.

"Skull Bash attack!" cried Lucy. A powerful charge resulted in Flareon being knocked out.

"Now only one Pokemon remains for Carly, and she'll have to hope for four straight wins." Said the announcer. "But this tough turtle has shown excellent offense and defense so far.

"Go, Jigglypuff!" cried Carly. Her Jigglypuff materialized.

"Use your Bite attack, Squirtle!" cried Lucy. Squirtle ran up to Jigglypuff to bite it.

"Double Slap attack!" cried Carly. Jigglypuff slapped Squirtle very hard and it left some painful marks. Lucy had to recall it.

"There goes Squirtle, but it battled bravely in this match!" cried the announcer.

"Eevee, get out there!" cried Lucy. Eevee charged into action.

"Take Down attack!" Lucy ordered. Eevee really laid into Jigglypuff, sending it to defeat.

"And Lucy has her first win of the tournament, all thanks to some great work by Squirtle and Eevee!" cried the announcer.

Later, the next battle got underway.

"And in the Western Division, the challenger is using a Primeape!" cried the announcer. "What will her opponent, Jessie, use for her first attack?"

"What choice do you have?" said James. "All you've got is Arbok."

"That's not exactly accurate." Said Jessie. James looked up and was shocked to see Weezing beside her.

"Jessie, please! Don't take Weezing!" cried James.

"You'll never win with just two Pokemon!" cried Meowth.

"You seem to be forgetting something important, Meowth." Said Jessie. They both stared at each other until Meowth realized what she meant.

"Ah! I'm a Pokemon too!" he cried.

"Glad you remembered, now get in there!" yelled Jessie. She threw Meowth onto the battlefield.

"Jessie has chosen to start the battle with a Meowth!" cried the announcer.

"Listen here, banana boy, don't make me mad or I'll have to hurt you!" cried Meowth. One uppercut later, Meowth was sent flying.

"Oh well, it was worth a shot." Sighed Jessie. "Go, Arbok!" Primeape and Arbok charged at each other, but Arbok bit on Primeape's fists, which filled the fighting type's veins with poison.

"Could Arbok's poison be taking effect? It seems to be working!" cried the announcer. Primeape stumbled and fell over.

"Oh no! My Primeape!" cried Jessie's opponent.

"Woo! I'm going straight to the top!" cried Jessie.

"She might just win this thing." James remarked. In other battles, Lucy's Squirtle easily dispatched of a Bellsprout with an Ice Beam to clinch her another victory. Pikachu's powerful Thunderbolt brought down a Fearow, then a Graveler fell to Bulbasaur's Vine Whip. Vulpix then scorched a Tangela with Flamethrower.

"What a competition!" cried the announcer. "With a variety of impressive Pokemon, Misty and Lucy have been earning one victory after another!" The East division final ended up being Lucy against Misty.

Meanwhile, Arbok took down a Machoke with Wrap and Weezing beat a Parasect with its Poison Gas attack.

"And in the Western Division, Arbok and Weezing are bringing Jessie one victory after another!" cried the announcer. The tournament continued, with Jessie making it to the final round. As for who her opponent would be, that would be determined by whoever won between Misty and Lucy.

"The last time you and I battled each other was in Cerulean City, where I won that Cascade badge from you." Said Lucy.

"But this time, there's a more valuable prize at stake." Said Misty. "Let's give it our all!" The girls got ready to send out their first Pokemon.

"Pikachu, go!" cried Misty. Pikachu charged into action.

"Eevee, I choose you!" cried Lucy. Eevee charged ahead.

"Pikachu, go for the Thunderbolt!" cried Misty. Pikachu unleashed its electrical power and zapped Eevee. The small fox Pokemon wasn't too happy at all.

"Fight back with your Take Down attack!" cried Lucy. Eevee ran full speed at Pikachu and sent it flying.

"Skull Bash, Eevee!" cried Lucy. Eevee ducked its head and hit Pikachu with a powerful blow, forcing the electric type to retreat.

"Pikachu!" cried Misty. "You tried, but you'll need to rest up if we make the finals."

"That won't happen because I'm going to make the finals." Lucy insisted.

"We'll just see about that." Said Misty. "Bulbasaur, go!" Bulbasaur materialized and sprang into action.

"Eevee, use Quick Attack!" cried Lucy. But before Eevee had a chance to attack the grass type…

"Vine Whip, Bulbasaur!" cried Misty. Bulbasaur wrapped its vines around Eevee, trapping it.

"Eevee, no!" cried Lucy. Bulbasaur kept slamming Eevee around over and over again with the vines until the small fox Pokemon had been knocked out.

"Eevee, return." Said Lucy. Eevee went back over to her trainer.

"You did great, Eevee, thank you." Said Lucy. "Butterfree, I choose you!" Butterfree materialized next.

"Gust attack!" cried Lucy. Butterfree blew a gust of wind, which started to blow Bulbasaur away.

"Bulba!" cried Bulbasaur.

"Bulbasaur, hang in there!" cried Misty. Once the grass type landed back on the ground, it was still standing.

"Bulbasaur shows once again why it's been a tough battler in this competition!" cried the announcer.

"Razor Leaf!" cried Misty. Butterfree easily flew out of the way of the leaves.

"Sleep Powder attack!" cried Lucy. Butterfree sprayed blue dust on Bulbasaur, which forced it back to the Poke Ball.

"Vulpix, go!" cried Misty. The small fire fox materialized.

"Use your Flamethrower!" cried Misty. The flames Vulpix unleashed badly damaged Butterfree and left scorch marks.

"Butterfree, you better rest." Said Lucy. "Great work, though." Butterfree was recalled, leaving Lucy with two Pokemon left.

"Okay, Squirtle, you're up!" cried Lucy. Squirtle materialized.

"Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Squirtle fired a stream of water at Vulpix, making it cry.

"Vulpix!" cried Misty.

"That blast of water might be too much for Vulpix, but we'll see if young Misty can come up with something crafty here." Said the announcer.

"Confuse Ray!" cried Misty. Vulpix shot a dark blue ray at Squirtle. The water type took it, and it started rolling on the ground.

"Uh, Squirtle?" said Lucy.

"Squirtle's completely confused, and now it doesn't know what's going on!" cried the announcer.

"Fire Spin!" cried Misty. Vulpix used a wheel of fire to trap Squirtle once it stopped rolling, and when the fire stopped, Squirtle was down and out.

"What?! How did…." Lucy wondered.

"You may be good at recognizing the element of type, but you have to also remember that trainers can sometimes throw an element of surprise at you, just like what I did with Vulpix." Said Misty. Lucy recalled Squirtle.

"You tried your best, Squirtle." She said. "It's all on you, Ivysaur!" Ivysaur materialized.

"Tackle attack, Ivysaur!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur went in for the tackle.

"Flamethrower!" cried Misty. Vulpix delivered a powerful blast of fire right before Ivysaur's attack could land.

"Ivysaur, no!" cried Lucy. "Try a Stun Spore!" Bulbasaur attempted to spray gold dust on Vulpix, but the fire type was ready.

"Fire Spin!" cried Misty. Another circle of fire trapped Ivysaur and knocked it out. Lucy was stunned.

"And young Lucy is out of the competition!" cried the announcer. Lucy gave a sigh.

"Ivysaur, return." She said. Ivysaur was recalled.

"You did great, friend." Said Lucy. "That was a great battle, Misty. Good luck in the finals."

"Thank you very much, Lucy." Said Misty. Lucy went to join brock and Ash on the sidelines.

"I tried my best, Ash." She said.

"You really wanted those dolls, didn't you?" asked Ash.

"Yes, but it's okay. I still had a great time participating here." Said Lucy.

"Well, now it's down to just Misty and Jessie." Said Ash.

"And neither one of them is going to give in." said Brock. He handed Togepi back over to Lucy.

"Honestly, Misty should be the one to shut Jessie up after that little argument they had in the store earlier today." Said Lucy.

"Just one more win, Pikachu!" cried Misty. She then saw Jessie staring at her, prompting Misty to stare back.

"Those princess dolls are mine!" cried Jessie.

"Is she getting in your hair?" asked James.

"You want us to take care of her?" asked Meowth.

"I can handle her." Said Jessie.

"Jessie, you don't mean you're actually going to play by the rules?!" cried James.

"This brings back bad memories." Said Jessie. She started to get teary eyed. "I hated those Princess Festivals so much!"

"Is there going to be a flashback?" asked James.

"Could be." Answered Meowth.

"I was the only girl who never had a princess doll." Said Jessie. "Every year, I used to get so sad when I knew the festival was coming."

"I always thought every girl loved the Princess Festival." Said Meowth.

"The Princess Festival just reminded me of what I never had." Said Jessie.

"Well, Jessie, I hope this year will be different." Said James. "I hope you win those dolls!"

"Meowth, too." Said Meowth.

"I'll do my very best." Said Jessie. The three of them started crying before the bell went off to start the last match.

"Well, we're down to the finals!" cried the announcer.

"Si. Finals are fantastic." Added Fiorello.

"Undefeated Eastern Division Champion Misty battles undefeated Western Division champion Jessie for the Queen of the Princess Festival title!" cried the announcer. "Who will be the victor?"

"I'm going to be the victor!" cried Jessie. "What kind of stupid question is that?!" The announcer was left at a loss for words as James and Meowth cheered on Jessie from the sidelines.

"Jessie! Jessie! She's the best!" cried James.

"Let's go, Jess!" cried Meowth.

"Arbok, go!" cried Jessie.

"Pikachu, go!" cried Misty.

"Misty is opening the battle with Pikachu, but Jessie's Arbok may have the advantage." Said the announcer.

"MAY have?!" roared Jessie.

"Uh, Jessie DOES have the advantage." The announcer corrected.

"What a temper." Said Lucy.

"No kidding." Said Ash. Arbok coiled around Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Thunder Shock, now!" cried Misty. The attack knocked Arbok out cold.

"Weezing, get that Pikachu!" cried Jessie. Weezing floated onto the battlefield, but was met with the same fate as Arbok.

"That was a lucky shot! Go, Meowth!" cried jessie.

"Meowth can handle anything!" cried Meowth. One electric attack later…

"Except a Thundershock from that Pikachu." groaned Meowth, who fell over in defeat.

"No! Jessie can't lose!" cried James.

"I can't believe it's over." Said Jessie.

"It's not over." Said Meowth. "Not yet. You still have that Lickitung you caught, Jess."

"I forgot! Lickitung!" cried Jessie.

"That's right! You can still win!" cried James. "It's not over as long as you have at least one Pokemon left!"

"I can almost taste victory!" cried jessie. "Go, Lickitung!" The large, pink Pokemon materialized, surprising Lucy, Ash and Misty.

"Team Rocket has another Pokemon?!" cried Misty.

"When did Jessie catch that?!" cried Lucy.

"She must've just got it recently." Answered Brock.

"Just look at the size of that thing's tongue!" cried Lucy.

"Looks like it's last licks for Jessie and her Lickitung!" cried the announcer.

"I have to know about this Pokemon." Said Lucy. She got out her Pokedex.

"Lickitung, the Licking Pokemon. It uses a tongue that is more than twice the length of its body to battle, as well as to gather food."

"That tongue is at least six foot six." Lucy pointed out. "That's two whole meters!"

"Pikachu, be careful and make sure that Pokemon doesn't give you a tongue lashing." Said Misty.

"You can lick Pikachu!" cried Jessie. "Lickitung, go!" Lickitung charged.

"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt!" cried Misty. Pikachu charged but Lickitung's tongue prevented it from attacking and proceeded to lick and paralyze Pikachu.

"What's happening?!" cried Ash.

"Oh my!" cried Lucy. With Pikachu now stunned, Lickitung hit it with its tongue and sent it flying towards Misty.

"What's wrong, Pikachu?" she asked.

"Pikachu is too dizzy to stay in the action!" cried the announcer. "Lickitung is leading Jessie to a major upset!"

"This is exciting." Said Fiorello.

"Misty's in trouble." Said Ash.

"Yeah. Jessie might pull it off." Said Brock.

"I can't believe I just saw that." Said Lucy.

"Hooray! I did it!" cried Jessie.

"You're almost there, Jessie!" cried James.

"They won't be able to stop you unless Lickitung gets tongue tied!" cried Meowth.

"Misty! Use Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. "Its Vine Whip can block the Lickitung's tongue attack!"

"Right, Ash!" cried Misty. "Bulbasaur, go!" Bulbasaur charged in with a Vine Whip, but Lickitung caught the attack and lifted Bulbasaur above the ground, licked it, paralyzed it and sent it back to Misty.

"Again?!" cried Lucy.

"Two down, and two to go!" cried Jessie.

"Bulbasaur can't beat it either?" said Ash.

"Togepi?" asked Togepi, which meant 'Is Misty going to lose?'

"She very well might." Said Lucy.

"If Misty doesn't think of something fast, she's going to lose this battle AND the contest!" cried Brock.

"That Lickitung is really strong!" cried Lucy.

"All right, Vulpix, go! Use your Flamethrower attack!" cried Misty. Vulpix charged, but Lickitung got to it first and paralyzed it.

"Vulpix, no!" cried Brock.

"I don't believe this!" cried Lucy.

"This could be one of the greatest comebacks in Pokemon history!" cried the announcer. "Now Misty has only one Pokemon left to try and stop this Lickitung, or else Jessie will walk away as Queen of the Princess Festival!"

"Okay, Lickitung, win one more and it's all you can eat on me!" cried Jessie.

"It's not over yet, Misty!" cried Lucy. "You still have one Pokemon left, and that Lickitung has to have a weakness somewhere!"

"Right, Lucy!" cried Misty. "I refuse to lose, so Staryu, it's all up to you! Go, Staryu!" Before Staryu could materialize, Psyduck popped out, much to Misty's shock.

"It's Psyduck!?" cried Ash.

"It's kind of disappointing to beat such a pathetic Pokemon, but a win's a win." Said Jessie. "Slurp that Psyduck and let's get going." Lickitung licked Psyduck, but it had no effect, which left everyone confused.

"It didn't work at all!" Lucy cried. "Misty might have a chance after all!"

"This is incredible!" cried the announcer. "Lickitung's Lick attack isn't working against Psyduck!"

"Wow! Just like in the movies." Said Fiorello.

"Lickitung, finish it off!" cried Jessie. Lickitung wrapped its tongue around Psyduck and squeezed it, but without much of an effect.

"Nice work, Psyduck. Now it's time to fight back!" cried Misty. "Use your Water Gun attack!" But Psyduck didn't do anything, much to Misty's shock.

"Oh no! I knew this was too good to be true!" she cried.

"I'm not going to let that little quack cost me this contest!" cried Jessie. "Lickitung, prepare for Tackle attack!" Lickitung didn't do anything either, however.

"I've never seen anything like it!" cried the announcer. "The Pokemon are totally ignoring their trainers!"

"This guy's obviously never seen Psyduck." Said Lucy. Lickitung tried to lick Psyduck again, but it got on the water type's nerves.

"Something's happening. Psyduck doesn't look so hot." Said the announcer.

"Looks like it's got a headache to me." Said Fiorello.

"We all know by now what happens when Psyduck gets a headache." Said Lucy.

"That's it! Psychic power!" cried Misty. "Psyduck, use your Confusion attack!" Lickitung tried another attack with its tongue, but Psyduck's power sent it back and made Lickitung roll backwards in a ball.

"Huh?" cried Team Rocket. They all got caught in the rolling Lickitung ball and were sent flying off the roof, out of the arena and into the air.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried.

"I won!" cried Misty.

"She did it! Misty has become our new Princess Festival Queen!" cried the announcer.

"Misty is so magnifico." Said Fiorello. The festival committee presented her with the collection of dolls.

"Finally! I have my very own doll set!" cried Misty.

"Pi Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Congratulations, Misty.'

"Good going, Misty." Said Ash.

"Congratulations." Said Brock.

"Yeah, Misty, congratulations indeed." Said Lucy.

"I couldn't have done it without Psyduck!" cried Misty.

"Uh, Misty, I get that you're happy, and we're all happy for you, but you're not going to carry all of those in your arms the rest of the day, are you?" asked Lucy.

"Don't worry. I have a plan for how to handle this." Said Misty.

Later, Misty was shipping a package destined for Cerulean City. By this point, Lucy had gotten out of the dress she had worn during the festival and was back in her regular shirt, shorts and boots.

"You're sending those dolls back home?" Ash wondered. Misty nodded.

"Right back to the Cerulean gym." She answered. "I'd love to see the look on my sisters' faces!"

"They'll be pretty jealous." Said Lucy.

"I bet that's the best prize of all." Said Brock. The Pidgeot Transport shipping truck soon picked up the package and drove off.

"Be careful with them!" cried Misty. So, Misty finally won her very own doll set. But she also won a valuable lesson. She never could've done it without the help of her friends.

Meanwhile, over in the park…..

"I lost, the dolls." Sighed Jessie. Lickitung used its Lick attack on Jessie, paralyzing her.

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up." She said. James and Meowth approached her wearing costumes.

"Jessie?" said Meowth.

"Since you didn't win the real doll set…" said James.

"What are you?" said Jessie. "Oh no." Everyone in Team Rocket, including their Pokemon, were dressed up in princess dolls in an attempt to make Jessie feel better.

"You're all just a bunch of living dolls!" cried Jessie.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Jigglypuff, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Arcanine, Kabuto, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Arcanine, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 61: The Purr-Fect Hero

Our heroes are continuing on their journey to Cinnabar Island, where Ash Ketchum and Lucy Peters hope to win their seventh badges on their way to competing in the Pokemon League. Let's see what adventures await them today, shall we?

"Look over there!" cried Lucy.

"Look at all those Pokemon banners!" cried Ash. The banners flew high with several cool looking Pokemon featured on them.

"You know what that means, don't you?" said Brock.

"All right! My favorite day of the year!" cried Ash.

"You don't mean…." Said Misty.

"Yep, it's finally here." Added Lucy.

"It's Kids Day!" the four of them cried. They looked up at the banners.

"Oh, look! There's a Magikarp! And a Goldeen! And a Gyrados!" cried Misty.

"They look really cool." Said Ash.

"This kind of day reminds me of when I was really little." Said Lucy.

"What would be great is if we could just play all day like we used to on Kids Day." Said Misty.

"Misty, we can't just take the whole day off to play around when Ash and I still have Volcano Badges to win." Said Lucy.

"And anyway, you and Lucy just had your Princess Festival." Brock added. "Kids Day should be a boys holiday only! For men!"

"Real men!" added Ash.

"Real strong men!" cried Brock. Misty and Lucy smacked the boys.

"Lucy and I can be just as tough as you two!" cried Misty.

"Not to mention that Kids Day should celebrate both male AND female children." Said Lucy. "Now are we going to play, or are we going to play?!"

"Play." Brock and Ash answered.

"Pika." The two Pikachu replied, which meant 'Play.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Play.'

"Oh, I'm so glad you're here!" cried a female voice. "I was expecting three Pokemon trainers, but four will do." Everyone looked and saw a preschool teacher standing next to them.

"Please, come in." said the teacher. "All the children are waiting for you in the playground."

"I didn't mean to keep you waiting." Said Brock. "Please forgive me. My name's Brock."

"Brock, uh, hello." Said the teacher.

"It's a pleasure to meet an educator as great and enchanting as you are." Said Brock. Lucy rolled her eyes at him.

"Here he goes again." She sighed. The teacher's phone soon rang.

"Hello? Little Kiddo Preschool." She answered. "What? What do you mean you can't make it? But there are four…I see. Yes. Thank you." She hung up with a frown on her face.

"What's the matter, miss?" asked Ash.

"Why so glum?" asked Lucy.

"Some Pokemon trainers were supposed to come visit today and let the children play with their Pokemon." The teacher answered. "They're so excited about playing with the Pokemon, and now they're going to be so disappointed."

"The four of us our Pokemon trainers." Said Ash.

"You are?" cried the teacher. "Oh, but you don't have time to let the children play with your Pokemon."

"Yes, we do! We have tons of time!" cried Brock. "We have tons of time! The kids can play with all of our Pokemon. Those other trainers must be heartless! You can count on us, miss. Right, guys?"

"Right! No problem." Said Ash.

"Those youngsters are more than welcome to have fun with our Poke-pals." Added Lucy.

"Oh, thank you! The children will have so much fun!" cried the teacher.

"So will we." Said Ash.

"Please, come in." said the teacher.

"Thanks." Said Ash.

"Looks like we get to have fun on Kids Day after all, Eevee." Said Lucy. As the group entered the school grounds, Team Rocket came out from their hiding spots in the nearby forest.

"Meowth's got a feeling that Kids Day is going to be our lucky day." Meowth proclaimed.

"Kids Day. That used to be the day I waited for all year long." Said James. "They used to give us the day off from school and I'd go for a swim in our Olympic sized swimming pool and eat nothing but ice cream sandwiches."

"You had a day off from school?" cried Jessie. "And you had a pool and ice cream sandwiches?

"Of course I did." Answered James. "Didn't everybody?"

"Not me!" cried Jessie. "I never had the day off from school, or a swimming pool in the backyard, and the only sandwiches I ever had were bologna with one slice!"

"That's so sad." Said James.

"A pathetic childhood can create a pathetic person." Said Meowth. Jessie stepped on his head and drove his face to the ground.

"You shut your Meowth!" cried Jessie.

Meanwhile, Ash and friends got ready to meet the children of the preschool.

"Children, you can all come out now and meet four Pokemon trainers!" cried the teacher. The children came rushing in and crowded in front of the group. Some of them started messing with Eevee and both Pikachu.

"Hey there, kids! Take it easy!" cried Lucy. Ash and Lucy managed to scoop up their Pikachu right before they gave off a Thunder Shock, resulting in both of them taking the full brunt of the attack.

"Children, you have to be gentle!" cried the teacher. "You can't treat Pokemon like toys!"

"Your teacher's right." Said Lucy. "We don't have a problem with you guys playing with the Pokemon that we bring out, but you have to be gentle with them. Okay?"

"Okay!" cried the kids.

"There. That's much nicer." Said the teacher.

"Hey! We want to see more Pokemon!" cried a child.

"Show us more!" yelled a second.

"All right. We have a real treat for you today." Said Ash. "Wait until you see these Pokemon!" He tossed his Poke Balls into the air, and they materialized one at a time. Pidgeotto came out first, followed by Bulbasaur, then Squirtle, and finally, Hitmonchan.

"Hey kids! Check these out!" cried Misty, tossing her own Poke Balls. Out came Staryu, Starmie, Horsea, Goldeen, Psyduck, Omanyte, Oddish and Vaporeon.

"That's not all, folks!" cried Brock. He tossed his Poke Balls, and out came Geodude, Onix, Zubat and Vulpix.

"Don't leave me out of the fun here!" cried Lucy. Out of her Poke Balls came Ivysaur, Butterfree and Arcanine. Soon, the kids and the Pokemon were all having fun. One was racing with Eevee, while Horsea and Squirtle blew bubbles at some more. Pidgeotto took a couple for a flying ride, and Arcanine allowed a couple more to ride on his back.

"All the kids are having a blast!" cried Ash.

"I did too when I celebrated Kids Day at their age." Said Lucy.

"Even the Pokemon seem to be having a great time." Said Misty.

"It seems playing with children helps the Pokemon relax." Added brock. "That's important for a Pokemon breeder like me to know." The kids looked curiously at Omanyte.

"I've heard stories about extinct Pokemon, but I didn't think they were actually real." Said another kid.

"I don't know. They look real to me." Said a fourth kid.

"Oh, they're real all right." Said Lucy. "Ash and I have seen what ancient Pokemon look like."

"Oman Omanyte." Added Omanyte, which meant 'We used to be extinct, but we were revived.' Misty then noticed that a little boy was all by himself.

"Uh, excuse me miss…" said Misty.

"Reiko." Said the teacher.

"Ms. Reiko, what's that little boy's name?" asked Misty.

"That's Timmy." Said Ms. Reiko. Everyone else looked at Timmy.

"He doesn't look like he's so happy." Said Lucy. "Let's see if we can turn his frown upside down." The group approached Timmy.

"Hey Timmy, what's the matter?" asked Ash.

"Don't you want to play with the Pokemon?" asked Lucy.

"I want to." Said Timmy. "But….."

"You know, Timmy, if you're afraid of the Pokemon, you don't have to." Said Brock.

"I'm not scared!" cried Timmy. "The only Pokemon I want to meet is Meowth."

"A Meowth?" Ash wondered.

"Why a Meowth?" asked Brock.

"Timmy, why is the only Pokemon you want to meet a Meowth?" asked Misty.

"Well, one day I was playing in the woods." Said Timmy.

Flashback

"All of a sudden, I got attacked by a Beedrill." Said Timmy. The Beedrill dove at Timmy, but before it could sting him, a Meowth jumped down from a tree and used Scratch on the Beedrill.

"A Meowth!" cried Timmy. The Beedrill attacked Meowth, but the Meowth jumped, did a forward roll and kicked the Beedrill, which forced it to retreat.

"All right!" cried Timmy. The Meowth ran into the woods before Timmy could thank it.

"Wait, Meowth! Come back!" cried Timmy. But the Meowth was far out of sight.

"Oh, thank you, Meowth." Said Timmy.

End Flashback

"That's an amazing story." Said Ash.

"Uh Timmy, I have a question." Said Misty. "Did that Meowth say "Now you owe me big time, kid!" or anything like that?"

"Of course not!" Timmy answered. "I know Pokemon can't talk."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that, Timmy." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Me either.'

"Maybe it was a wild Meowth that fought off the Beedrill and saved Timmy." Said Brock. "Still, it's unusual for Meowth to take on a Beedrill like that."

"I guess there's all kinds of Meowth, not just the one that Team Rocket has." Said Lucy.

"That Pokemon must be special, just like the Meowth that saved me." Said Timmy. "That's why Meowth is the only Pokemon that I want to meet. Meowth is my hero!" Three other kids had overheard Timmy, and they came in around him.

"Are you telling that old story again?" asked one of them.

"No Meowth can do what you say it did." Said another.

"It can, too!" cried Timmy.

"Well, prove it then!" cried the first kid.

"But I…" stammered Timmy. He was at a loss for words.

"You can't prove it, can you?" asked the first kid.

'You're just a liar, Timmy!" cried the second one.

"I am NOT a liar!" cried Timmy.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire!" yelled another kid.

"Okay, okay, settle down." Said Ash. A van soon came into the school yard, which grabbed everyone's attention.

"What's that?" asked Ash.

"Pika pi?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'What's that, Ash?'

"Come one, come all, and be amazed!" cried a female voice. "You'll be absolutely astounded by the world's greatest Pokemon magic show!"

"It's mystifying! It's twistifying!" cried a male voice. "And we have a special treat in honor of Kids Day!"

"Today, for one day only…." Said the female voice.

"Our magic show is free!" they both cried. The kids rushed over to the van.

"A Pokemon magic show?" said Misty.

"We gotta see this!" cried Ash.

"You up for watching a magic show, Eevee?" asked Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Yes, please!'

"Now, who wants to see a little Pokemon magic?" asked the female voice. The kids all confirmed that they did.

"First, we'll make two certain Pokemon disappear." Said the male voice.

"Pikachu and Eevee." Said the female voice. Meowth then popped his head out of a box.

"You really think we can pull this off?" he said.

"Don't make me saw you in half." Replied James. He pushed the lid down, and soon, everyone went inside to watch the show.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" cried Jessie. "And children of all ages!"

"The Pokemon magic show is about to begin!" cried James.

"Look inside the magic box." Said Jessie. The children did so, but found the box empty.

"As you can see, there's nothing inside." Said Jessie.

"But once two Pokemon are placed inside, something mysterious will happen." Said James.

"Let's see. Do we have a Pikachu and an Eevee in the house?" asked Jessie. She looked directly at the two Pokemon.

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Who? Us?'

"A Pikachu and Eevee?" said Ash.

"Why, yes!" cried jessie. "Those two are absolutely necessary for this illusion."

"What do you say, guys?" asked Lucy.

"Eevee." Answered Eevee, which meant 'Well, I…' Before Eevee could say anything else, the two "magicians" snapped up Eevee and Pikachu and took them to the stage.

"Thank you very much." Said James.

"First, we'll put these two into the magic box." Said Jessie.

"Like so." Added James. He put Pikachu and Eevee in the box.

"And close the lid." Said Jessie. She closed the lid of the box. "Now, watch."

"One…" said James.

"Two….." said Jessie.

"Three!" they both cried. Some smoke appeared out of the box and Meowth popped out.

"Meowth?" aid Ash.

"It's Meowth!" cried Timmy. All the other kids chanted and cheered Meowth's name.

"Thank you! And that's our show for today." Said Jessie.

"Wait a minute!" cried Ash.

"What did you do with Pikachu and Eevee?!" cried Brock.

"I don't think you guys are real magicians at all!" cried Lucy. "I've seen lots of other magic shows, so I know for a fact that the volunteer for a disappearing trick is always supposed to reappear afterwards!"

"Plus, you look very familiar to me!" cried Ash.

"Same here!" cried Lucy. "The hair is a dead giveaway!"

"Just who are you?" asked Misty. Jessie and James removed their disguises and revealed their true selves.

"Time to prepare for trouble!" cried Jessie.

"Presto-changeo and make it double!" cried James. The kids started crowding around them.

"All right, quiet time now." Said Jessie.

"We're just getting to the good part." Said James.

"Like we need to hear it." Said 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!" But before Jessie could say her name, the kids began grabbing onto both her and James.

"Even they've had enough." Said Misty.

"This sure is a tough crowd.

"We have to get Pikachu and Eevee out of that box!" cried Lucy. The kids soon started playing around with Weezing like it was a ball.

"That's mine! No fair!" cried James.

"Weezing makes a nice volleyball." Remarked Jessie.

"Stop that!" cried James.

"Children, please stop before someone gets hurt!" cried Ms. Reiko.

"Weezing, Smokescreen now!" cried James. Weezing spread a thick smokescreen, which blinded everyone. As the smoke spread out, Timmy made a mad dash for Meowth under the assumption that it was the one who had saved him.

"Meowth!" cried Timmy. But in his excitement, he knocked the box over, sending Pikachu and Eevee out and putting him inside.

"Quit playing around, Meowth!" cried James.

"Let's get out of here!" cried Jessie. She and James picked up the box under the assumption that Pikachu and Eevee were in it and left.

"Hope you enjoyed the show!" cried Jessie and James.

"Hey, wait for me!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket drove away, with Ash and friends in hot pursuit.

"Hey, come back!" cried Ash. "Pikachu!"

"Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'We're right here.' Ash and Lucy turned and saw Pikachu and Eevee come out of the smoke filled room.

"You guys came back, just like magic!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'We sure did.'

"Where's Timmy?" said Ms. Reiko. "We looked all over the school, but we can't find him anywhere!"

"Wait a second, Team Rocket wanted Pikachu and Eevee for that little trick." Said Lucy. "But if Pikachu and Eevee are both here…." She suddenly realized what had happened.

"Then that means Team Rocket must've taken Timmy by mistake!" cried Lucy. Everyone gasped at the sudden realization.

Meanwhile, out in the woods….

"Ready, James?" said Jessie.

"Ready, Jess." Answered James.

"After all this time of chasing down the twerp and his friend, we finally got what we wanted!" cried Jessie.

"Let's take out our two new Pokemon!" cried James. Jessie quickly opened the box.

"Gotcha!" she cried. But all they saw was a teary-eyed Timmy.

"That's definitely not Pikachu or Eevee!" cried Jessie. Timmy cried out in fear.

"Don't cry. Don't cry, sweetie." Said Jessie. "Don't cry." James looked inside the box.

"There's no Pikachu or Eevee anywhere in here." He said.

"How could that be?" wondered Jessie.

"Maybe it's magic." Answered James. Timmy then spotted Meowth.

"It's Meowth! I can't believe it's really you!" he cried. "Put me down! Put me down!" Jessie let him go so he could approach Meowth.

"It's me, don't you remember?" cried Timmy. "I was in the forest and a Beedrill came after me! And then you came and chased it away!" Meowth looked at Timmy in confusion.

"Ever since you saved me that day, I've wanted a Meowth of my very own!" cried Timmy. "That's because you're my hero!"

"I think you've got the wrong…" started Meowth, but jessie and James covered his mouth before he could continue.

"Give us a moment." Said Jessie.

"Quiet, Meowth." Said James. He and Jessie ran behind the van.

"This kid never saw you." Said Jessie. "Some wild Meowth must've saved him from the Beedrill. But he thinks you're that Meowth."

"Me?" said Meowth.

"You have to make him think that you're the wild Meowth he saw." Said James.

"Do I have to?" asked Meowth.

"Team Rocket may be rotten cheaters, but we're not in the business of destroying children's dreams!" cried James. "At least, not yet."

"And Team Rocket may be liars, but one lie can make one of us a hero in the eyes of one little boy on Kids Day!" cried Jessie.

"I could be a hero?" said Meowth. He imagined himself in a superhero costume and signing autographs for lots of kids.

"I'll do it!" cried Meowth.

"And don't forget to keep your mouth shut." Said Jessie.

"One word and he'll know that you're a fake." Said James.

"No problem." Said Meowth.

"Remember, not a single word." Instructed Jessie.

"Don't forget." Added James.

Meanwhile, Timmy looked around for Meowth.

"Meowth? Meowth? Where did you go?" asked Timmy. Jessie and James came out from behind the van.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, crybaby." Said Jessie.

"Even tough guys are scared of Team Rocket." Said James.

"Now we'll show you why." Said Jessie. Timmy backed away and Meowth got between him and Team Rocket.

"You don't think a measly Meowth can stop us, do you?" laughed Jessie.

"You don't stand a chance." Said James.

"Come on, Meowth!" cried Timmy. "You can protect me from these two just like you saved me from that Beedrill!"

"Meowth!" cried Meowth.

"We're going to get you!" cried Jessie. James chuckled wickedly.

"Meowth, use your Fury Swipes just like you did on that Beedrill!" cried Timmy. Meowth looked at Timy in a confused way as Jessie and James closed in on them and laughed. Meowth then jumped and attacked them with Fury Swipes, knocking them down.

"Good acting." Said Jessie.

"Meowth was a little too good." Said James.

"Hooray!" cried Timmy. Meowth laughed, took Timmy's hand and went back to the school with him.

Meanwhile, the gang was getting ready to look for Timmy.

"All right, let's split up!" cried Ash. "We have to find Timmy!"

"Good!" cried Brock.

"Right!" cried Misty.

"The rest of you kids go back inside where it's safe." Said Ms. Reiko. The kids just stood there.

"I SAID GO BACK INSIDE!" yelled Ms. Reiko. Before they could move, Timmy's voice was heard.

"Hey!" cried Timmy.

"It's Timmy!" cried Ash.

"He must've escaped from Team Rocket." Said Lucy.

"Look! Here's the Meowth that I told you about!" cried Timmy.

"How'd you find it, Timmy?" asked Brock.

"Meowth came back to help me again!" cried Timmy.

"Wow!" cried Lucy.

"This wild Meowth looks like the one from Team Rocket." Said Brock. Misty wasn't so sure, though.

"It sure does." She said.

"Hey, Timmy. I guess you were telling the truth after all." Said a kid.

"I shouldn't have called you a liar, Timmy." Said another kid. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

"That's okay." Said Timmy. "I'm just happy I finally found my friend Meowth."

"Is it okay if we play with Meowth too?" asked a kid.

"Is that okay with you, Meowth?" asked Timmy. Meowth nodded.

"Okay!" cried Timmy.

"Really?" cried the other kid. All the kids gathered around Meowth.

"Everybody loves Meowth!" cried Timmy.

"That's right!" cried Meowth.

"Hey, that Meowth just said something." Said Misty.

"What?" asked Ash.

"Meowth. I definitely heard it say something." Said Misty.

"She's right! That Meowth most definitely talked!" cried Lucy. Everyone was surprised that Meowth had spoken, and Meowth realized that he had just blown his cover.

"Meowth?" asked Timmy. Meowth turned and prepared to run.

"Don't go!" cried Timmy. The kids all pleaded for Meowth to stay, but the cat Pokemon was torn between his desire to make the kids happy and his loyalty to Team Rocket.

"Meowth, come back!" cried Timmy. He ran after Meowth, with Ash and his friends following behind.

"Wait!" cried Ash. The other kids and Ms. Reiko also followed.

Elsewhere, Meowth regrouped with Team Rocket.

"What happened?" asked Jessie.

"I think I might've slipped." Answered Meowth.

"What a relief!" cried Jessie.

"The hero show is over!" cried James. Ash's group soon arrived to where Meowth's trail had led.

"It's a dead end." Said Brock.

"That's weird. We followed Meowth straight in here." Said Ash.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Said Lucy.

"And that bad feeling is right, because you fell right into our trap!" cried Jessie. Everyone looked and saw Jessie and James on top of a giant rock.

"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!" Before Meowth could say his name, James and Jessie smacked him upward.

"Not you guys again!" cried Ash.

"Pika." Groaned Pikachu, which meant 'Oh, great.'

"We're retired from the world of magic." Said Jessie.

"But we still have some tricks up our sleeves." Said James. The kids all gathered around Team Rocket's rock platform.

"Go back to where you came from, little brats!" cried Jessie.

"Disappear, now!" cried James. The kids refused to disappear.

"Time for a Pokemon battle!" cried Jessie and James.

"If that's what you want!" cried Lucy.

"All right, you asked for it!" cried Ash.

"Arbok, go!" cried jessie.

"Weezing, go!" cried James. The two poison types materialized.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized.

"Butterfree, go!" cried Lucy. Butterfree materialized.

"I'll help you guys." Said Brock. "Onix, go!" Onix materialized.

"Weezing, Smog attack!" cried James. Weezing started to spread its smog.

"That old trick won't work this time!" cried Ash. "Pidgeotto, Gust attack!"

"Butterfree, use your Gust attack too!" cried Lucy. The attacks succeeded and blew Weezing and the smog back, but everyone saw a hole in the ground, and Arbok nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd Arbok go?" said Brock.

"I don't know!" cried Ash.

"It went underground!" cried Lucy.

"Peekaboo!" cried Jessie. Arbok burst from the rock wall and dove at Pidgeotto and Butterfree.

"Pidgeotto, look out!" cried Ash.

"Be careful, Butterfree!" cried Lucy. Before Arbok could land an attack, Onix rammed into it and sent it at Jessie and James, who ducked in time. But the impact from Arbok hitting the rock wall dislodged a rock that came down to the battlefield, endangering everyone.

"Look! That rock!" cried Brock.

"We have to evacuate, now!" cried Lucy.

"Run for it, guys! And hurry!" cried Ash. As everyone was running, Timmy tripped.

"Oh no! Timmy!" cried Ash. He rushed over, picked Timmy up in his arms and carried the boy as the rock started rolling downhill. Meowth saw the rock.

"It's too late!" he cried. Ash saw the rock coming toward him and Timmy.

"Ash! Timmy! No!" cried Lucy.

"They're going to get…" said Meowth. But before he could finish, another Meowth jumped over him and kicked the rock in half with one shot. Timmy instantly recognized which Meowth it was.

"Meowth!" cried Timmy.

"What was that?" asked Meowth. He then noticed Jessie and James on top of another rock and rolling towards him, which forced hm to run away.

"Get us off this thing!" cried Jessie and James. "Team Rocket just keeps rolling along!" Everyone looked at the wild Meowth and laughed.

Later, the group was about to leave the preschool.

"Thank you so much for all of your help." Said Ms. Reiko.

"If you need more help, just call me!" cried Brock.

"You know something, Ash?" said Timmy. "When I get big, I'm going to be a Pokemon trainer just like you, Brock, Misty and Lucy. Then me and my Meowth can get into the Pokemon League!"

"The Pokemon League, huh?" said Ash.

"That means someday, you'll be competing against Ash and Lucy." Said Misty.

"It'll be fun to compete against an old friend, won't it, Timmy?" said Ash. Timmy nodded.

"Ash and I look forward to it." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'As do Pikachu and I.' The group then left.

"Take care!" cried Ash.

"See ya!" cried Misty.

"Bye, everybody!" cried Brock.

"Pika!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'Happy Kids Day!' Timmy's Meowth watched the group go on their way. As they head toward their next Pokemon adventure, our friends know that this is one Kids Day they'll never forget. I don't think Timmy is going to forget it either.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was walking on a trail in front of an evening sky.

"Too bad, Meowth." Said Jessie. "If you had kept your mouth shut, you could've made everyone think that you were the hero."

"Nah. Those helpless bunch of sticky little brats would've driven me nuts." Said Meowth. "Besides, you two need me more than they do."

"Dream on, Meowth." Said James. "By the way, what do we do now?"

"Meowth, we've got to get Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Jessie.

"Don't worry, Jessie. Meowth always has a plan." Said James. "Don't you, Meowth?" Meowth simply chuckled.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 62: Riddle Me This

Ash and Lucy are getting closer to entering the Pokemon League. Now they're ready to compete for their seventh badges, the Volcano Badge. As Ash and his friends sail towards Cinnabar Island, who knows what surprises await them.

"I can't wait until we get to Cinnabar." Said Misty. "It's supposed to beautiful."

"It is." Said Lucy. "Compared to other islands that I've been to, the ocean views on Cinnabar are incredible."

"It's got an awesome volcano." Said Brock. "Best of all, its' Pokemon Research Laboratory is one of the best in the world. Trainers from all over come to learn about the latest Pokemon techniques."

"I'm heading right for the Cinnabar gym, and my next badge!" cried Ash.

"So am I." said Lucy. "It's going to be seventh gym, and then we only have one more after that before we can head to the Pokemon League." A familiar voice was soon heard, one which belonged to Gary Oak.

"Don't worry, girls! You'll all get a chance to take a picture with me!" cried Gary. He noticed Ash and Lucy. "Hey! Who let the loser and his girlfriend on the boat?!"

"I am NOT his girlfriend!" cried Lucy.

"Gary? You're going to Cinnabar Island too?!" cried Ash.

"I'm assuming you're heading to the gym too, right?" said Lucy. The group soon saw all the passengers on the boat relaxing, diving into the pool, having a drink and enjoying ourselves, to the surprise of everyone.

"There sure are a lot of people on this boat." Said Ash. "I bet all of them are Pokemon trainers."

"If that's the case, we're looking at a long line of people looking to fight for the Volcano Badge." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'I'll say.

"Pika pi." Said Little Pikachu, which meant 'Lots of 'em.'

"Trainers?! I'm surprised you two don't have a clue." Replied Gary. "Pokemon trainers haven't been to Cinnabar Island since my grandfather's days as a trainer. These people are all tourists. Cinnabar Island's merely a resort." Ash and lucy stumbled, and Eevee and both Pikachu just about fell off their trainer's backpacks.

"It's a resort?!" cried Ash.

"Then why are you on this boat?" asked Lucy.

"I've earned so many badges already that I'm taking a break to work on my tan." Gary answered.

"He's so cool." Said the girls.

"Real trainers never take any breaks." Said Ash. "Just ask Lucy over here. So while you're busy tanning, we'll be at the gym winning our badges!"

"From what I've heard, Cinnabar Island doesn't even have a gym anymore." Said Gary.

"What do you mean? It's got to have a gym!" cried Ash.

"If there's no gym, then there's no way we can win a badge here." Said Lucy. "I'm siding with Ash. There has to be a gym somewhere there."

"You two can believe what you want to, but you'll find out for yourselves the hard way." Replied Gary. "You're both just wasting your time."

"We'll just see who's the one wasting time!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Got that right!' The boat soon reached Cinnabar Island, but the group was disappointed to not see a gym anywhere near them upon disembarking.

"Maybe Gary was right." Said Ash.

"This place is a tourist trap." Said Misty.

"Could the gym really be gone?" wondered Lucy.

"Might as well look around." Said Brock. As the group walked around the island, they saw lines of people everywhere.

"No sign of a Pokemon gym, but there sure are a lot of tourists here." Said Brock. "There's so many nice islands. I wonder why this one became so popular." The group soon stopped in front of somebody.

"The answer is a riddle." Said the person. "What do tourists think is hot in cool?" The group thought about the riddle that they were given.

"I know the answer to that one!" cried Ash. "If you lie down in front of an open refrigerator, and you wrap yourself in an electric blanket, you'll be hot and cool at the same time. Right?"

"That is totally, wrong." Said the person.

"Well, hot springs are really hot." Said Misty.

"And tourists think they're cool!" cried Lucy.

"That's right!" cried the stranger.

"Wow, Misty and Lucy are pretty good with riddles." Said Brock.

"You see, friends, because of the volcano, there are lots of hot springs here on Cinnabar Island." Said the stranger. "And every year, more and more tourists come to visit 'em. Now, they've even taken over Cinnabar Island. Trainers don't even come anymore. Tourists! They've ruined the island!"

"We have one question." Said Lucy.

"Is the Pokemon gym still here?" asked Ash.

"We have to earn a Volcano Badge." Said Lucy.

"I heard that the gym leader was a guy named Blaine." Said Misty.

"His gym is right where you put your glasses." Said the stranger.

"Glasses." Said Ash.

"That's a tricky one." Said Brock.

"Actually, it's fairly simple." Said Lucy. "Glasses go on your eyes, which means the gym has to be in front of our eyes.

"Right again!" cried the stranger. "Blaine's gym is right in front of your eyes!" He pointed to a building right in front of them that was all dilapidated.

"Pika?!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'What in the world happened there?!'

"That's it?" asked Brock.

"It's a wreck." Added Misty.

"Wreck would be an understatement." Said Lucy. "THAT PLACE IS A TOTAL DISASTER!"

"Blaine got tired of battling tourists who cared more about postcards and t-shirts than about Pokemon." Said the stranger. "That's when he abandoned the gym.

"Then there's no way Gary would've gotten a badge from here." Said Lucy.

"But Lucy and I aren't just some stupid tourists!" cried Ash. "We're real trainers! We came all the way out here so we could both battle for a Volcano Badge!"

"I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place, my friends." Said the stranger. He handed Ash and Lucy a business card, which showed that he owned an inn.

"Here's my card if you need anything." He said.

"The Big Riddle Inn." Said Ash.

"You own an inn?" said Lucy.

"How can you run a hotel and then blame tourists for ruining the island?" asked Misty. "That doesn't make any sense to me." She then noticed that the man was gone.

"I wonder how he disappeared like that." Said Brock.

"He sure was weird." Said Ash.

"It's just a shame that the gym is no more." Said Lucy.

"Well, even if this place is full of tourists, we should still check out that lab." Said Ash.

"It can't be that bad." Said Brock.

"Oh yeah?" said Misty. The gang looked and saw lots of tourists outside the lab.

"It's just a bunch of souvenir stands!" groaned Ash.

"Looks like the lab's another tourist attraction." Said Brock.

"Great! What next?" groaned Lucy. Ash's stomach started growling.

"I guess all this disappointment's making me hungry." He said.

"We should call it a day." Said Misty. Another stomach growl was heard.

"Ash isn't the only one who's hungry." Said Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Eevee and I are also hungry!'

"Why don't we check out the Pokemon Center?" suggested Misty.

"Good idea." Said Brock.

"Let's go." Said Ash. As they walked by, two familiar characters worked a stand that was nearby.

"Not one cookie sold." Said Jessie. "Our snack stand's a flop. Isn't that just our luck, James?"

"I'll say it is, Jessie." Replied James. "And we're right near that lab and it's packed with powerful Pokemon!"

"Guess that's how the cookie crumbles." Said Meowth.

Meanwhile, Ash's group had arrived at the Pokemon Center, but it was packed with people looking for a place to sleep.

"I'm very sorry." Said Nurse Joy. "We've got so many visitors that they're even sleeping in the lobby. It's the busy season. We simply don't have any room." The group soon left.

"I think we were the only ones in that whole center who actually have Pokemon on us." Said Brock.

"Well, I guess we can always camp out again in our sleeping bags." Said Misty.

"Hey, look!" cried Ash. They spotted a hotel up ahead.

"I bet we can get a room there." Said Lucy. However…

"You must be joking." Said the owner. "We haven't had a room in weeks." The group went to find another hotel.

"Let's try this one." Said Lucy. But they got the same result.

"No rooms in this hotel either!" cried the second owner. "We're booked up for a year! Try coming back late next summer, or maybe in the fall!" At a third hotel….

"Sorry, nothing here!" And a fourth….

"Have you tried the hotel across the street?" And a fifth….

"Sorry, no vacancies." The group walked away from the hotel both tired and hungry.

"I'm so hungry I could eat a Horsea." Said Ash.

"I'm too tired to eat." Said Misty. "I just want a nice, soft bed.

"Some sleep would be nice, if we can just find a hotel that actually has space!" cried Lucy. Ash turned around and heard music coming from the hotel they had just tried. He also smelled food coming from the same place.

"I've just about had it!" cried Brock. "Let's find a spot to camp out!"

"Hey. That smells good." Said Ash. He started walking toward the source of the music and the smell.

"Wait, Ash! Where are you going?" asked Brock.

"Pika Pi!" cried Pikachu.

"We already tried that hotel! It's full!" cried Misty.

"What part of no vacancies did you NOT understand?!" cried Lucy.

"She's right, so just forget it!" cried Brock. Ash soon saw silhouettes behind the door where the music and smell were coming from.

"It's not fair!" cried Ash. "They're having a banquet in there!" His stomach started growling again as one of the silhouettes got up, opened the door and showed himself.

"Gary?!" cried Ash.

"I thought I heard something out here." Said Gary. "Hey, look. It's the sucker squad!"

"WHAT DID HE JUST CALL US!?" screamed Lucy.

"So, what hotel are you all staying in?" asked Gary.

"Well, we couldn't find any hotels with rooms available, so….." Lucy answered.

"We're camping out." Ash finished.

"Too bad you don't have a place like this." Said Gary. "Take a look." The group looked inside and saw Gary's cheerleader squad and an Electabuzz and Hitmonlee wearing traditional Japanese costumes. They were holding two shamisen and Ash's group were left in shock over how much food they had.

"See all the food they give you?" said Gary. "And that's just the appetizers." Everybody gulped nervously.

"Say, I have an idea." Said Gary. "I'll give you my leftovers in a doggy bag if you spin around three times and say Pikachu."

"Not on your life!" cried Ash. "I'd die of hunger first!" His stomach growled again.

"Maybe you should let your stomach do the talking next time." Said Gary. Pikachu tried doing what Gary said, but Ash stopped him.

"No, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "We'll never get so desperate that we have to sink to Gary's level." His stomach growled again, along with Lucy's.

"Even your Pokemon feel sorry for the two of you." Said Gary. "I've never seen anyone so pathetic!"

"Have you tried a mirror?" said Misty.

"He probably couldn't because it would break from all his constant boasting!" cried Lucy.

"Let's go, guys." Said Brock. Before they could leave, a Jigglypuff showed up.

"Great, that must be the entertainment." Said Gary. Upon seeing the Jigglypuff, Ash and his friends ran for the hills. Togepi jumped out of Lucy's backpack, only for Eevee to catch it and catch up with the others.

"Eevee Ve!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Togepi!'

Meanwhile, the Jigglypuff got on a stool and got ready to start singing.

"They don't know what they're missing." Said Gary. The Jigglypuff started singing, which put everyone to sleep, frustrating it.

Meanwhile, Ash's group stopped to catch their breath after running off so quickly.

"That was a close one." Said Lucy.

"Jigglypuff almost got us." Said Ash.

"At least those guys are sleeping now." Said Misty.

"Ash, what about that card that old guy gave you and Lucy?" said Brock.

"Good idea, Brock." Said Lucy. "Maybe he has rooms available for us." Ash got out the card.

"Must be directions to his hotel." He said. Brock and Lucy examined the card more closely.

"I see something written on it." Said Lucy.

"That's strange." Said Brock. "If you look near the swing, you'll see my hands. Or at least my face."

"Not another riddle!" cried Ash.

"This guy and his riddles are making my brain hurt." Groaned Lucy. Brock looked behind him to his left.

"There's a swing over there, but I don't see anyone's hands or face." He said.

"Me either."

"You'll see my hands, or at least my face." Said Misty.

"I know! He means a clock!" cried Lucy.

"A clock?" repeated Ash.

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'A clock?'

"Look up there!" cried Lucy. "You can see the hands and face of a clock." Everyone looked up over the trees behind the swings and saw a building with a clock.

"That must be the Big Riddle Inn!" cried Misty. The group soon reached the inn and were greeted by the same man as before.

"Once again, the girls came up with the correct solution." He said.

"Tat was an easy one." Said Misty.

"As a prize, I'll give you all free rooms in the hotel." He said.

"Your riddles may be dumb and stupid, but your riddles are fantastic!" cried Ash.

"I guess I'll take that as a compliment, Ash." Said the man. Ash's stomach growled once again.

"I guess you'll be wanting dinner too." The man added.

"Right." Said Ash.

"Will dinner be free for solving the riddle too?" asked Lucy.

"Of course, my friend." Said the man.

Meanwhile, at the Pokemon Research Lab, several fighting type Pokemon were seen working out while a Poliwhirl cleaned itself in the pool. Outside and above the lab, team Rocket got ready to attack.

"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!" Meowth interrupted them.

"Blast off at light speed, prepare to fight, and all that other junk!" he cried. "Let's rob that Pokemon lab!"

"Bombs away!" cried Jessie.

"Roger!" cried James. Team Rocket soon dropped a bomb on the lab building right at the same time a call was sent to the Big Riddle Inn.

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" answered the old man. He picked up the phone right away.

"Thank you for calling the Big Riddle Inn." He said. "Be our guest, and we'll keep you guessing." In the dining room, everyone except Misty was chowing down.

"Aren't you hungry, Misty?" asked Ash.

"I just want to go to bed." Answered Misty.

"But you can't sleep on an empty stomach." Said Lucy. "I know that feeling all too well." The group soon got wind of the call the old man had answered.

"That's terrible!" he cried.

"Is something wrong?" asked Ash.

"The Pokemon lab is being attacked by a balloon!" cried the old man. The group was shocked by the news.

"Attacked?!" cried Ash.

"By a balloon!" cried Misty.

"But that means only one thing." Said Brock.

"Team Rocket!" they cried simultaneously.

"I thought we left them locked up in jail after that whole breeding center incident." Said Misty.

"They must've escaped." Said Brock.

"Not even a jail cell can stop them?!" cried Lucy.

Meanwhile, the Pokemon in the lab were being lifted up and out in a net from Team Rocket's balloon.

"Just a heave and a ho!" cried Jessie.

"And up all the Pokemon go!" cried James. He and Meowth both laughed.

"This sure beats selling cookies!" cried Jessie. Team Rocket laughed as Ash's group arrived on the scene.

"They're floating away!" cried the old man.

"We're about to burst their bubble!" cried Ash. "Pidgeotto, go!" Pidgeotto materialized.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" cried Lucy. Butterfree materialized.

"Pikachu, you and Pidgeotto go help bring back all those Pokemon!" cried Ash.

"Eevee, you and Butterfree help out too!" cried Lucy.

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

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'On it!' The two of them jumped onto the backs of Pidgeotto and Butterfree and they flew to the balloon.

"Heave and ho and away we go!" cried Team Rocket. They suddenly stopped pulling when they noticed Pidgeotto, Butterfree, Pikachu and Eevee flying towards them.

"Oh no!" cried Jessie.

"It can't be!" cried James.

"Yes it can!" cried Meowth. Pikachu used Thundershock to shock Team Rocket and force them to drop the net and the Pokemon inside it. The electrical power running through and around the balloon caused it to spring a leak and go flying away.

"Looks like we're blasting off again!" cried Team Rocket. On the roof of the lab, the rescued Pokemon celebrated.

"Thanks for saving those Pokemon, guys." Said the old man. "You all deserve a big reward, so I'll let you in on a little secret. Blaine built a gym that tourists never see." The group perked up with excitement upon hearing that news.

"He did?" said Ash.

"And the tourists don't know where it is?" asked Lucy. The old man nodded.

"It's in a place where firefighters can never win." He answered. Ash and Lucy fell over in disbelief.

"We have to solve another riddle?!" cried Ash. "What kind of reward is that?!"

Later, the group was back at the inn and in the hot spring meditating over a possible answer for the riddle they had been given.

"I can't figure it out." Said Ash.

"It's where a firefighter can never win." Said Brock.

"Where could a firefighter never win?" said Misty. "Maybe someplace that doesn't have enough water."

"If firefighters are supposed to put out fires, they'd have to do it somewhere with no water and lots of fire." Said Lucy. She and Misty then noticed that someone was missing.

"Togepi?" Misty called.

"She's over there, Misty." Said Lucy.

"What are you doing, Togepi?" asked Misty. Togepi was looking at the Gyrados shaped fountain where all the water was coming from. Lucy and Misty both saw this and gasped.

"Togepi, get away from there!" cried Lucy. "That water's boiling hot! You'll get hurt!" Togepi excitedly jumped into the fountain, but soon, the fountain head moved downward and a secret door in the base of the volcano opened up, which destroyed the barrier wall of the hot spring in the process.

"There was a secret passage at the base of this volcano the whole time?!" cried Lucy. The group soon headed into the secret passageway.

"Is it just me, or is it getting hot down here?" asked Misty.

"Oh, it's getting hot all right." Said Brock.

"All this heat is making me sweat." Said Lucy. They soon reached the bottom of the stairs.

"It's a door!" cried Ash.

"Someone had to have made something down here." Said Lucy. "But whatever it is, it has to be a thousand degrees in here! No wonder I'm sweating!" Ash tried to open the door, but he burned his hand on the handle and reeled in pain. Lucy just shook her head at him.

"It's burning hot!" cried Ash.

"How can we possibly open the door if we can't even touch it?" said Lucy. Right at that moment, the door opened to reveal a battlefield suspended over lava.

"A battlefield inside a volcano!" cried Lucy. "Amazing!"

"Then this must be Blaine's gym." Said Ash.

"So THIS was the answer to the riddle." Said Lucy.

"No firefighter could win in this place." Said Brock.

"There sure isn't enough water to put out a volcano." Said Misty. The lights soon came on, and the old man was shown to be on the opposite side.

"I guess you solved my riddle." He said.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'That guy?'

"What are you doing here?!" cried Ash.

"It's not a hat, but it keeps your head dry." Said the old man. "If you wear it, it's because you already lost it."

"Not another one!" cried Lucy.

"Uh, an umbrella?" asked Ash.

"An umbrella keeps your head dry, but you don't wear it because you lost it." Said Brock.

"Yeah, I guess not." Said Ash.

"It's a wig!" cried Lucy.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"A wig isn't a hat, but it keeps your head dry in the rain." Said Misty.

"And the only reason you would wear a wig is if you lost all your hair." Added Lucy.

"And the girls have done it again." Said the man. He removed his wig and mustache to reveal an older man. "Wig is correct!" he cried.

"It's a wig!" they all cried.

"Don't you get it?!" the man cried. "I wear a wig because I'm really Blaine, the gym master!" Everyone sweat dropped over the revelation.

"Great disguise, Blaine." Said Lucy. "Tell me this. Do you still remember your old gym?"

"I sure do." Said Blaine. "One battle I fondly remember there was the one against the one and only Red. It was an intense battle too, just like the heat in this volcano. I'm sure this battle we're about to have will be the same." He looked at both Lucy and Ash.

"Now then, which of you two wants to go first in battling me three on three?" Blaine asked.

"You go ahead, Ash." Said Lucy. "I've gone first each of the last few gyms we've been to."

"Fine by me." Said Ash.

"Be careful. He must raise some awesome fire Pokemon in this Volcano." Said Brock.

"Use your water Pokemon, Ash." Said Misty.

"I know that!" exclaimed Ash.

"The only water Pokemon that Ash has on him right now is Squirtle." Said Lucy. "If he goes down, then it might be tough. But I know Ash can do it."

"Ready to begin, Ash?" said Blaine.

"Ready when you are!" cried Ash.

"Fine! I've already selected my first Pokemon!" cried Blaine. "Ninetales, go!" Ninetales materialized, and Ash got out his Pokedex.

"Ninetales, the Fox Pokemon. The evolved form of Vulpix."

"I knew he'd choose a fire type!" cried Ash. "Big mistake! Squirtle, I choose you!" Squirtle materialized.

"A water type, how predictable." Said Blaine. "Go, Ninetales, Fire Spin now!"

"Fire Spin is Ninetales' most powerful attack!" cried Brock.

"He might be trying to end this early!" cried Lucy. Ninetales launched its attack.

"Squirtle, Water Gun attack, now!" cried Ash. The attacks collided, but Fire Spin overcame the Water Gun. Squirtle panicked and hid in his shell to protect himself as the attack hit.

"Pika, Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Oh no! Squirtle!'

"Squirtle!" cried Ash. "Squirtle, you can't give up yet!" Squirtle came out of his shell, but he fainted from the power and heat of the Fire Spin.

"Choosing a Pokemon is more than just selecting the right type." Said Blaine. "I takes wisdom to win a gym battle. Someone with six gym badges should know that by now."

"Then I'll fight fire with fire." Said Ash. He got out a Poke Ball.

"I'm counting on you, so give it your best shot." He said.

"Wait, whose Poke Ball does he have?" said Lucy. She suddenly realized which Pokemon he was about to send out.

"Ash, don't!" she cried.

"Charizard, I choose you!" cried Ash. Charizard materialized.

"So you've chosen a Charizard." Said Blaine. "Return, Ninetales." Blaine's Ninetales returned to its Poke Ball.

"Now I'll teach that kid a lesson." Said Blaine. "Go, Rhydon!" Rhydon materialized, prompting Ash to get out his Pokedex again.

"Rhydon, the evolved form of Rhyhorn. It is known as the Drill Pokemon. Its large horn gives it formidable attack power." Charizard simply turned its head away and refused to fight.

"Please, Charizard, I'm begging you!" cried Ash. "Please battle!"

"That's embarrassing." Said Brock.

"Pika." Agreed Pikachu, which meant 'Very.'

"This poor kid is way in over his head." Said Blaine. "Rhydon, Horn Drill!" Rhydon started spinning his horn for the attack, but Charizard flew off the battlefield and over to a nearby rock for a nap.

"Oh, give me a break, Charizard!" cried Ash.

"Charizard has left the ring. Rhydon is the winner!" cried Blaine.

"Oh no, Ash." Said Misty.

"I told you not to use Charizard, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"It's all up to you now, Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Your little Pikachu doesn't stand a chance against my Rhydon." Said Blaine.

"Forget its size!" cried Ash as he returned Charizard to his Poke Ball. "Pikachu, max power!" Pikachu charged.

"Rhydon, Fury Attack!" cried Blaine. Rhydon charged and tried to hit Pikachu with its horn, but Pikachu dodged.

"Hey, pretty impressive!" cried Blaine.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack, now!" cried Ash. The attack hit, but Rhydon brushed it off.

"Ha! Electric attacks won't work, boy." Said Blaine.

"Ash, don't you know by now that electricity is ineffective on rock and ground type Pokemon?" said Lucy. Ash then thought of something.

"Pikachu, the horn!" cried Ash. Pikachu looked up at Rhyon's horn and saw what he had to do.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's it!' Pikachu jumped and aimed a Thunderbolt at Rhydon's horn. The attack landed and took its toll.

"Oh no!" cried Blaine.

"It worked!" cried Ash.

"Smart move!" cried Brock. "Rhydon's horn acts like a lightning rod!"

"I'm sure Rhydon got a charge out of that!" cried Misty.

"That has to be a real shock for Blaine!" cried Lucy. Rhydon fell on its back, dazed and beaten.

"Rhydon, return!" cried Blaine. Pikachu started breathing heavily while Rhydon got recalled to its Poke Ball.

"I'll have to choose another Pokemon." Said Blaine.

"Pikachu can handle anything!" cried Ash.

"This Pokemon is too hot to handle." Said Blaine. "And it has a power that should be of interest to you, because it turns all of its opponents into ash!"

"No fair!" cried Ash. "It's too hot to solve riddles!"

"That's no riddle, Ash!" cried Lucy. "That's a warning!"

"She's right!" cried Blaine. "I choose, Magmar!" The lava suddenly rose.

"Magmar?" said Ash. The lava fell back down as Magmar was revealed.

"What is that?!" cried Ash.

"Let's find out." Said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out.

"Magmar, the Spitfire Pokemon. Its body is like a furnace, making Magmar a living inferno. It has been discovered only near active volcanoes." Magmar and Pikachu stared each other down.

"Magmar, Fire Punch, now!" cried Blaine. Magmar's fists set themselves on fire to attack, but Pikachu was able to dodge most of the oncoming attacks.

"You're too fast for it, Pikachu!" cried Ash. One Fire Punch did manage to graze Pikachu, which sent him reeling back.

"You can do it, Pikachu!" cried Ash. Pikachu tried a Thunderbolt next, but Magmar's heat blocked it.

"Magmar's using an air lens!" cried Brock.

"What's an air lens?" said Ash.

"Magmar heats the air around it to a super high temperature, which refracts electric attacks." Brock answered.

"Oh no!" cried Ash. Magmar threw Fire Punch after Fire Punch at Pikachu, backing it up to the edge of the arena, just inches from falling into the fiery void below. Pikachu worriedly looked behind him and saw that he was only one wrong move away from falling into the molten lava.

"Pikachu!" cried Brock.

"This looks bad!" cried Misty.

"You better believe it is!" cried Lucy. "One wrong move from Pikachu, and he'll be going for a swim. But in molting hot lava instead of refreshing cold water!"

"Magmar, Fire Blast!" cried Blaine.

"Ash, Fire Blast is the most powerful attack a Fire type has!" cried Misty.

"My Arcanine has that attack!" cried Lucy.

"You better give up, Ash, or Pikachu's toast!" cried Brock.

"We can't give up now!" cried Ash. "We've got to think of something!"

"Magmar, go!" cried Blaine. Magmar fired its attack.

"I can't look!" cried Lucy. She quickly turned away.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. And so, it's Pikachu versus the volcano! Will little Pikachu be turned into the world's cutest lava lamp? Find out in our next fiery episode!

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 63: Volcanic Panic

In the last episode, Ash and his friends went searching for the Cinnabar Island gym so that Ash and Lucy could battle for their seventh badges. But our heroes were in for a scorching surprise when they found the hidden gym suspended over a pool of molten lava. Blaine, the riddle loving gym leader, accepted Ash and Lucy's challenge, battling Ash first and choosing Ninetales to go up against Ash's Squirtle. But water was no match for fire as Ninetales won the first round with a powerful Fire Spin attack. Next, Rhydon faced Ash's Charizard. But as usual, Charizard refused to obey Ash's commands and ended up snoozing and losing! How could Ash possibly turn things around and battle back for his Volcano Badge? It was Pikachu to the rescue with another electrifying effort to defeat Rhydon, but then, Magmar rose out of the lava as Blaine's final Pokemon. The powerful spitfire Pokemon proved to be invulnerable to voltage, and relentlessly pushed Pikachu to the brink of incineration! Pikachu is in real Pika-peril!

Magmar launched its Fire Blast attack at Pikachu. The poor electric type panicked nervously.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Oh my!'

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

"Pikachu, duck for cover!" cried Ash. Pikachu did so, but when the attack got to where Pikachu was standing, the electric mouse had disappeared.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Pikachu!" cried Misty and Brock.

"Oh, I hope he didn't fall in!" cried Lucy. She soon spotted Pikachu hanging for dear life on the edge of the battlefield.

"Talk about your close call!" cried Lucy. "Pikachu managed to grab onto the edge before falling in from that Fire Blast. Oh no, it looks like he has a burn mark on his back!" Pikachu got back onto the battlefield, but he was exhausted.

"Your Pikachu doesn't know when to give up." Said Blaine.

"Forget it, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "It's not worth it!"

"Pika?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Say what?'

"I quit!" Ash declared. "No badge is worth losing Pikachu!" Lucy breathed a sigh of relief.

"You did the right thing, Ash." She said.

"You made a wise decision, Ash." Said Blaine. He put his wig back on. "And it was just in time too. If you had been foolish enough to continue with the match, you definitely would've been disqualified as a Pokemon trainer. Your Pikachu needs rest. The hot springs will help it recover from its injuries." He started walking away.

"Hey, where are you going, Blaine?" said Ash. "You have to give me another chance."

"We may battle again, someday." Said Blaine. He was about to walk out of the room before being stopped by Lucy.

"Hold it, Blaine!" she cried. "I still have to battle you for a badge!"

"Thanks for reminding me, Lucy." Said Blaine. He took his wig off and came back. "I hope you'll be a better fighter than Ash."

"I'm sure I will!" Lucy declared with confidence.

"I'm sorry, Pikachu. It's my fault that we lost." Said Ash. "But I'm not leaving Cinnabar Island until I beat Blaine and get that badge!"

"That's the spirit, Ash!" cried Misty.

"Ash, you, Misty and Brock take Pikachu to the hot springs like Blaine said." Instructed Lucy. "Oh, and Misty, bring Togepi with you too. I'll let you know how my match turns out once I'm finished." The field was soon cleared, and the battle was about to begin.

"Ninetales, you're up first!" cried Blaine. Ninetales materialized.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" cried Lucy. Her pink Butterfree materialized.

"All right, Butterfree, let's start with a Tackle attack!" ordered Lucy. Butterfree charged towards Ninetales.

"Quick Attack!" ordered Blaine. The attacks collided with each other.

"Ninetales, try another Quick Attack!" cried Blaine. Ninetales made another charge.

"Wait until Ninetales gets close." Said Lucy. Ninetales got ready to pounce, then….

"Sleep Powder, now!" cried Lucy. Butterfree sprayed blue dust on Ninetales, stopping its attack and sending it to sleep. Blaine was forced to recall Ninetales.

"Very clever strategy, young lady." Said Blaine. "But let's see how your Butterfree handles my Rhydon!" He tossed another Poke Ball and Rhydon materialized.

"Can you keep going, Butterfree?" asked Lucy. Butterfree nodded.

"Okay! Now, use your Gust attack!" cried Lucy. Butterfree's attack didn't have much effect due to Rhydon's dual ground and rock typing.

"Go, Rhydon! Use your Thunderbolt attack, now!" cried Blaine.

"What?!" cried Lucy. Rhydon's horn glowed yellow, and then delivered a powerful electric attack that sent Butterfree to the ground in defeat.

"Butterfree, return!" cried Lucy. She got out Butterfree's Poke Ball and recalled it.

"Thanks, Butterfree, you battled well." Said Lucy. She then tossed another Poke Ball.

"Squirtle, it's your turn!" she cried. Squirtle materialized.

"Ah, so you have a Squirtle too, just like your friend." Said Blaine.

"Go, Squirtle. Bubble Beam attack!" ordered Lucy. The attack landed.

"Rhydon should feel that." Said Lucy. "Another Bubble Beam, Squirtle!" Squirtle launched another attack.

"Rhydon, pop those bubbles with your Horn Drill!" ordered Blaine. Rhydon charged right through the Bubble Beam and stuck its horn out.

"Squirtle, try and get out of the way!" cried Lucy. Squirtle attempted to hide in his shell for protection, but the horn landed before the small water type could do so.

"Squirtle, no!" cried Lucy. Squirtle fell to the floor in a defeated state.

"Good try, Squirtle." Said Lucy as she recalled the water type. "Now I'm down to just one Pokemon left, so I better choose carefully.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Can I battle next, please?'

"I would rather you didn't." said Lucy. "You don't have a chance against that big Rhydon, for one thing. Two, I don't want what happened to Ash's Pikachu earlier happening to you, especially if we have to face Magmar." She grabbed another Poke Ball and tossed it.

"Arcanine, go!" she cried. Arcanine materialized.

"So you also brought a fire type with you." Said Blaine. "I hope it'll be more obedient than your friend's Charizard."

"Charizard may not exactly trust Ash right now, but I know that Arcanine definitely trusts me." Said Lucy.

"Well, let's see what happens." Said Blaine. "Go, Rhydon. Take Down, now!" Rhydon charged towards Arcanine.

"Arcanine, stop Rhydon with your Leer attack!" cried Lucy. The attack forced Rhydon to stop dead in its tracks.

"Fire Spin!" cried Lucy. Arcanine shot a circle of fire at Rhydon, engulfing it and sending it to the floor defeated.

"Rhydon, return!" cried Blaine. The ground type was recalled to its Poke Ball.

"Not too shabby, miss." Said Blaine. "You're clearly a much better battler than Ash. But now, it's time for both of us to fight fire with fire. I think you know what I mean based on my earlier match with your friend."

"Oh no. You don't mean…." Said Lucy.

"I do mean." Said Blaine. "Prepare to meet your ultimate match. Magmar, I choose you!" Magmar took to the field. Arcanine almost freaked out when he saw the powerful Magmar.

"Just stay calm, boy." Said Lucy. "Let's try not to lose our cool, okay?"

"Magmar, use your Flamethrower!" cried Blaine.

"Arcanine, use your own Flamethrower!" cried Lucy. The two attacks collided with each other.

"Fire Blast attack!" cried Lucy.

"Magmar, you do the same!" cried Blaine. The attacks collided again, although the one from Magmar was a bit more powerful and broke through the stalemate, hitting Arcanine.

"Hang in there, boy!" cried Lucy.

"Now, Magmar, Confuse Ray!" cried Blaine.

"Oh no!" cried Lucy. Magmar shot a ghost type ray at Arcanine, hitting it and sending the dog running rampant all over the field.

"Uh oh, Arcanine's confused!" cried Lucy. "What to do, what to do….."

"Magmar, Fire Punch!" cried Blaine.

"Arcanine, try to use your Take Down!" cried Lucy. Arcanine charged, but at the wrong person.

"Wait, no! Not at me!" cried Lucy. The next thing she knew, she was knocked down by the Take Down attack. She quickly got back up, though.

"Arcanine, what are you doing?!" cried Lucy. "I'm not a Pokemon, you're supposed to go after Magmar!" Arcanine roared loudly.

"Hyper Beam to end this!" cried Blaine. Magmar shot out a powerful beam at Arcanine.

"Watch out!" cried Lucy. The attack hit Arcanine, sending it to the floor. Arcanine tried to get up, but it collapsed and fainted.

"No! Arcanine!" cried Lucy. "Speak to me!" Arcanine let out a small whimper, but enough to show that it was okay."

"You did your very best, Arcanine." Said Lucy. She quickly recalled her fire type.

"Don't worry, we'll bounce back from this." She said to Arcanine's Poke Ball.

"You certainly gave me a better fight than Ash did." Said Blaine. "Once your Pokemon recover, we'll have a rematch." He put his wig on and walked out of the room.

Later, Ash and Lucy were at the hot springs, where Pikachu's injuries were being tended to.

"You'll feel a hundred percent soon, Pikachu." Said Ash. "And even better, when we win!"

"I can't believe you still want to battle Magmar." Said Misty. "It's Fire Blast attack is way too powerful! Even with all my water Pokemon put together, I probably still wouldn't be able to beat it."

"It turns out that I also lost to his Magmar." Said Lucy. "To make matters worse, this was the first time on this whole trip that I failed to beat a gym on my first try. But I'm determined to win that Volcano Badge, just like Ash is."

"I know we can win, Lucy." Said Ash. "It's just a matter of how to beat that Magmar."

"There are plenty of other Pokemon gyms out there, guys." Said Brock. "And neither of those hang over volcano pits."

"But Lucy and I need a Volcano Badge!" cried Ash. "Without it, we can't get into the Pokemon League.

"That's right!" Lucy added.

"If Charizard would battle, I know I'd win!" cried Ash. "But it still won't listen to me."

"That's why I told you not to use it in your battle." Said Lucy. "But of course, you had to be stubborn and not listen."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the barrier wall, bamboo shoots popped out of the water, with two familiar figures popping out alongside them.

"It's getting warm down here." Said James.

"I know, but we have to get used to the heat." Said Jessie.

"It's getting hotter!" cried James.

"Stop complaining!" snapped Jessie. The two of them started struggling for air when Meowth came in.

"If you two can't stand the heat in this hot spring, how are you going to stand it inside of that volcano?" he said.

"How else can we kidnap Magmar?" said James.

"We've got to have Magmar and beat Pikachu and Eevee too." Added Jessie.

"I've got a plan to snag Magmar." Said Meowth. "We'll go down to the volcano and tell Magmar that it won some phony prize, and then when its guard is down, we'll use our freeze blaster! Now, where am I going to get gloves that have only three fingers?"

"We'll have our own Pok-sicle!" cried Jessie.

"A Magmar-ita!" added James. Team Rocket headed down into the volcano, armed with freeze blasters, ready to put their plan into action. They soon reached the door to the battlefield.

"Here we go." Said Meowth. He put his paws on the door to try and open it, only to get burned. He gave a loud scream.

"My paws got burned!" he yelled. "Freeze blast 'em, quick!" Team Rocket burst into the battlefield.

"Hello? Is Magmar home?!" cried Jessie.

"Time to present our winner with the Pokemon Sweepstakes grand prize!" cried Meowth. "A trip for two to Mount Vesuvius! We've come here to the home of our lucky winner, Magmar." Jessie and James stomped on him before he could continue.

"Why do you always have to hog the spotlight, Meowth?!" cried Jessie.

"Give us a chance for once!" cried James. Magmar suddenly came out of the lava to see what the commotion was about. In the process, he frightened Jessie and James.

"Here's our…" said James.

"Winner." Finished Jessie.

"Don't just stand there gawking at it!" cried Meowth. "Freeze blast it before it's too late!" jessie and James pointed their freeze blasters at Magmar.

"Chill out!" cried Jessie.

"Once we get through with you, Magmar, we'll slide you back to the boss like a giant hockey puck-emon." Added James. He and Jessie activated the target reticles on their freeze blasters.

"Magmar, you're permafrost!" cried Jessie.

"Ready, aim, freeze blast!" cried Meowth. Jessie and James fired two freeze blast rockets at Magmar, successfully freezing it and prompting Team Rocket to celebrate.

"We've got a Pokemon on ice! Now the boss will treat us nice!" cried Jessie.

"When we show him what we've done, our team will be number one!" cried Meowth. During their celebration, Magmar's body heat melted the ice and freeze Magmar, which Team Rocket noticed.

"We interrupt this message to bring you a Magmar meltdown!" cried Meowth. "Hurry up! Freeze blast the whole place! Freeze blast the whole place!" Jessie and James fired more freeze blast rockets throughout the volcano, which froze the walls. However, Ash and his group returned from the Pokemon Center and felt the rumbles from the freeze blast rockets.

"Whoa! What's going on?!" cried Ash.

"It feels like a missile or rocket!" cried Lucy. Blaine soon rushed out.

"I was on my way to the lavatory when I heard all the noise!" cried Blaine. "Of course, in a volcano, every room is a lavatory! Get it?"

"Now Lucy and I see how you come up with those riddles." Said Misty.

"I think we better check out what's happening inside the gym." Said Brock. Everyone rushed down to the gym and saw Team Rocket freezing the whole place. Blaine nearly got frozen when he entered.

"Ice in a volcano? That's freezer burn!" he cried.

"Maybe you should cool it with the jokes!" cried Ash.

"Look who it is!" cried Brock.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"I should've guessed it was them." Said Lucy.

"We've got to get that Magmar!" cried Meowth! "We've got to get that Magmar!" Team Rocket kept firing more freeze blast rockets.

"What's going to happen to this gym if it's filled with ice?!" cried Blaine.

"It'll be a snow cone!" cried Ash.

"He wasn't making a riddle!" cried Lucy.

"Freezing all this hot rock can set up a chain reaction deep inside the volcano!" cried Blaine. The volcano soon started rumbling.

"What's going on?" said James.

"I think we're cracking up!" cried Jessie. The ice on the walls began to crack.

"I was afraid of this!" cried Blaine. "The ice is cooling off the rock, it's cracking apart!"

"Isn't the ice just going to melt?" asked Lucy.

"It's happening too fast!" cried Blaine. "The rock is already shattering! Lava will flow through cracks in the rock, and the surge will cause a huge volcanic eruption!" Everyone was shocked at what Blaine had said.

"If this volcano erupts, the whole island will end up like that ancient Italian city!" cried Lucy. The inside of the volcano soon started cracking, steam began to escape through the cracks, and rocks began to fall into the lava pool as everyone stood in terror. The battlefield started falling into the lava with Magmar still on it, but he jumped off just before the battlefield touched the lava.

"My gym is destroyed!" cried Blaine.

"So will we if we don't get out of here!" cried Lucy. Team Rocket began to panic.

"Hey! You know where we are?" cried Meowth.

"Between a rock…." Said James.

"And a very hot place!" cried Jessie. Team Rocket was soon sent blasting off due to a large amount of steam pushing up the rock they were standing on.

"Team Rocket's freeze blasting off again!" they cried. Everyone soon started sliding as the inside of the volcano continued to break apart. Lava came gushing out of a large crack in the wall.

"Oh no! Lava's starting to burst through the cracks!" cried Blaine. "I'm afraid it's only a matter of minutes until the volcano blows!"

"When that happens, it'll be like Pompeii all over again!" cried Lucy.

"What can we do?!" cried brock.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'We have to stop it fast!'

"Magmar, if you pile up rocks in the crater, it might be enough to block the lava flow!" cried Blaine. Pikachu and Eevee helped get the job started.

"Wait!" cried Blaine. "Only a fire type Pokemon can withstand the heat from the lava!"

"A fire type?" said Ash.

"Yeah, like my Arcanine!" cried Lucy. "Fire types can really take the heat." Magmar began to throw rocks to try and stop the flow.

"Charizard, I choose you!" cried Ash. Charizard materialized.

"Charizard, help Magmar to block the crater and stop the lava flow, NOW!" ordered Ash. However, Charizard refused to obey.

"Charizard never listens to me…." Sighed Ash. The volcano started shaking again, and Magmar kept throwing more rocks into the crater to stop the flow as the group watched. But just when it seemed the flow had stopped, more lava burst through. Charizard noticed Magmar's strength as it threw rocks into the crater. Despite Magmar's best efforts, more steam and lava were able to escape.

"It's not working!" cried Misty. "We have to run for it!"

"That won't do any good." Said Lucy.

"She's right." Said Blaine. "When the volcano blows, there won't be any place left to run. If Magmar can't stop it, this island will be destroyed.

"And it'll be a repeat of Pompeii!" cried Lucy.

"We've got to do something!" cried Brock.

"Magmar, please, you've got to…." Said Ash. He suddenly noticed something, which was Charizard helping out. Charizard and Magmar smiled and glanced at each other before getting to work.

"I can't believe my eyes!" cried Lucy. "Ash, look!"

"Charizard's helping Magmar!" cried Ash.

"Great! Two Pokemon are much more powerful than one!" cried Blaine.

"They'll still need some more help, though." Said Lucy.

"Okay Onix, Geodude." Said Brock. "Rock Pokemon can take the heat! Go!"

"Arcanine, you can help out too!" cried Lucy.

"And Staryu, you can keep them all cool while they work." Said Misty. "Go!"

"You too, Squirtle!" cried Ash. All Pokemon materialized, including Psyduck, who ran right past everyone with a rock in his hands while an annoyed Misty chased it.

"Not you, Psyduck!" she cried. Pikachu and Eevee stepped up with the working team.

"Eevee, you and Pikachu lead the charge." Said Lucy. The two Pokemon both counted to three.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which both meant 'Go!' The working and hydration teams got started with their respective jobs. The working team blocked the crater while the hydration team kept everyone cool.

"That's what I call teamwork!" cried Ash.

"That's the best kind of work." Added Lucy.

"They're all working together!" cried Misty.

"Keep up the good work!" cried Brock. Togepi tried to help but it almost fell into the lava pit. Lucy noticed this and quickly saved it.

"Togepi!" she cried. She pulled the infant up.

"You're a little too little." She said. The rest of the team kept working until the lava flow was finally blocked. Magmar and Charizard soon got a fiery look in their eyes. Both of them wanted one thing, and one thing only.

"You were awesome, Charizard!" cried Ash.

"All of our Pokemon did a great job out there!" cried Lucy.

"I don't know how to thank you and your friends, Ash." Said Blaine. "Maybe if I give you and Lucy….."

"Are you going to give us our Volcano Badges now?" asked Ash. Blaine stumbled in disbelief.

"No!" cried Blaine. "What I was going to say before you interrupted me was that I'll give you two another chance to battle me for your Volcano Badges."

"All right!" cried Lucy. "I just know we'll both win this time, Ash!"

"And pretty soon, we'll be able to join the Pokemon League!" cried Ash. Magmar and Charizard stared each other down.

Later, the group headed to the summit of the volcano.

"Since my gym has been wrecked, would you two object with we held our matches on the volcano?" said Blaine. "It's over the lava flow where I first discovered Magmar!"

"It's okay with me." Answered Lucy. "Ash, what do you think?"

"That's just fine with me too, Blaine." Said Ash.

"Very well." Said Blaine. "Lucy, are you ready?"

"I am, Blaine!" cried Lucy. "I won't lose this time!"

"I'm sure you and Ash both saw the fire in the eyes of Magmar and Charizard, so they'll have a one on one after we're done." Said Blaine. "That means for my rematch with you, I'll have to select a different Pokemon in Magmar's place. Now if you're ready, let's begin the battle. Go, Ninetales!" He tossed the Poke Ball and Ninetales materialized.

"Squirtle, you're up first!" cried Lucy. Her Squirtle materialized.

"Switching things up by sending your Squirtle out first this time." Said Blaine.

"That does make a lot of sense since water types have an advantage over fire Pokemon." Said Misty.

"Ninetales, Quick Attack!" cried Blaine. Ninetales jumped from pillar to pillar in order to reach Squirtle.

"Dodge it, quick!" cried Lucy. Squirtle used his tail to jump out of the way.

"Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Squirtle launched a stream of water at Ninetales.

"Flamethrower!" cried Blaine.

"Bubble Beam!" cried Lucy. The attacks collided, making a thick layer of steam. Ninetales had no idea where Squirtle was.

"I can't see a thing!" cried Blaine.

"Bubble Beam again, Squirtle!" cried Lucy.

"What?!" cried Blaine. Ninetales was struck by the Bubble Beam attack.

"Quick Attack!" cried Blaine. Ninetales used the move, but it wasn't moving as quickly as it normally would.

"The added effect of Bubble Beam." Said Lucy.

"What added effect?" asked Ash.

"When a Pokemon gets hit by Bubble Beam, like what happened to Ninetales, there's a chance it'll get slowed down." Brock explained.

"That means Lucy has the advantage." Said Misty.

"Squirtle, jump onto Ninetales and use Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Squirtle hopped onto Ninetales' back and sprayed it right in the face with water, knocking it out.

"Nice going, Squirtle!" cried Lucy. Squirtle replied by giving her a thumbs up.

"Ninetales, return!" cried Blaine. Ninetales got absorbed back into its Poke Ball.

"Rhydon, go!" cried Blaine. Rhydon materialized.

"Let's go, Squirtle!" cried Lucy. "Water Gun, now!" Squirtle sprayed a blast of water at Rhydon.

"Use Take Down!" cried Blaine. Rhydon charged at Squirtle.

"Squirtle, Withdraw!" cried Lucy. Squirtle hid into his shell to protect itself from the attack.

"Nice job!" cried Lucy. Squirtle popped back out again.

"Horn Drill, now!" Blaine ordered.

"Yeah, that's not going to work this time, Blaine!" cried Lucy. "Squirtle, use Dig and bury yourself underground!" Squirtle nodded and plopped himself underneath the ground just before the horn could reach him.

"Look out, Rhydon." Said Blaine. Squirtle can pop out from anywhere." Rhydon ran around, looking for possible places Squirtle could be hiding.

"Okay, Squirtle, now!" cried Lucy. Squirtle reappeared and struck Rhydon with the powerful Dig attack.

"Rhydon, no!" cried Blaine.

"Skull Bash attack, now!" cried Lucy. One powerful blow from Squirtle sent Rhydon to defeat.

"You did it, Squirtle!" cried Lucy. Rhydon was recalled to his Poke Ball.

"You're fighting much better than last time." Said Blaine. "Your technique and timing have improved. But now, time for a real game changer. Go, Arcanine!" Arcanine materialized.

"He has his own Arcanine too." Said Lucy. "Okay, Squirtle, one more win is all we need! Use your Water Gun!" Squirtle attacked, but Arcanine dodged quickly.

"That's a fast Arcanine." Said Lucy.

"Bite attack!" cried Blaine. Arcanine bit Squirtle's arm, making it cry out.

"Squirtle!" cried Lucy. "Are you all right?" Squirtle rubbed the spot where he had been bitten.

"We'll get that looked at later." Said Lucy. "Water Gun!"

"Flamethrower!" cried Blaine. The two attacks collided with each other, but Water Gun was more powerful, and Arcanine was doused.

"Arcanine, no!" cried Blaine.

"Bubble Beam, one more time!" cried Lucy. Squirtle shot a stream of bubbles at Arcanine. It had taken heavy damage from the two water attacks.

"And it looks like that's the end of that." Said Lucy. However, Arcanine got back up.

"How?!" cried Lucy.

"Blaine's Arcanine must be resilient to still be able to battle after taking heavy water damage!" cried Brock.

"Fire Blast!" cried Blaine. Arcanine launched a powerful fire attack at Squirtle.

"Use Withdraw!" cried Lucy. Squirtle got back into his shell to protect himself.

"Now to finish things off. Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Squirtle attacked, and Arcanine took more damage.

"That has to be the end of it now." Said Lucy. However, Arcanine got back up, albeit slowly.

"Again?!" cried Lucy.

"Take Down attack!" cried Blaine. Arcanine charged, but he was running slowly because of all the damage he had taken.

"Ice Beam, now!" cried Lucy. Squirtle shot a cold beam of ice at Arcanine, and the fire type was trapped inside, completely unable to move.

"There we go! We did it!" cried Lucy. Arcanine's warm body heat melted the block of ice, but it was obvious that it had fainted. Blaine recalled it.

"An impressive rematch, Lucy." He said. "You certainly had fire in your veins, just like the fire that burns inside Magmar. A well-deserved victory for you."

"Thank you, Blaine." Said Lucy. "Okay, Ash, go get 'em!" Ash took his place on the battlefield.

"As I mentioned already, this will be a one on one." Said Blaine. "You probably know this already, but my Pokemon will be Magmar."

"And the Pokemon that I choose will be…." Said Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Me!' Charizard stomped forward and wagged his finger before Ash could formally announce his selection.

"Charizard?" said Ash.

"Rrrrrrrrrr!" yelled Charizard, which meant 'Let me at Magmar!'

"Look at its eyes." Said Ash. "I think Charizard wants to battle."

"I saw that too." Said Lucy.

"No way!" cried Misty. "Charizard never wants to do anything but sleep."

"Maybe because Charizard saw how strong Magmar is, it wants to test its strength." Said Brock.

"This is going to be a great Pokemon match!" cried Ash. "It's okay if I go with Charizard, right, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu." Answered Pikachu, which meant 'Of course it is.'

"Charizard, I choose you!" cried Ash. "Uh, where did Charizard go?"

"Pika Pi Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Over there, Ash.' Charizard had already taken his place on the battlefield.

"I guess Charizard could still use a little training." Said Ash.

"More like a lot of training." Added Lucy. The two Pokemon stared each other down.

"Watch out for Magmar's Flamethrower." Said Misty.

"I'll fight fire with fire." Said Ash. "Charizard, Flamethrower attack!" Magmar launched a Flamethrower attack of its own, and an explosion occurred upon both attacks colliding.

"It's a tie!" cried Ash.

"It looks like Charizard only wants to battle against Pokemon it feels are worthy opponents or other fire types." Said Lucy.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Seems like it.'

"Okay, Magmar, that Charizard is good, but it can't compete with your skills!" cried Blaine. "Fire Blast it, now!" Magmar launched the attack, but Charizard managed to block it by catching it with its hands.

"I've never seen a Pokemon block a Fire Blast like THAT before!" cried Lucy.

"You can do it, Charizard!" cried Ash. "Don't give up!" The attack nudged Charizard to the edge of the pillar, but Charizard tossed the Fire Blast upwards and towards the sky behind it.

"That was amazing!" cried Lucy.

"Magmar, Skull Bash attack!" cried Blaine. Magmar charged and the attack hit, sending Charizard into another pillar and falling toward the lava below.

"No, Charizard!" cried Ash. But Charizard saved itself and flew back up at the last minute, to the surprise of Magmar.

"Talk about close!" cried Lucy. Charizard flew into the light of the sun and zoomed back down to Magmar's pillar with an incredible thud.

"Charizard's not playing around!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'He sure isn't.'

"Magmar!" cried Blaine. The dust cleared to show the two Pokemon locked up until Magmar let go of Charizard, which allowed Charizard's momentum to send him to the edge of the pillar, allowing Magmar to get behind it.

"Charizard, behind you!" cried Ash. Magmar grabbed onto Charizard from behind.

"Fly away, now!" cried Ash. "You haven't got a chance if Magmar drags you into that lava pit!" Magmar sent itself and Charizard plummeting down toward the lava.

"Charizard!" cried Ash. "It's against the rules for Magmar to pull Charizard into the volcano!"

"Magmar didn't cheat." Said Blaine. "You and Lucy agreed to using the volcano for our battles, didn't you?"

"He has a point, Ash." Said Lucy. "We did both agree to that term."

"Right." Said Blaine. "Under the volcano is part of the volcano too." Ash backed down and looked toward the lava.

"Charizard." He said.

"You don't suppose…." Said Lucy.

"Ash, look!" cried Misty.

"Down there!" cried Brock. Ash and the others looked, and they couldn't believe what they were seeing. Charizard was flying into the sky at incredible speed with Magmar clinging on.

"No way!" cried Lucy. "I thought Charizard was incinerated down there!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'We all did!' Blaine couldn't believe his eyes.

"Charizard, show Magmar your aerial Submission attack!" cried Ash. Charizard began to spin around in the air, making Charizard dizzy.

"Hey Blaine, fair is far, right?!" cried Ash. "If they can battle under the volcano, then they can battle over it too!"

"Great point, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Charizard, Seismic Toss!" cried Ash. Charizard flew higher and higher and then looped around and around in a circle like a spherical shape of the Earth until Charizard grabbed Magmar's arm and threw him down. The impact into the lava created an amazing explosion.

"WHOA!" cried Lucy. "That's GOT to be it!" But Magmar jumped out of the lava and onto a pillar, much to everyone's shock.

"How did Magmar survive?!" cried Lucy. "I thought that attack would've finished it for sure!" The two Pokemon stared each other down, but then Magmar collapsed face down. Charizard let out a roaring Flamethrower to celebrate his win.

"Way to go!" cried Ash.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Nice going!' Magmar was returned to its Poke Ball.

"Congratulations, Ash." Said Blaine. He removed his wig. "I take my wig off to you."

"Nicely done, Ash!" cried Lucy. She and Ash high fived each other in celebration.

"Yes! Charizard, ret…" started Ash, but he was burned by Charizard's Flamethrower.

"Ouch." Said Lucy.

"Ugh." Said Brock. Charizard continued to let out victory Flamethrowers.

Later, the group was back at the Big Riddle Inn.

"And now, Ash, I have one last riddle for you and Lucy." Said Blaine.

"Not again." Sighed Lucy.

"What is it that's always red, but has no words?" asked Blaine.

"That's easy. A Volcano Badge!" answered Lucy.

"Correct!" cried Blaine. He gave one badge to Ash and the other to Lucy.

"The two of you have definitely earned these ones." Said Blaine.

"Thanks a lot, Blaine!" cried Lucy.

"But I also have something else for both of you before you leave." Said Blaine. He got out two Poke Balls.

"In one of them is an extra Magmar that I had at the lab, while the other is a Machoke that's also from the lab." Said Blaine. "You two both deserve these, not just for saving my gym, but also stopping Team Rocket from stealing all the Pokemon that were residing in the lab. Which of you wants what?" asked Blaine.

"Ash, can I have the Machoke from Blaine?" asked Lucy. "Pretty please?"

"Machoke is a pretty strong Pokemon." Said Blaine.

"By all means, Lucy, go right ahead." Said Ash. "I'll take the Magmar."

"Okay, they're both yours." Said Blaine. "Take good care of them."

"We will!" Lucy promised.

Later, Ash and company were walking away from the Big Riddle Inn.

"I couldn't have done it without Charizard." Said Ash.

"For a second, I thought Charizard had learned to be obedient." Said Misty.

"I think we all thought the same thing." Said Lucy.

"Guess we can't expect Charizard will ever change." Said Brock.

"Pikachu." Added Pikachu, which meant 'I suppose.'

"I know that Charizard will learn to obey someday." Said Ash. "Right now, Lucy and I have to worry about where we're going to get our next badges."

"Well, we could always go to the gym back in Viridian City." Said Brock.

"I never knew about that." Said Ash. "Did you know about that, Lucy?"

"I don't think I got a chance to see what the Viridian gym looks like because that was the night we first came across Team Rocket." Lucy answered.

"I knew there was a gym there." Said Misty. "Viridian gym is where trainers go to get their Earth Badges. Once both of you get those, you'll both be able to enter the Pokemon League."

"Well, Eevee, looks like Viridian City is our last stop." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I can't wait to go back there!'

"How come you didn't tell us about any gyms when we were in Viridian City for the first time?" Ash wondered.

"Because the three of us were fighting back then, remember?" said Misty. "What was I so mad at both of you about anyway?"

"Don't you remember?" said Brock. "You were mad at them because they destroyed your old bike."

"That's right, I was pretty angry about that." Said Misty.

"But you got a new one in Fuchsia City." Said Lucy.

"And if either of you destroy that one, I'll clobber you!" cried Misty.

"But all of that's ancient history." Said Ash. "Come on, let's hit the road to Viridian City!" He started taking off down the path, with the others in hot pursuit.

"Come back here, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Don't even think of leaving this island without us!" cried Misty. And so, Ash and Lucy hurry on to Viridian City, eager to compete for a green Earth Badge. Misty is seeing red, and that's sure to make Brock blue. Orange you dying to find out what happens next?

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Squirtle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Squirtle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 64: Beach Blank-Out Blastoise

Last time around, Ash and Lucy struggled to earn their seventh badges. They both lost their first battles to the Cinnabar Island gym leader Blaine and his Magmar. But in two red hot rematches, Lucy swept through Blaine's team with only her Squirtle, and after that, Charizard and Magmar took on each other in a fearsome fire fight! And during the epic clash of the titans, Charizard unleashed a powerful Seismic Toss attack to defeat Magmar. Thanks to both Ash's Charizard and Lucy's Squirtle, both trainers finally won the Volcano Badge that they wanted so badly.

The group was quickly running toward a boat.

"That's the whistle!" cried Lucy. "Come on, guys, we've got to make it!" With seven gym badges now in Ash and Lucy's possessions, our group heads for the next gym. But they'll have to hurry if they want to catch the ferry off Cinnabar Island!

"Wait! Don't leave without us!" cried Misty.

"Stop the boat!" cried Ash. "Hold on! We're coming! Hey! Hold that boat!"

"Wait for us!" cried Lucy. A Pokemon suddenly ran out in front of Ash and Lucy, and they both ran right into it and fell into the sand.

"Ugh." Lucy groaned. The collision caused the Pokemon to spin on its back. Brock set it up straight, Back first.

"Ash, Lucy, are you both okay?" asked Misty.

"You both took quite a tumble." Said Brock.

"Yeah, we're both fine." Said Ash.

"Wait a minute, is that?…." Said Lucy. "Yes, it is! It's a Wartortle!"

"Wow! Talk about your rare Pokemon!" cried Brock.

"A War-what-le?" asked Ash.

"Wartortle, Ash." Lucy corrected. "I wonder why it was running, though." Nevertheless, she got her Pokedex out.

"Wartortle, the Turtle Pokemon, and the evolved form of Squirtle. It's long, furry tail is a symbol of both age and wisdom."

"It doesn't look smart." Said Ash. Wartortle tried to communicate something to Eevee and both Pikachu, but neither of them seemed to understand what Wartortle was saying.

"What could it be saying?" wondered Lucy. Pikachu reached for one of Ash's Poke Balls, and Eevee did the same with one of Lucy's.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Come out, Squirtle!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Squirtle, we need you!' Both of the Squirtle materialized.

"Great thinking, guys." Said Lucy. "Our Squirtle can translate what the Wartortle here is saying." Wartortle explained the situation to the two Squirtle, both of whom were shocked after hearing about it.

"I wish I knew what they were talking about." Said Ash.

"I only speak English, not Pokemon." Added Lucy. Ash's Squirtle then got out a familiar pair of glasses.

"Hey! It's a pair of Squirtle Squad sunglasses!" cried Ash.

"That shouldn't be a surprise, Ash." Said Lucy. "Your Squirtle WAS the leader of that gang when we first met it.

"We haven't seen those sunglasses in a while!" cried Brock.

"I'd still like to know what happened, though." Said Lucy. Wartortle and both Squirtle nodded in agreement about what they had to do. They both jumped into the water and started swimming away.

"Squirtles, where are you going?" asked Ash.

"It looks like there's a problem on Wartortle's homeland, and they're heading there to fix whatever the issue is." Answered Lucy.

"If that's the case, then there must be trouble." Said Brock.

"Let's grab a boat and follow 'em!" cried Ash. Everyone agreed, and they attached Staryu, Starmie and Goldeen to a boat. The three water types pulled the boat along so that the group could catch up to Wartortle and the two Squirtle.

"We're keeping up with them at a great pace!" cried Lucy.

"They're sure in a hurry, though." Said Ash.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'They sure are.'

"Hey guys, look! There's an island ahead!" cried Brock.

"Land ho!" cried Lucy. The island was much smaller compared to Cinnabar Island.

"It's so small." Said Ash.

"What island is it?" asked Misty.

"It's not even on my map." Said Brock.

"Hey! That island looks like a Squirtle shell." Said Ash. "Full speed ahead!"

"Aye, captain!" cried Lucy. However, the group was being followed behind closely by team Rocket in their Gyrados submarine.

"It looks like the little twerps have stumbled onto something." Said Jessie.

"Can't you look and peddle at the same time?" asked James.

"My paws need a pause!" cried Meowth. Squirtle and Wartortle soon reached the shore, with Ash's group not too far behind.

"All ashore!" cried Lucy.

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

"Squirtle, wait up!" cried Ash. The group stopped and saw a whole bunch of shells on the ground.

"Whoa, what's going on here?" asked Ash.

"They're all Squirtle and Wartortle!" cried Brock.

"Oh, I hope they're all right." Said Misty.

"Brock, have a listen and see if anyone's inside at least one of those shells." Said Lucy. Brock put his ears to one of the shells and heard snoring inside.

"It's okay, it's just sleeping." Said Brock.

"All of them are probably like that." Said Lucy.

"I don't get it." Said Ash. Wartortle went over to the group more panicked than ever as they all had a look at the giant shell.

"Look at that!" cried Lucy. "Only one Pokemon I know of has a shell that big. That's got to be a Blastoise!" She got her Pokedex back out.

"Blastoise, the Shellfish Pokemon, and the evolved form of Wartortle. Blastoise's strength lies in its power rather than its speed. Its shell is like armor, and attacks from the hydro cannons are virtually unstoppable."

"This is our lucky day!" cried Ash. "I've got to get up close to it!" He started heading up to Blastoise.

"Either it's asleep, or it's practicing its Withdraw move." Said Brock.

"They can't be using Withdraw if they're all asleep." Said Lucy. "Be careful, Ash. Something doesn't seem right here." As Ash hugged Blastoise's shell, he fell asleep.

"Uh, Ash?" said Brock.

"Ash, are you all right?" said Misty.

"Ash, say something!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

"Squirtle!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'Ash!'

"Something fishy is definitely going on." Said Lucy. Squirtle got next to the shell and fell asleep immediately.

"The same thing's happened to Squirtle!" cried Misty.

"Something inside Blastoise's shell must be causing this." Said Lucy. A sleeping Ash was soon pulled away from the Blastoise.

"Ash! Ash, can you hear me?" cried Brock.

"Wake up, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Keep trying." Said Misty.

"Open your eyes, Ash!" cried Lucy. But Ash wouldn't wake up.

"It's no good. He's out cold." Said Brock.

"So is Squirtle." Said Lucy.

"How could this have happened?" asked Misty.

"Like I said, it has to be something inside Blastoise's shell." Said Lucy. "I'll go take a look." Lucy approached Blastoise to have a thorough look, but unfortunately, she too fell asleep.

"Lucy!" cried Misty. She tried to shake Lucy awake, but to no avail. Brock tried the same with Ash, but was also unsuccessful.

"They're both out like lights." Said Brock.

"Now what do we do?" asked Misty.

"Beats me." Said Brock. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I think I might have one." Said Misty. "Pikachu, you and Little Pikachu give them a Thunderbolt as an electric shock alarm clock."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Right!' The two attacks did more than wake Ash and Lucy up, though. The attacks also woke up the sleeping Squirtle and Wartortle.

"Pikachu, cut it out!" cried Ash.

"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA DISTURBING MY BEAUTY SLEEP LIKE THAT, LITTLE PIKACHU?!" Lucy screamed.

"Squirtle! Squirtle!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'That was totally uncool!'

"What's the matter, Ash?" said Misty. "Dreaming about becoming a Pokemon master again?"

"Don't be picking on him, Misty." Said Lucy. She then gave Little Pikachu a harsh look.

"And as for you, you're getting a time out later for interrupting my beauty sleep!" Lucy scolded.

"I guess I did doze off." Said Ash.

"Squirtle." Replied Squirtle, which meant 'Same here.'

"And Squirtle fell asleep right after you did, Ash." Said Brock.

"The same thing that happened to Ash and Squirtle also happened to me." Said Lucy. "We both heard a sound coming from Blastoise and fell asleep. Right?"

"Squirtle." Answered Squirtle, which meant 'Right.'

"What kind of a sound was it?" asked Misty.

"Some kind of weird music that sounded familiar." Said Ash. "You all heard that weird sound too, didn't you?" The Squirtles and Wartortles agreed.

"Well, I guess we better get going." Said Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Maybe.'

"We're not going anywhere until we wake that Blastoise up!" cried Ash.

"I was afraid he'd say something like that." Said Lucy.

"But we won't be able to do it alone." Said Ash. "Can I count on you to help, Wartortle?" Wartortle and Squirtle both agreed.

"Then let Operation Wake Up begin!" cried Ash. Everyone else confidently agreed.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket watched from a distance.

"Looks like those brats have brought us right to a Blastoise bonanza!" cried Jessie.

"Not to mention all those other shell-icious Pokemon!" cried James.

"For a team of Pokemon thieves, this is like Fun-tasy Island!" cried Meowth.

"Now all we have to do is grab Blastoise before it wakes up!" cried James.

"The boss will give us all promotions!" cried Jessie.

Meanwhile, Lucy was telling the rest of the group what the Squirtle and Wartortle had told her when they explained their problem. Brock illustrated the whole thing with pictures.

"Let's see if I understand this correctly." Said Lucy. "This island that we're on is the kingdom for turtle Pokemon, who live under the rule of Blastoise, the turtle Pokemon King."

Wartortle!" cried Wartortle, which meant 'That's right!'

"A few days ago, Blastoise went to go for a swim in the ocean, but he didn't swim back home." Lucy continued.

"Squirtle." Said Squirtle, which meant 'Right again.'

"You all found Blastoise floating in the ocean, but when you dragged it ashore, you all wound up inside your shells too." Lucy went on. "When this Wartortle here saw what was happening, it headed to the mainland for help, and ended up bumping into us."

"Is that the way it happened?" asked Brock. The Squirtle and Wartortle confirmed it.

"Gee, people have searched for the Turtle Pokemon's breeding grounds for years." Said Misty. "Could this really be it?"

"No question about it, this is definitely Turtle Island." Said Lucy.

"Imagine all the stuff I could learn about breeding!" cried Brock.

"Regardless, we still need to examine that Blastoise." Said Lucy. Brock sported a doctor's coat.

"Well, here's your first annual physical." He said.

"Be careful, Brock." Said Ash. Brock carefully examined Blastoise.

"How is it?" asked Lucy.

"I don't hear a thing." Brock answered. A sound was soon heard.

"What was that?!" asked Ash. Everyone backed up in surprise as Blastoise woke up with Ash on its head.

"Blastoise is waking up!" cried Misty. Blastoise soon got up and yawned as the Squirtle and Wartortle cheered.

"Looks like Blastoise was asleep too." Said Lucy.

"Squirtle?" asked Squirtle to Blastoise, which meant 'What happened?'

"What's it saying?" asked Ash. Blastoise's hydro cannons came out, but one stalled instead of firing, which left everyone confused.

"What's wrong with your cannon, Blastoise?" asked Ash.

"Something has to be blocking it on the inside." Said Lucy. Something soon came out of the cannon.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'What in…?'

"What is that thing?" said brock.

"Maybe that's the problem." Said Misty. Squirtle jumped onto Blastoise's back so it could investigate. A familiar looking ear finally popped out, which shocked our heroes.

"It can't be!" cried Lucy.

"I hope it's not what I think it is." Said Brock.

"Don't go near it!" cried Misty. "Just, keep it away from us, please!"

"Misty, how bad could it be?" said Ash.

"Pretty bad if it's a Jigglypuff!" cried Lucy.

"Jigglypuff?!" everyone else cried. Jigglypuff's muffled singing was soon heard.

"That's it!" cried Ash. "That's the sound that Lucy and I heard!"

"I knew it!" cried Misty.

"Jigglypuff!" cried Brock.

"Don't listen to its' singing!" cried Lucy. She suddenly started getting drowsy. "Or else, you'll…fall…asleep." Lucy soon fell asleep before Ash caught her. Soon, everyone fell asleep, including the Squirtle and Wartortle.

Meanwhile…

"We'll grab your Pokemon in a snap!" cried Jessie.

"Before you wake up from your nap!" cried James.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples from 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, good night!"

"Blastoise is sleeping like a baby again." Said Jessie.

"Grabbing Blastoise should be a breeze." Said James.

"Who wants to be the hero?" asked Jessie.

"I do! I do!" cried Meowth. Jessie and James backed up and hid behind the fin of their sub.

"Be our guest, Meowth." Said James.

"Best of luck." Said Jessie. Meowth sighed and tiptoed toward Blastoise with a rope tied around his waist.

"Why do I always get roped into these things?" he said to himself. "I had to go and open my big Meowth!" He looked back at his teammates.

"Don't be afraid, Meowth!" cried jessie. "We're right behind you!"

"Go get 'em, tiger!" cried James.

"You mean chicken." Sighed Meowth. He soon reached the heroes' location and heard Jigglypuff signing.

"What's that sound?" he said. He soon fell asleep.

"Something's wrong!" cried Jessie. "Quick, reel Meowth in!"

"Right on, Jessie!" cried James. He reeled Meowth in like a fishing line across the sand and along the water, surprising Jessie and James.

"Meowth's out like a lox!" cried James. They both tried to slap him awake.

"Wake up, Meowth, wake up!" cried Jessie.

"This is no time for a cat nap!" cried James.

"He probably fainted." Said Jessie. "Fraidy cat." Meowth was thrown to the back of the sub's surface.

"We've got to get that Blastoise!" cried James.

"We don't need Meowth for that." Said Jessie.

"I don't want to get too close to that thing." Said James.

"You're obviously forgetting about our Gyrados grabber!" cried Jessie. She pressed a button and the submarine fired a suction dart at Blastoise, and they proceeded to reel it into the mouth of the sub.

"A bullseye!" cried Jessie.

"We got it!" cried James. Meowth soon woke up.

Meanwhile, on the island, Ash's group woke up one by one. Lucy was the first to wake up.

"What just happened?" she asked in a groggy voice. She then realized that she was on top of Ash.

"Oh dear!" she cried. She got off Ash and tried to shake him awake.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" she cried. Ash soon woke up.

"That was a nice nap." He said. He then noticed that Blastoise had disappeared.

"Blastoise! What happened to Blastoise?!" he cried. Misty, Brock, Eevee and both Pikachu woke up.

"Ash, Lucy, could you keep it down please?" asked Misty.

"Misty, Blastoise is gone!" cried Ash. The Squirtles and Wartortles began to panic.

"Now everybody, just calm down." Said Lucy.

"Pika Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Take it easy!'

"Be quiet!" cried Misty. No matter what anyone did, though, their attempts to calm down the Squirtle and Wartortle failed.

"Squirtle squirt." Said Lucy's Squirtle, which meant 'Let me take care of it.' It blasted all the other Squirtle and Wartortle with Water Gun.

"Squirtle Squirt Squirtle!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'Now listen up, everyone!' Squirtle got everyone's attention.

"What's going on?" wondered Ash.

"Pika." Answered Pikachu, which meant 'I don't know.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Neither do I.'

"Squirtle squirt!" cried Ash's Squirtle, which meant 'We have to find where the king went, and when we do, get him out of the jam he's in and then get that Jigglypuff out of his hydro cannon!'

"You tell 'em, Squirtle!" cried Ash.

"Squirt!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'For the king! For the king! For the king! For the king! For the king!' The Wartortle all joined in the chant themselves.

"Ash, your Squirtle's a real leader!" cried Misty.

"Well that's what happens when you've got a great trainer." Said Ash.

"Or maybe they're just impressed by the sunglasses." Remarked Brock.

"I think it's because of his time leading the Squirtle Squad." Said Lucy.

"Pika pi! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash! Lucy! Look at this!'

"Squirtle!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'Golly!' Everyone noticed the trail that had been left in the sand.

"It's a trail!" they cried.

"It has to be Blastoise." Said Lucy. "Only that kind of shell could possibly leave a trail this big."

"Somebody must've kidnapped Blastoise." Said Brock.

"But who?" said Ash.

"Who else could it be?" asked Misty.

"There's only one way to find out." Said Lucy.

"Squirtle!" cried Squirtle, which meant 'Let's follow it!'

"Wartortle!" cried the Wartortle, which meant 'Right!' The Squirtle and Wartortle followed Ash's Squirtle and Lucy's Squirtle into the water and followed the trail.

"Go get 'em, Squirtle!" cried Ash.

"You can do it!" cried Lucy.

Meanwhile, below the waves…

"Success!" cried Jessie and James.

"You said it!" cried Meowth.

"That was as easy as picking shells off the sound!" cried James.

"And all I did was push a button!" cried Jessie.

"Now we can swipe all the Pokemon we want!" cried Meowth.

"I'll snatch more Pokemon than anyone in the world!" cried James.

"So will I!" cried Jessie.

"Me too!" cried Meowth. Something soon dawned on them.

"I think there may be some confusion." Said Jessie.

"Who's going to get credit for swiping him?" asked Meowth.

"I think we better clear this up." Said James.

"If you remember, I was the one who pushed the button, so I should get credit for capturing it!" cried Jessie.

"But before that, I put my nine lives on the line to grab Blastoise!" cried Meowth.

"I was the one who caught it." Said Jessie.

"What about me?!" cried James.

"Ha! You couldn't catch a cold!" cried Meowth. Jessie and James smacked Meowth.

"You stay out of this, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"Pokemon aren't for Pokemon!" cried James. He kicked Meowth into the wall of the sub. The impact of Meowth hitting the wall caused Jigglypuff's second ear to come loose and caused it to start singing. It also caused the sub to start leaking.

"What's that unusual sound?" said Jessie.

"Whatever it is, it's very…" said James.

"Relaxing." Said Meowth. The song started making the three of them drowsy. They soon fell completely asleep as their sub sunk to the ocean floor, only for Squirtle and the residents of the island to save it and Blastoise by pushing them to the surface where Ash's group was waiting. They soon revived Team Rocket, who had taken in a lot of water. Next thing they knew, Team Rocket regained consciousness.

"Well, well. Look who's back in the land of the living." Said Lucy.

"Are you okay?" asked Ash.

"What kind of trick are you pulling?!" cried Jessie.

"This isn't a trick!" cried Lucy. "For your information, we just saved your slimy lives!"

"I don't remember asking you to save our lives!" cried Jessie.

"Well I'm grateful." Said James. Jessie slapped him in the face.

"They're our mortal enemies!" she cried. "How dare you be grateful to them that they saved your life!"

"I kind of feel sorry for that guy." Said Ash.

"Especially the way she treats him." Said Lucy.

"Who asked you?!" cried Jessie. She soon looked behind her and saw all the Squirtle and Wartortle protecting their king.

"Squirtle!" cried Lucy's Squirtle, which meant 'Get them!'

"They're about to attack!" cried Jessie.

"Let's head for the ship!" cried James.

"Meowth!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket dashed for the sub.

"They're retreating!" cried Lucy.

"Good!" cried Brock. "And don't come back!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're not finished!" cried James.

"In fact, we're just getting started." Added Jessie.

"Hold on to your shells!" cried Meowth. He pressed a button, which activated the treads on the sub and the mechanical arms while Team Rocket laughed in triumph.

"This doesn't look good." Said Ash.

"It certainly doesn't." said Lucy.

"Let's put the pedal to the metal!" cried James.

"Right!" cried Meowth.

"Well, now we'll take that Blastoise!" cried Jessie. The sub charged forward and Ash's group ran and dove out of the way while Team Rocket headed toward the residents of Turtle Island. They retaliated with a combined Water Gun, but it had no effect, which shocked the Pokemon and humans.

"They won't stop!" cried Lucy.

"Of course we won't." said Meowth. "Why would we stop when we're having such a Blastoise?" Jessie mocked Ash and his friends as one of the mechanical arms started swinging, which caused the Pokemon guarding Blastoise to get out of the way while Ash and Lucy's Squirtles got knocked back to them.

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

"Squirtle, are you okay?" asked Ash. The two Squirtle struggled to get up, and then they noticed that the residents of the island were being chased by Team Rocket. The two Squirtle then started to glow white.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'What's happening to them now?'

"They're both evolving!" cried Lucy. The two Squirtle started getting a little bigger, and their tails expanded in size. Feather like ears appeared on each side of their head, and a dark blue streak appeared on each of their cheeks. After the glow stopped, both of their Squirtle had become a Wartortle.

"They're both Wartortle now!" cried Lucy. "This is so awesome!"

"But those other Squirtle and Wartortle are still in trouble!" cried Brock.

"We have to do something to save them, or else they'll be turned into turtle soup!" cried Lucy. As team Rocket chased the other Squirtle and Wartortle around, Ash tried to wake up the Blastoise.

"Blastoise!" cried Ash. "Blastoise! The Pokemon need you, Blastoise! Please wake up!" Nothing happened.

"It's no use." Said Misty.

"He's out like a light!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu, Wartortle, get in there and use your attacks to wake Blastoise up!" cried Ash. Pikachu and Wartortle agreed.

"Give it your best shot!" cried Ash. Wartortle fired a Water Gun, and Pikachu fired off a Thundershock that traveled around the attack. The combined attack amazed the heroes.

"Wartortle's Water Gun is carrying the electricity of Pikachu's Thundershock!" cried Brock.

"Please, wake up, Blastoise." Said Misty. The combo attack dislodged Jigglypuff more.

"It's Jigglypuff!" cried Ash.

"The attack must've dislodged it!" cried Lucy. The attack sent Jigglypuff inside Team Rocket's submarine.

"Jigglypuff!" cried Misty. Blastoise managed to wake up and saw that its subjects were in trouble and tended to them by stopping the submarine in its tracks and even started pushing it back.

"It's awake!" cried Lucy.

"Just in time!" cried Ash. "Team Rocket's stopped dead in their tracks!"

"Blastoise is the bomb!" cried Brock.

"So you want to get tough, do you?!" cried Jessie. "Well, watch while we turn tough guy into turtle soup!" She positioned the mechanical arms to grab Blastoise, but Blastoise grabbed one of them, which allowed the sub to move up a few inches.

"It's moving!" cried Lucy. Blastoise pushed the submarine back, crunching and punching the mecha's arms, which shocked Team Rocket.

"Nice shot." Said Ash. All the other Squirtle and Wartortle joined Blastoise.

"Squirtle!" cried a Squirtle, which meant 'Ready!'

"Wartortle!" cried Ash's Wartortle, which meant 'Set!'

"Tort!" cried Lucy's Wartortle, which meant 'Fire!' The Squirtle and Wartortle launched their attacks at the sub. The combined attacks sent the sub into the air, but then Ash realized something.

"Wartortle!" he cried. "I think Jigglypuff is still inside there!"

Inside the sub….

"This is like some horrible dream!" cried Jessie. Jigglypuff soon landed near Team Rocket and regained consciousness.

"Speaking of dreams!" cried James.

"No! Not again!" cried Meowth. Jigglypuff started singing and team Rocket fell asleep as the submarine landed bottom first down into the sea. The Squirtle and Wartortle spotted the sub going down and dove after it.

"Wartortle, hurry!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Wartortle!' An explosion soon occurred under the waves, which caused the group to worry.

"Are Wartortle and Jigglypuff okay?" asked Lucy. The two Pokemon surfaced, with Jigglypuff on Wartortle's back.

"All right, fellas! You did it!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Well done, guys!'

"Wartortle!" cried both of Ash and Lucy's Wartortles, which meant 'It was nothing!' Jigglypuff soon regained consciousness and prepared to sing, much to the shock of the group.

"No! Please don't sing!" cried Ash. But it was too late. Jigglypuff's soothing melody put everyone on the island to sleep. At some point during the time everyone was knocked out, two Poke Balls were thrown at the Blastoise and one of the Squirtle, capturing both of them.

Some time later, everyone woke up with doodles on their faces or shells.

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'Again?'

"Eevee." Groaned Eevee, which meant 'This always happens every time Jigglypuff sings.'

"Hey, Jigglypuff's a real Pok-Asso." Remarked Brock. Misty and Lucy had cat markings on their faces.

"I don't think this is funny at all!" cried Misty. "Lucy and I look like cartoon characters!"

"Actually, I think those markings do look cute on us." Said Lucy.

"A cartoon character?! Like that could ever happen!" cried Ash. He then noticed some Poke Balls on the ground. One was beside him and the other was beside Misty.

"I don't remember these being here." Said Ash.

"Some of us must've captured some of these Pokemon in our sleep." Said Brock. "But who?" The Poke Ball that was beside Misty opened up to reveal a Squirtle.

"I finally got my own Squirtle!" she cried. "This more than makes up for me not getting one before!"

"Now it's a matter of what the other capture was." Said Lucy. The Poke Ball that was beside Ash opened up to reveal Blastoise.

"I can't wait until Professor Oak sees this!" he cried.

"I'm sure he'll be quite impressed." Said Lucy. The group soon hopped into their boat, waved goodbye to the remaining Squirtle and Wartortle and headed back to Cinnabar to catch a ferry. So, after waking up Blastoise, followed by Ash capturing it, our heroes leave the island of turtle Pokemon. Now Ash and Lucy are looking ahead to their final badges and their next adventure.

Meanwhile, out in the ocean, Team Rocket was floating on the wreckage of their destroyed sub, and they woke up to find Jigglypuff's handiwork on their faces. Two Aerodactyl were also flying high in the sky.

"This was all your fault!" Team Rocket cried.

"I'm getting sick of all this humiliation." Said James.

"I'm getting sick of always losing." Said jessie.

"And I'm getting seasick." Said Meowth.

"Looks like Team Rocket's drifting off again." They sighed.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (three), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 65: The Misty Mermaid

Today, we find Ash, Misty, Brock and Lucy at the entrance to Viridian City. Now that Ash and Lucy have both won a Volcano Badge at the Cinnabar Island gym, they have their sights both set on an Earth badge. But first…

"What are those in the sky?" Lucy wondered. They all looked up and saw two Aerodactyl flying toward them.

"Oh no!" cried Ash. "Not again!'

"They must've flown here from Grandpa Canyon!" cried Brock.

"Well they're not going to get me this time!" cried Ash. He and Brock each got an empty Poke Ball at the ready and nodded.

"Poke Ball, go!" they cried. The Poke Balls hit both Aerodactyl and landed on the ground. After a few wobbles, they both pinged.

"That was a close call." Said Misty. However, her expression changed to worry.

"Hor sea…" groaned Horsea, which meant 'I don't feel so good'.

"Hey Misty, what's the matter?" asked Ash.

"Is something bothering you?" asked Lucy.

"It's about Horsea." Said Misty.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Lucy.

"Have a look for yourselves." Misty answered. The group all peered at Horsea, who was looking very sad.

"It looks bluer than its color would give off." Said Lucy. "Pardon the pun."

"Maybe it needs more exercise." Brock suggested.

"But we're nowhere near an ocean or any lakes." Lucy pointed out.

"And I can't exactly carry a big fish tank around on my back." Said Misty.

"If only there was an aquarium somewhere here." Said Lucy. The group put their heads together and began to think.

"Hey! I know where we can go!" cried Misty. "There's a huge pool back home."

"Right! The pool at the Cerulean gym that your sisters are running." Said Ash.

"And Cerulean City isn't very far from here." Said Brock.

"Horsea does need some exercise, and I haven't been home for a while, so why not?" said Misty.

"There's a phone nearby that we can use to call your sisters and let them know that we're coming." Said Lucy. Misty got herself on the phone to dial the cerulean gym. Well, it looks like our heroes will be taking a brief detour to Cerulean City to get Horsea some exercise and to visit Misty's sisters.

"How are you?" said Misty. "We're coming to visit!" The group was later seen inside Cerulean City, and on their way to the gym, they passed the city's bike shop.

"Hey Ash, you still have that voucher you got in Vermillion City, right?" asked Brock.

"I sure do." Said Ash. "Hey Misty, do you think we have time for a quick stop first?"

"All right, but don't take too long." Said Misty. Brock, Ash and Lucy entered the shop and were in awe over all the bikes.

"There's a lot of cool looking ones here." Said Ash. "There's eBikes, there's….."

"Ash, look at these puckipuppies!" cried Lucy. She practically bounced up and down in excitement upon seeing them. "They're so cute, and they even have baskets at the front. If we get these, we can put Pikachu and Eevee in the baskets. What do you say?"

"Well, I only have one voucher, so…." Ash started.

"Please, Ash?" Lucy begged. "I've always wanted my own bike, but my dad would never get one for me because of the cost. Now I can get one for my own. Come on, Ash, please?"

"Uh, well…" said Ash. The bike store owner came out.

"Indecision, huh?" he said.

"We're looking for a bike, and my friend and I both want this cool puckipuppy." Said Ash. "The problem, though, is that I only have one voucher." He showed it to the owner.

"Well, my friend, this is a special voucher." He said.

"Huh?" both Ash and Lucy asked.

"With this one, you can actually get two bikes." The owner answered. "One for you, and one for your friend. So I'll take this, and you can both pick out which color bike you want."

"Oh, they have one in pink!" cried Lucy. "I want that one!"

"I'll take the red one then." Said Ash. He handed the voucher over, and both trainers left with brand new bikes. After quickly shipping them back home to Pallet Town, the group headed down to the gym.

"Here we are, guys." Said Misty. "The Cerulean City gym."

"It looks great!" cried Lucy. "They must've repainted it."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Look at this!'

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

"Hey, check out that billboard." Said Brock.

"Looks like there's some kind of show going on." Said Lucy.

"Fantastic, exciting underwater ballet." Said Brock.

"An underwater ballet AND a Pokemon show?!" cried Ash. "Sounds like fun."

"Seems to me like it's a retelling of the legendary tale of The Little Mermaid." Said Lucy.

"And look, a famous underwater star in her glorious return to Cerulean City." Said Misty.

"She's beautiful." Said Brock.

"There he goes again." Sighed Lucy.

"You know, if her hair was just a little bit different, that girl would look almost like you, Misty." Said Ash. Misty gave a nervous laugh.

"I would swim the deepest sea to meet a mermaid like her." Said Brock.

"Good grief." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I can't wait!' The group soon entered the gym.

"Everybody! I'm home!" cried Misty. Daisy, Lily and Violet approached to welcome their little sister back.

"What took you so long?" asked Lily.

"We didn't know what happened to you." Said Violet.

"We thought, like, you were going to come straight here after you called us." Said Daisy.

"We were, but a certain pair of best friends back there insisted on making a pit stop first." Said Misty.

"But she still made it just in time." Said Violet. "Didn't she, Daisy?"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Hi, ladies!'

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'It's great to be back here again!'

"Hi, everyone." Said Daisy.

"Hi, everybody." Said Ash. "Remember me?"

"And me?" asked Lucy.

"You guys look great!" cried Brock. "We can't wait to see your show."

"I almost forgot!" cried Misty. "I have to get Horsea to the pool!" She rushed off to the pool and put Horsea in it.

"Now you enjoy this nice, big pool, okay?" she said. The rest of the group walked in.

"Hey! Horsea's starting to look better already." Said Ash.

"It's coming along swimmingly." Said Brock.

"Hope so." Said Misty. Violet and Lily soon came in.

"Come on! We don't have all day!" cried Violet.

"We have to start rehearsing!" Lily.

"Rehearsing, for what?" asked Misty. Lily pointed to a poster for the show.

"Duh. Rehearsing this, of course." She said. "The water show."

"Oh, the underwater ballet." Said Misty. "I love that you're performing it. Can I help with something? Maybe costumes?"

"Costumes?" said Violet.

"By the way, we'd like to see the show too." Said Ash.

"Has that famous underwater ballerina made her arrival yet?" asked Brock. "I'd really like to meet her."

"Actually, you already have." Answered Lily. Everyone was confused.

"Yeah, she just got here." Said Violet.

"Really? Where?" cried Ash, Lucy and Brock. Violet and Lily turned their heads toward Misty.

"That's her." The two sisters replied.

"Who? Me?" said Misty.

"You bet." Said Lily.

"Presenting Misty, the star of the Underwater Ballet, the Magical Mermaid." Misty was in shock.

Later….

"You must be crazy!" cried Misty. "I'm no ballerina!"

"Please, Misty." Said Violet. "You have to do it!"

"Look, like, we're in a jam." Said Daisy. "We've done these aqua shows for so long that we don't pull in the big crowds like we used to."

"The stadium's been, like, empty." Added Lily. "Hardly anyone comes to see us anymore."

"So we decided to try something new." Said Violet. "To try one of our aqua shows, underwater."

"And that's when you called us." Said Daisy. "It's almost, like, creepy."

"Coincidence? I think not." Said Lucy."

"The whole thing was totally meant to be." Said Daisy.

"Well it wasn't meant to be with me!" exclaimed Misty.

"All those people, they're going to be disappointed." Said Lily.

"Well that's just too bad." Said Misty.

"And the kids." Said Lily.

"We, like, advertised you on radio and television." Said Daisy.

"And the tickets are totally selling out!" added Violet.

"Can I get a seat?" asked Ash.

"I'd like a seat too, please." Added Lucy.

"I'm not doing this!" cried Misty.

"But the first performance is tomorrow!" cried Violet. The group was shocked at that revelation.

"Tomorrow!" cried Misty.

"Even if she does agree to do it, she'll only have a day to get ready, including memorizing her lines." Said Lucy.

"Please, Misty. Do it for us." Said Daisy.

"Just give it a shot, Misty." Said Ash.

"Sure, Misty. I bet you could pull it off." Added Brock.

"I can even provide the narration." Said Lucy. The girls took Ash, Brock and Lucy's hands.

"We'd be happy to have you narrate for us, Lucy." Said Daisy.

"You all understand how important this is." Said Violet.

"You wouldn't turn your back on your hometown, would you?" asked Lily.

"For the sake of the Cerulean gym." Said Daisy. "Please, Misty, we really need you."

"I'll do it." Said Misty.

"We got her!" cried Violet and Lily.

"We could always get our big sister to do whatever we wanted." Said Lily.

"This is, like, a total flashback!" cried Violet. The two girls laughed.

Later, Togepit approached the pool that Horsea was swimming in and started to lose its balance.

"Pi, Pi, Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Togepi!'

"Eevee Vee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Be careful up there!' But Togepi caught itself before it fell in, and Pikachu and Eevee caught themselves before they fell in as well, though they did when Togepi passed by.

"Pika pi?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Are you okay there, Eevee?'

"Eevee." Answered Eevee, which meant 'I'm fine, except that we're both wet.'

"Pika, pika." Added Pikachu, which meant 'Thanks to Togepi.' They both shared a good laugh about the whole thing.

Meanwhile, the group was listening in to the story of the show.

"I wonder what the story of this whole thing is about." Said Lucy.

"Okay, let's start the rehearsal." Said Violet. "This is a really awesome story."

"Violet was our script writer, as usual." Laughed Daisy.

"Let's hear this Magical Mermaid tale." Said Lucy.

"Okay, so the story goes like this." Said Daisy. "The Magical Mermaid is relaxing peacefully with her Pokemon, Seel, when two evil villains…" Daisy and Violet approached Misty with prop swords.

"Suddenly appear." Continued Violet.

"We tie you up and try to make you tell us where the sunken treasure is." Said Lily. "But when you won't tell us, we get really rough."

"Uh, can we use a stand in for this part?" said Misty. Violet smacked Misty on the head with the script.

"Don't get cute." Said Violet.

"I'm doing you the favor, remember? So stop picking on me!" cried Misty. "I'm doing the best that I can!"

"Okay, then our prince comes out, and he, like, fights off the villains and saves you." Said Violet. Daisy was holding a prop sword for the prince.

"Hi-ya!" she cried.

"The magical mermaid and the prince fall total in love and raise a lot of Seel, and they both live happily ever after." Said Violet. Seel started clapping, as did the group.

"I liked that charming prince, but I guess it would be better if a guy played it." Said Brock.

"I liked the Seel." Said Ash.

"You would." Said Misty.

"And I get to narrate." Said Lucy. "I have a pretty good knack for telling stories."

"Run down the list and see who would be a good fit to play the prince." Lily instructed. "Don't worry about actually meeting the prince. Just focus on your main job, which is to narrate the story."

Meanwhile, outside the gym…..

"Hey, look!" cried Meowth. "They're putting on the Magical Mermaid with some ballerina underwater!"

"Ooh! An underwater ballet!" cried James. "I'd love to see that."

"It does sound fun, doesn't it?" Said Jessie.

"I took some modern dance when I was a young lad." Said James. He demonstrated for Jessie and Meowth.

"They have more than just a ballerina." Meowth pointed out.

"You're right, Meowth." Replied James.

"It looks like there's going to be lots of water Pokemon in that show." Said Jessie.

"And we love water Pokemon, don't we?" said Meowth.

"Of course we do." Said James. "So what?"

"So, I think we should get some tickets to the show." Added Jessie.

"Yeah, and that show could be our ticket to some Pokemon." Said Meowth.

The next day, the show was set to premiere. A long line of people was starting to enter the gym.

"Hello, and welcome to the cerulean gym's splashtacular new show!" cried Daisy. "Please have your cash or major credit card or debit card ready!"

"Just look at all these people, Lily!" cried Violet.

"This is going to be our biggest hit ever!" cried Lily.

Inside….

"Thank you, the entrance is right this way." Said Daisy. "Please, enjoy the show!" She then got teary-eyed.

"I am, like, so glad we tricked Misty into this." She whispered to herself. In the arena, everyone was seated, including Ash, Brock, Pikachu, Eevee and Togepi.

"This is going to be great." Said Ash. "I can't wait to see Misty."

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Me too!'

Meanwhile, up on the diving platform and behind the curtain watching the action….

"Uh oh. There's so many people out there." Said Misty nervously. "I'm kind of nervous. But I know I can do it." Lucy's voice soon came on the loudspeakers.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages, our underwater ballet The Magical Mermaid, performed by the exciting and talented Cerulean Sisters, is about to begin!" she cried. Everyone clapped and cheered. The tank, which was the set for the show, rose up out of the floor and amazed the audience. A spotlight soon shone on the Pokemon that were in the tank, including some Goldeen, a Seaking, a Horsea, a Starmie and a Seel, which signaled the start of the show.

"Once upon a time, in a beautiful, peaceful lagoon, there lived many varieties of happy water Pokemon, who spent many playful hours with their friend, the Magical Mermaid!" cried Lucy. Misty took to the diving board and dove into the tank. Misty proceeded to dance with Seel, while the Goldeen and Seaking swam around her.

"Misty's pretty good." Said Ash.

"Of course she is, she's a water Pokemon trainer." Said Brock. Misty swam into a cave to get some air and the crowd applauded and was entranced by her performance as she left.

"They're totally into it." Said Violet.

"Maybe I should've played the Magical Mermaid." Said Lily. "She has a much nicer costume."

"That is, like totally selfish!" cried Violet. "Besides, the costume would look better on me anyway." Meowth soon stepped in.

"We can be the villains!" he cried. The girls looked behind them and saw Team Rocket dressed in ridiculous costumes.

"We'd be perfect for the part." Said Jessie.

"And we wouldn't even have to act." Said James.

At the reception desk….

"It's almost time for Violet and Lily to go on." Said Daisy. "I better start getting ready for my part too! It's too bad none of the other guys Lucy tried to contact on that list I gave her could make it."

Back at the show…

"Everyone in the calm lagoon passed day after day in joyous song and dance, and they happily frolicked and played, before drifting off into a peaceful sleep." Lucy narrated. "The Magical Mermaid's water Pokemon all lived their lives in peace and harmony." Inside the seashell, Misty put a mini breather in her mouth to give herself some air.

"But not all peace and harmony can last." Lucy continued. "For one day, two terrible villains from an evil criminal syndication who sought precious things, from the lagoon, namely the Pokemon who lived in the lagoon, along with a sunken treasure, appeared." The spotlight came on over the diving board to reveal Jessie, James and Meowth.

"Everyone, check it out!" cried Ash.

"It's them!" cried Brock.

"Eevee." Groaned Eevee, which meant 'Oh great.'

"Team Rocket!" everyone cried.

"Meow!" laughed Meowth. "Looks like the real bad guys showed up!"

"What do you mean bad?" said Jessie. "Nobody's better at stealing water Pokemon than we are."

"Next time, we steal men's clothes." Said James.

"Enough talk." Said Jessie. She and James both put on their breathing devices.

"We're on." Said James.

"Those three must have some plan to ruin the show." Said Brock.

"Let's go!" cried Ash.

"Hold on a second." Said Brock. "What about Lucy? She made it clear to us yesterday that the narrator of a stage play must never be seen. That means she won't be able to help us fight."

"Then we'll have to go on without her." Said Ash.

"Pika." Agreed Pikachu, which meant 'Right-o.'

Meanwhile, Team Rocket dove into the tank, with Lucy completely unaware of what was going on.

"Then, the evil villains crept into the hideaway of the Magical mermaid's Pokemon." She said. Horsea alerted Misty of Team Rocket's presence, and she put her breather on.

"What are you three doing here?" she asked.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And 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 wet!" But much to Meowth's surprise, as well as Misty's embarrassment, the crowd was enjoying everything as if it was all part of the show.

"They love us! We're killing them!" cried Jessie.

"I always knew I was destined for greatness!" cried James. "A Starmie is born!"

"Now they'll get a chance to see what Team Rocket does best!" cried Meowth. "Which is, steal the show!" He pressed a button and the basket of the Team Rocket hot air balloon burst through the ceiling.

"And now for the grand finale!" cried Meowth. "Bring up the water Pokemon and we'll bring down the house!"

"Right!" cried Jessie.

"You got it!" cried James. The two of them cast a net at the Goldeen, which ensnared them.

"Heave ho! Heave ho!" cried Jessie and James. "That's the end of the Pokemon show!" Misty and Horsea swam into action.

"No, you can't steal these Pokemon!" cried Misty. "Let go! Leave them alone!"

"I'm afraid your underwater acting career is all washed up!" cried Jessie.

"Make like a clam and scram!" cried James.

"Take your hands off this net and drift away like a good little mermaid." Said Jessie.

"Not on your life." Said Misty. "These Pokemon don't belong to you, and you don't belong here!"

"Then, just when it looked like all was lost, and when it seemed like the thieves would get both the Pokemon and the location of the sunken treasure, a charming and handsome prince arrived to save the day." Lucy narrated. As she spoke, Daisy was getting into her costume.

"Well, I guess that's my cue." She said, drawing her sword. "Here goes." Ash and Brock soon showed up.

"Daisy, wait!" cried Ash. Daisy stopped.

"You can't go out there! Those villains aren't actors!" cried Ash.

"They're real villains, but we'll take care of them." Said Brock. "Here, hold Togepi for me, Daisy."

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Let's go!' Ash, Brock, Pikachu and Eevee put on some breathers and headed into the tank to help stop Team Rocket.

"Like, what a bummer." Said Daisy. Violet and Lily soon burst out of a locker that Team Rocket had tied them up in.

Meanwhile, in the tank…..

"Let go!" cried Jessie.

"No, you let go!" cried Misty.

"Knock it off!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hold it!'

"It's those twerps again!" cried James.

"We'll show them!" cried Jessie. "Go, Arbok!" Arbok materialized and dashed at Ash and Brock, though they avoided the collision.

"Go, Horsea!" cried Misty. Horsea charged.

"Horsea, Bubble attack!" cried Misty. Horsea launched its attack, but Arbok swatted the bubbles away.

"Arbok, Wrap attack!" cried Jessie. Arbok got ready to coil around Horsea.

"Horsea, Smokescreen!" cried Misty. Horsea was able to blind Arbok with the Smokescreen, which allowed Seaking to attack with its horn. Horsea then swam back to Misty.

"I know. You haven't been feeling well." Said Misty. "It's okay. Seaking, Horn Drill!" Seaking's horn started spinning and struck Arbok multiple times.

"Good job, Misty." Said Ash.

"Thank my sisters." Said Misty. "They trained it."

"Arbok?" said Jessie.

"This'll do it." Said James. "Weezing, go!" Weezing materialized, but it couldn't swim due to it being made out of gases. Thus, Weezing rose to the surface.

"Out of breath and out of energy." Said Meowth. Misty's sisters ran up behind Meowth.

"Only water Pokemon can battle in the water." Said Violet. "Your turn, Psyduck! Go!"

"Like, totally!" cried Lily.

"Wartortle, I choose you!" cried Ash. Wartortle materialized.

"Underwater Tackle!" yelled Ash. Wartortle pulled in its head and tail and struck Arbok.

"Go, Starmie!" cried Misty. Starmie struck Arbok, followed by Seaking.

"Uh oh! Trouble!" cried James.

"Arbok, Poison Sting attack!" cried Jessie. Arbok tried to shake all the Pokemon that attacked it, but they ducked and dodged in time. It soon cornered them, to the shock of everyone.

"It's over!" cried Violet.

"Oh no it's not!" cried Ash. "Blastoise, Gyrados, Dratini, I choose all of you!" cried Ash. All three Pokemon materialized.

"Dratini, Blastoise, Gyrados, help Seel out!" cried Ash. The three of them obliged and swam over to where Seel was. The four Pokemon got between Arbok and the cornered Pokemon.

"Seel! Seel!" cried Seel, which meant 'Keep back!

"Dratini!" yelled Dratini, which meant 'Yeah, what he said!'

"What are Seel and Dratini doing?" asked Daisy. Jessie and James just laughed.

"Those two beanie babies actually think they can stop us?" cried James.

"Finish them off, Arbok!" cried Jessie. Arbok charged, but Seel and Dratini swam around it, much to the crowd's delight.

"Good work, Seel!" cried Ash. "You too, Dratini!"

"Now, Seel, Headbutt!" cried Misty. Seel struck Arbok from behind multiple times.

"Hey, Arbok!" cried Meowth. "Don't tell me you're going to let two powder puffs like them show you up!"

"I never knew Seel was, like, that strong." Said Lily.

"Yeah." Said Violet.

"We never let it, like, compete in a battle." Said Daisy.

"Seel, Aurora Beam!" cried Misty. Seel shone an aurora at Arbok with its horn, blinding it.

"Dratini, use your Hyper Beam attack!" cried Ash. Dratini fired an orange beam at Arbok, which blinded it even more.

"Talk about a light show!" cried Daisy. Seel and Dratini both started glowing.

"Look what's happening to Seel and Dratini!" cried Brock. Daisy, Violet and Lilly saw the glows too. Violet covered her mouth with her hands.

"What's that?!" she cried.

"What are Seel and Dratini doing?!" cried Lily. Seel and Dratini continued to glow and morph.

"What is that?" said Jessie.

"Don't tell me…." Said James.

"It couldn't be!" cried Meowth.

"I think they're evolving!" cried Brock. Seel evolved into Dewgong and Dratini evolved into Dragonair.

"Dew gong, gong, gong!" cried Dewgong, which meant 'I have evolved!'

"Air!" cried Dragonair, which meant 'Still think I'm a powder puff now, Meowth?!'

"Seel and Dratini have both evolved into Dewgong and Dragonair!" cried Misty. The crowd couldn't believe their eyes.

"That was great, Dragonair!" cried Daisy. "You too, Seel…..excuse me…. Dewgong!"

"Toki!" cried Togepi, which meant 'Good job!'

"So that's a Dewgong!" cried Ash. He got out his Pokedex.

"Dewgong, the Sea Lion Pokemon. The evolved form of Seel. This Water and Ice Pokemon can easily resist extreme cold."

"All right, Arbok, go get that Seel, or Doodad, or whatever it is, along with that Dragonair, now! Go!" cried Jessie. Arbok charged, but Dewgong and Dragonair dodged just in time and then swatted Arbok with their tails, knocking it away and right into Jessie and James.

"Blastoise, Gyrados, both of you use your Hydro Pump!" cried Ash. The two Pokemon doused Team Rocket with powerful blasts of water.

"Now, Dewgong, Ice Beam!" cried Misty.

"Dragonair, use your Ice Beam too!" cried Ash. Firing the attacks from their horns, Dewgong and Dragonair froze Jessie, James and Arbok.

"All right, Misty!" cried Ash.

"We both did it, Ash!" cried Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Boo-ya!'

"Looks like the show's over for Team Rocket!" cried Meowth.

"You're awesome, Dewgong!" cried Lily. "So are you, Dragonair!"

"You're both the coolest!" cried Violet. The gang proceeded to pull the trapped Goldeen onto the rock on the surface of the water in the tank.

"You're up, Pikachu." Said Ash. "Hit them with one last blast, and make it a really good one!" Pikachu unleashed a Thunderbolt and electrified everything in the water. As a result, Team Rocket and Arbok emerged from the water, burned and defeated.

"This is so shocking." Said Jessie.

"Truly revolting!" cried James. As the three of them fell down toward the water, Dewgong slapped them up towards Meowth with its tail, and Dragonair made a hole in the balloon with its Water Gun.

"No! Watch out!" cried Meowth. "Don't come any closer!" The impact caused the broken balloon to dislodge from the roof and Team Rocket went with it.

"We're blasting off again!" they cried.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"And so, the valiant prince sent the villains away from the lagoon forever, never to return." Lucy narrated. "As for the mermaid, she found something in the prince that she had never found before, which was true love. The prince consulted his father, and the next day, he told the mermaid of the decree to protect the lagoon and all the Pokemon that lived within. And so, the two agreed to stay and live together to raise the beloved Pokemon that the Magical Mermaid held dear, in peace and love. And they lived happily ever after. The end." The audience erupted in thunderous applause.

"Thank you! Thank you!" cried Violet.

"Come back to the Cerulean gym real soon!" cried Lily.

The next day, the group spotted a line that was longer than the previous day.

"Wow! Look at that line!" cried Ash.

"Thanks to you all, our shows are totally sold out for the next six months!" cried Daisy.

"I'm glad for you." Said Ash.

"All of us are." Said Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I agree.'

"And if you decide to leave, Lily and I can take turns playing the mermaid." Said Violet.

"If they decide to leave, we totally won't have enough Pokemon." Said Daisy.

"Bummer." Said Violet. "Maybe we can borrow some of Misty's Pokemon.

"What?" cried Misty.

"Remember the whole reason we came here in the first place, Misty." Said Lucy.

"She's right." Said Brock. "We came to find Horsea a place to swim, so why not leave it for a while?"

"Oh, all right." Sighed Misty. She pulled out Horsea's Poke Ball.

"You better take good care of it." Misty instructed.

"We will." Said Violet.

"You better give us your Starmie too." Said Lilly.

"Not Starmie!" cried Misty. "Oh, how can I say no? I'm really going to miss it too." As Misty talked, Daisy picked up Togepi.

"Hi, cutie!" she cried.

"You're not getting Togepi!" cried Misty.

"On top of the fact that Misty and I both own that one together, it doesn't know any attacks yet and it also can't swim." Lucy pointed out.

"Lucy has a point." Said Misty. She put Psyduck in front of Daisy. "But you can keep this one if you want."

"We're not that desperate!" cried Violet and Lily.

"How about Pikachu?" said Daisy.

"Or even Eevee?" said Violet.

"Don't even think about it!" cried Ash and Lucy.

Later, the group was walking out of the city limits.

"Well, take care!" cried Daisy.

"Hurry up and become Pokemon masters!" cried Violet

"Visit us again soon!" cried Lily. With the show at the Cerulean gym a big hit, and having enjoyed making it such a great success, our friends Ash, Misty, Brock and Lucy head back to Viridian City so that Ash and Lucy can finally try to win an Earth Badge.

"You know, Misty, you were pretty amazing back there." Said Ash. "And Lucy, you were amazing as the narrator."

"Thanks, Ash." Said Lucy. "I did say I was good at storytelling, you know." As they left the city, a familiar water Pokemon popped out of a nearby pond and ran to Ash.

"Squirtle!" it cried.

"Oh hey there." Said Ash. "I didn't think I'd see you here. We're actually just leaving." Squirtle hung on tightly to Ash's leg.

"Even though your Squirtle evolved, I think this one wants to go with you." Said Lucy.

"Do you really want to do that?" asked Ash. The Squirtle nodded.

"Guess I have a Squirtle, again." Said Ash. With a brand new partner in tow, the group was finally able to resume their trek back to Viridian City.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 66: Clefairy Tales

A wild Jigglypuff was seen strolling down a path in the woods under the full moon and singing its tune. A Pidgey and Caterpie heard the singing and fell out of a tree fast asleep. Jigglypuff noticed this and angrily scribbled on the two Pokemon. A teapot suddenly fell on Jigglypuff's head. The Jigglypuff looked up and saw a spaceship flying overhead and glowing while smoke came out of the back. Jigglypuff went to investigate as the spaceship crash landed. It arrived and saw the spaceship in a damaged state and soon saw the door open. The inhabitants of the ship came out, and much to the Jigglypuff's shock, they turned out to be Clefairy.

"Clefairy." The Clefairy replied, which meant 'Greetings.'

Ash and Lucy are on their way to Viridian City to compete for their eighth and final badge. But even the most determined Pokemon trainers can't resist an ice cream break.

"I'm so glad we stopped for ice cream." Said Misty.

"It looks like Eevee and both Pikachu feel the same way that you do, Misty." Said Brock.

"Here's some for you, Togepi." Said Lucy. Togepi happily ate some of Lucy's ice cream.

"Do you like the ice cream, Togepi?" asked Lucy.

"You bet!" cried Ash. "I love it!" He had ice cream all over his face.

"Let's get some more." He said. Misty and Lucy looked away with embarrassed looks on their faces. Soon, though, Misty spotted a Clefairy.

"Clefairy?" she said.

"I can't believe a Clefairy would just walk right up to us like this!" cried Brock.

"Isn't it cute?" said Lucy.

"Hey! Maybe I can capture it with this ice cream as bait." Said Misty.

"I don't think that would work, considering it's close enough to literally hear EVERYTHING you're saying!" cried Lucy. Clefairy soon hooped away.

"Wait, Clefairy!" cried Misty. Clefairy kept happily hopping out of sight.

"I can't let this one get away!" cried Misty.

"Misty, wait up!" cried Ash.

"Good thing I already finished my own ice cream." Said Lucy. "Come on, Eevee, let's go after her!"

"Come on, Pikachu!" cried Ash. Eevee and both Pikachu followed while holding their ice cream.

"You too, Togepi." Said Brock. He picked up the baby Pokemon. But as they chased after Misty, someone or something snatched their backpacks and the unfinished ice cream cones.

Later, the group headed back to their table to finish up their ice cream.

"I don't know how that Clefairy got away from me." Said Misty.

"They may be small, but they're tricky." Said Brock.

"It must've used its Metronome attack in order to use Teleport to get away from us." Said Lucy.

"Maybe it only like chocolate ice cream." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Probably.' Brock soon gasped.

"What's wrong, Brock?" asked Ash.

"You're acting like something's missing." Said Lucy.

"That's because something IS missing!" cried Brock. "I left my backpack here, and now it's gone!" The group looked and saw that the other backpacks had disappeared.

"Hey, mine's gone too!" cried Misty.

"My bag's also missing!" cried Lucy.

"Yeah! So is mine!" cried Ash. He then saw that the ice cream had also disappeared.

"The ice cream disappeared too!" he cried. "I never even got to taste the chocolate!"

"I did offer you some of the ice cream that I had, but you said no." Lucy pointed out.

"We can always get more ice cream, Ash, but what about our backpacks?" said Lucy.

"Can we get peach flavored this time?" said Ash.

"This isn't the time to be thinking about more ice cream, Ash!" cried Lucy. "There's a thief on the loose!"

"We better report this to Officer Jenny!" cried Brock. The group arrived at the police station and saw a long line of people there.

"I turn my back for a second, and then my pot disappeared!" cried the cook. "And my chicken, too!"

"My baby's favorite bottle was stolen." Said a mother. Her baby started crying.

"There, there, pumpkin." She soothed.

"My lucky bat is gone, and I'll never be able to hit another home run!" cried a baseball player.

"Now, people, we've all got to keep our cool here!" cried Officer Jenny.

"The buttons on my coat are gone!" yelled a civilian.

"Someone stole the candles off my birthday cake!" cried another.

"What about my bike horn?!" cried a third.

"Please, one at a time, folks!" cried Jenny.

"I wonder why it's so crowded." Said Ash.

"The thief probably struck again, and multiple times at that." Said Lucy.

"Lucy's probably right." Said Misty. "Maybe they were robbed too. Maybe it's some sort of crime wave."

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Quite possibly.'

"That doesn't make any sense." Said Brock.

"What do you mean?" asked Ash.

"I mean, who would want to steal somebody's bike horn, or the buttons of a coat, or the candles off a birthday cake?" said Brock.

"Aliens." Answered a voice. The group turned around and saw someone in a white coat.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" asked Lucy.

"Someone who uncovers the truth." Said the voice. "Because the powers the be don't want you to know about Earth's visitors from outer space! For the truth, look to the skies, and to me, Oswald!" The group looked at him weirdly.

"How do these guys find us?" asked Ash.

"Pikachu." Answered Pikachu, which meant 'Beats me.' Officer Jenny approached the group.

"You all lose something too?" asked Jenny.

"Yes, Officer Jenny." Said Brock.

"You see, Jenny, we…." Lucy started, but Oswald interrupted her before she could speak.

"Listen to me." Said Oswald. Everyone looked at him.

"All these strange robberies point directly to visitors from another planet!" he cried.

"You mean aliens?!" everyone cried.

"That's right. Extraterrestrials." Replied Oswald.

"But that's just silly." Said Misty.

"Everybody knows that UFOs don't exist." Said Lucy.

"But I have positive evidence." Claimed Oswald. "Here, look at this." He got a book out of his bag and turned to certain pages. The group looked at the pages.

"You see?" said Oswald. "That scrapbook is filled with photos, eyewitness interviews, and lots of other conclusive proof." The cook noticed one of the pictures.

"Hey, I've seen this thing someplace!" he cried.

"Well, out with it, man!" cried Oswald. "When did you sight the spacecraft? At what rate of speed was it moving?"

"Well, I…" the cook started to answer. Oswald shook him.

"Did they beam you abord?" he cried "Tell me! Tell me!"

"Three nights ago!" cried the cook. "Just outside of town! Near the edge of the forest!"

"Did you see the extraterrestrials?" asked Oswald. "Tell me! I've got to know!"

"Mr. Oswald, take it easy." Said Ash.

"Sorry. I got carried away." Replied Oswald.

"Come to think of it, the reports of stolen objects started three nights ago." Said Jenny. Everyone was shocked by the revelation.

"The same time as when the cook said he saw that supposed spacecraft!" cried Lucy.

"You mean the space aliens might be for real?!" cried Ash. The group soon joined Oswald as they started looking for the supposed visitors.

"I don't understand why we have to be part of this stupid spaceman's search party." Said Misty.

"It beats waiting around that police station doing nothing." Said brock. "besides, we need to find our backpacks."

"At least we'll get exercise this way." Said Lucy.

"And we might get to meet some real life aliens from outer space." Said Ash.

"Come on, Ash. You don't really believe Oswald's going to find any flying saucers with that goofy gadget, do you?" asked Misty. Oswald's device soon went off.

"Bingo! We're closing in on them!" he cried. Everyone was surprised and amazed.

"But I don't see any aliens or flying saucers anywhere." Said Ash. Lucy noticed something up above.

"Holy Jumping Jupiter! Look at that!" she cried. Everyone looked up and saw a spacecraft land in front of them. Two tall and grey extraterrestrial beings soon began to exit the craft.

"Those are really aliens!" cried Ash.

"Nomekop, nomekop, nomekop…. nomekop, nomekop, nomekop….." said the aliens. The two creatures took Eevee and both Pikachu aboard their ship.

"Wait, come back!" cried Oswald.

"Yeah! And bring back my Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Come back here with Eevee and Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy.

Inside the ship, Eevee and both Pikachu were being kept inside a glass cage, and the aliens turned out to be Team Rocket.

"Our scheme to kidnap Pikachu and Eevee was out of this world!" cried Jessie.

"I puts a whole new twist on alien abduction." Said James.

"How do the three of you like your private space capsule?" said Jessie. The two Pikachu tried to shock their way out, but to no avail as Jessie laughed in triumph while the light bulb on the top of the capsule lit up from the electric power.

"It's made out of glass, so it won't conduct electricity." Said James.

"So try all the sock attacks you want." Said Jessie.

"Hey, Jess! It's a light bulb-asaur!" cried James. While they laughed, the spacecraft was being lifted by a crane that Meowth was controlling.

"They fell for it, hook, line and saucer!" he laughed. Ash's group soon noticed the craft being lifted by the crane.

"Hey, that's a crane!" cried Ash.

"And it's pulling up the spaceship!" cried brock.

"No doubt it's a hoax!" cried Lucy.

"You're right!" cried Misty. "That flying saucer is a fake!"

"We have to bring it back down to Earth!" cried Lucy.

"Pidgeotto, cut the crane cable!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized.

"Butterfree, help Pidgeotto out!" cried Lucy. The two flying Pokemon managed to cut the cable, which sent the UFO back down to Earth.

"We're floating!" cried Jessie.

"But we're floating back to earth!" cried James. The spacecraft crashed on the ground, which showed that Team Rocket was behind the whole thing.

"Look at all the stars." Said Jessie.

"Maybe Meowth got us into orbit after all." Said James.

"You mean they're not aliens?" cried Oswald.

"Not even close." Lucy answered. "They're also much more annoying." Jessie and James got up and removed the rest of their disguises.

"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 hyperspace speed of light!"

"Surrender now, Earthlings, or prepare to fight!" A Clefairy suddenly jumped down in front of them rather than Meowth, surprising everyone.

"Clefairy!" cried Misty.

"But what's it doing here?" said Lucy. Oswald's scanner went off again.

"This is amazing!" he cried. "According to my scanner, Clefairy is an alien!" The group was shocked, but the shock grew larger when Jigglypuff showed up.

"Jigglypuff!" everyone cried. The scanner went off again.

"Ah. Can it be?" said Oswald. He pointed his scanner at Jigglypuff.

"Amazing! This Jigglypuff is also an alien!" he cried.

"That scanner is even spacier than you are!" cried Lucy. Oswald's scanner went off again.

"It's indicating that you are also an alien." He said. Lucy knocked the scanner out of Oswald's hands.

"If anybody here is an alien, it's you." She said. The scanner fell and broke.

"You broke my scanner!" cried Oswald. "It took me weeks to assemble that scanner! What will I do if I can't find the Internet listing I ordered it from?" Jessie and James simply watched the proceedings.

"I hate people who have to be the center of attention." Said Jessie.

"Especially when they take everybody's attention away from us." Said James. Meowth soon came down on the cut crane cable.

"Don't just stand there!" he cried. "While the space guy's going ballistic, we can grab Pikachu and Eevee!" However, Clefairy was seen hopping away with Eevee and both Pikachu.

"Hey! We're the thieves!" cried Jessie and James. Clefairy made a barrier wall using Psychic in order to stop Team Rocket.

"We've lost our window of opportunity." Said James. Team Rocket fell over as the wall disappeared, allowing Clefairy to escape with Eevee and both Pikachu, only for Jigglypuff to follow it.

"Come back with my Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Bring my Pikachu and Eevee back here right now!" cried Lucy. The group and Oswald proceeded to chase after Clefairy.

"Come back here!" cried Ash. The Clefairy went down an alley, but when the group followed it, they hit a dead end.

"This is a dead end!" cried Misty.

"Where could it have gone?" asked Brock.

"Maybe it went up." Said Lucy.

"You mean with the aliens?" said Ash. Jigglypuff soon pointed out a manhole leading to the sewers.

"Good point, Jigglypuff." Said Lucy. "Clefairy couldn't possibly go up while carrying the weight of Eevee, both Pikachu, and the capsule combined. So it had to have gone down instead of up." The group removed the manhole cover.

"It's pretty deep." Said Ash.

"I can't even see the bottom!" cried Brock.

"We can't go down there!" cried Misty.

"We have to, Misty!" cried Lucy. "We have to find Pikachu and Eevee!" Jigglypuff jumped down the hole.

"Hey! Wait for me!" cried Ash.

"I'm right behind you, Ash!" cried Lucy. She and Misty soon jumped down the hole, followed by Brock and Oswald.

"Here goes!" cried Oswald. They all landed in a deep underground cavern, but Lucy had the hardest landing out of the whole group.

"That was definitely NOT one of my best landings." She said.

"Pikachu and Eevee are gone, let's go." Said Misty.

"Very funny." Said Ash.

"Let's not give up THAT quickly." Said Lucy.

"Guys, look at this!" cried Brock. Everyone looked and saw a spacecraft.

"That's the spaceship!" cried Oswald. "The Clefairy must be building it themselves! They'll be blasting off very soon!"

"Blasting off!?" everyone cried. The group was in disbelief when they saw the Clefairy carrying multiple different objects while hiding behind a rock.

"Hey, look!" cried Brock. "The Clefairy must be the ones that are stealing stuff to use as parts for their rocket."

"Ash! Lucy! Look over there!" cried Misty. They saw the Clefairy that took Eevee and both Pikachu carry them aboard their ship.

"Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Eevee. Little Pikachu." Said Lucy.

"Why'd they steal those Pokemon?" asked Misty.

"The Clefairy must be planning to use the electric attack energy from both Pikachu to launch their spacecraft." Said Oswald.

"Well they're not taking my Pikachu into space!" cried Ash.

"If they think that they can bring Eevee and Little Pikachu with them, they can forget it!" cried Lucy. Something soon came down from the roof of the cavern, which was the countdown clock.

"They spotted us!" cried Ash.

"That's the signal to begin the countdown to blast off!" cried Oswald. As the Clefairy took Eevee and both Pikachu aboard, Jigglypuff went in after them.

"I have to save Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"And I have to get Eevee and Little Pikachu out of there!" cried Lucy.

"Ash, Lucy, I'm coming with you two!" cried Misty.

"Oswald, I'll go and tell Officer Jenny!" cried Brock.

"What am I supposed to do?" cried Oswald. "Wait! I know just what to do! They're going into space and I'm going with them! Universe, here I come!"

Meanwhile, Team Rocket had made their way down and spotted the rocket.

"This is like being at Cape Canasta." Said Meowth.

"James, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" said Jessie.

"I don't know." Said James. "What were you thinking that I was thinking?"

"What if we brought back the boss Pikachu, Eevee, plus an entire spaceship full of Clefairy?" said Jessie.

"That's amazing!" cried James. "You must've read my mind, Jess! Or did I read yours?"

"Gee, that's a hard one." Jessie answered.

"Let's start stealing before they blast off!" cried Meowth. As Team Rocket went and boarded the ship, Ash, Misty, Lucy and Oswald were looking around the ship.

"These controls are fantastic!" cried Oswald. "The engineering is simply superb!"

"But I wonder if it will really fly." Said Ash.

"I hope so." Said Misty.

"We have to find out where the Clefairy have Pikachu and Eevee." Said Ash.

"No need to find out because we just found out ourselves." Said Lucy. "Look!" Everyone looked and saw Eevee and both Pikachu inside a glass tube.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. As the group ran toward the Pokemon, the Clefairy blocked their way.

"Clefairy!" cried Ash.

"Please, Clefairy, give me back Eevee and Little Pikachu." Said Lucy.

"And give me back my own Pikachu!" cried Ash. One of the Clefairy refused.

"The Pikachu and Eevee in there aren't just Pokemon." Said Ash. "They're our friends. Friends that are very special to Lucy and me. Won't you…" But Jigglypuff got in the way and confronted Clefairy by pounding it.

"Jigglypuff!" cried Ash.

"It's the Pound attack!" cried Misty.

"Getting hit with a Pound attack from a Jigglypuff is like a gentleman slapping you with his glove." Said Lucy. Clefairy returned the attack, rolling Jigglypuff back to the group's feet.

"Clefairy's using a Pound attack too." Said Ash. Jigglypuff struck back repeatedly.

"That's Jigglypuff's Double Slap attack." Said Ash.

"Jigglypuff must've REALLY been offended by those Poke-aliens." Said Lucy. The Clefairy fell down defeated, which made the other Clefairy get upset and charge for an attack, but Jigglypuff intimidated them and attacked them all with Double Slap.

"Yikes!" cried Lucy.

"Real cute." Said Misty.

"Astounding! We're witnessing an alien grudge match!" cried Oswald.

"More like a rivalry to me." Said Lucy. All the Clefairy were soon laid out in defeat and Jigglypuff left for another part of the ship.

"Hey! Wait for me, Jigglypuff!" cried Oswald.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. Ash, Lucy and Misty approached the case and found Eevee and both Pikachu sound asleep.

"Wake up, guys!" cried Ash.

"We've got to get out of here, fast!" cried Misty.

"Eevee, Pikachu, please wake up." Said Lucy.

Meanwhile, Jigglypuff and Oswald reached the bridge of the spaceship.

"So, this is the control center." Said Oswald. Jigglypuff pointed to the microphone it always used, which was being used as the spacecraft's joystick, and demanded it back. The lead Clefairy refused. The two Pokemon then stared each other down until the lead Clefairy attacked with Headbutt, sending Jigglypuff back. Jigglypuff then retaliated with a Double Slap and a Pound to send the lead Clefairy back. However, the lead Clefairy retaliated with a Double Slap of its own. The two Pokemon kept exchanging blows until they both had a standoff.

"This control panel is ingenious!" cried Oswald. "I wonder what this joystick is supposed to do." Ultimately, he broke the "joystick" off the panel.

"Uh oh. I broke it." He said. The two Pokemon were concerned.

"Don't worry. I'll try and fix it." Said Oswald. Jigglypuff jumped and attacked Oswald by landing on him, proceeding to take the microphone and starting to sing into it. The sound echoed throughout the spaceship.

"What's that?" asked Ash.

"I hear singing." Said Lucy.

"It's Jigglypuff's song." Said Misty.

"A song we always get tired of." Said Ash. He slumped and fell asleep. Lucy and Misty fell asleep beside each other, and Oswald and the lead Clefairy also fell asleep. When Jigglypuff was all done singing, it found that almost everyone was asleep and scribbled on those who had fallen asleep. The countdown reached its end, and a little hammer tapped the Pikachu and Eevee to wake them up. This caused the Pikachu to use Thunderbolt to power up the mechanism to get the ship moving. All the movement caused Team Rocket to stir.

"Hey, was I at an all you can eat catnip buffet?" said Meowth.

"It feels like we're moving." Said James.

"Let's get out of here." Said Jessie.

Up on the surface…..

"But Officer Jenny, it's all true." Said Brock.

"Do you truly expect me to believe that a Clefairy stole all these things and used them to make a spaceship?" replied Jenny. The ground soon started shaking and part of the street dropped down to make a runway for the spaceship, and as the ship went forward, all the missing belongings fell off and away from it.

"Here it is! My baby's bottle!" cried the mother.

"Now I can cook my chicken!" cried the cook.

"Great, now I can hit some homers!" cried the baseball player.

Meanwhile, the ship started racing down the street towards a building, when suddenly, the thrusters began to ignite, and the spacecraft was pushed further and faster down the street. The craft soon approached the building, which had a curve at the bottom, and went upward. Team Rocket tried busting out of the ship with a giant pipe.

"Let's get out of here!" cried Jessie.

"Ready, set, go!" cried James and Meowth. Before Team Rocket even had a chance to hit their target, the thruster rocket detached and fell back down to Earth. Team Rocket was revealed to be on the thruster rocket the whole time.

"There goes…." Said Jessie.

"The spaceship…" said James.

"We're on the wrong rocket!" cried Meowth.

"Team Rocket got blasted off again!" they cried.

Meanwhile, the electric volts of both Pikachu proved to be too powerful for the case to handle, and it shattered apart. The loud explosion caused Eevee to wake up. Ash, Lucy and Misty woke up after hearing the noise.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

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

"Pika!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'Lucy!' Ash picked Pikachu up, and Lucy did the same with Eevee and Little Pikachu.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" said Ash.

"Pikachu." Pikachu answered, which meant 'I feel fine.'

"How about you, Eevee?" asked Lucy.

"Eevee!" squealed Eevee, which meant 'I feel great!'

"I'm so glad you guys are out of there." Said Lucy.

"I wonder how that glass got cracked open." Said Ash.

"The electrical attacks of both Pikachu must've been too powerful for it to handle." Said Misty.

"Just like when a balloon pops when there's too much air inside." Said Lucy. Misty then spotted their bags.

"Hey! There's our backpacks!" she cried. "Let's grab 'em and abandon ship!"

Meanwhile, the control panel on the bridge of the spacecraft short circuited and the ship started to lose power as the group realized they were thousands of feet off the ground.

"Whoa! What a drop!" cried Ash.

"We must be at least a hundred thousand feet off the ground!" cried Lucy. "If we try to jump from here, they would need a shovel to scrape us off the street!"

"She's right!" cried Misty. "We'll never make it!"

"What do we do?!" cried Ash.

"Guys, a skyscraper!" cried Misty. They looked and saw a skyscraper coming their way.

"That's it!" cried Lucy. "Ivysaur, go!" Ivysaur materialized.

"Ivysaur, use your Vine Whip, now!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur extended its vine to the satellite dish on top of the skyscraper, which allowed Ash, Misty and Lucy to get to safety on the roof.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Clever thinking!'

"We made it!" cried Ash.

"Pika, Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'What about Oswald?'

"I'm sure he'll find his way off." Said Misty.

"He may be nutty, but he has to know what he's doing." Said Lucy. The group watched as the ship sailed into the distance.

"There they go." Said Ash. "Where do you think they're headed for, guys?"

"For a great big adventure." Answered Misty.

"I second that." Said Lucy.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'As do I.'

"I think you're right." Said Ash. Out in the woods, a crash was heard.

"Something just crashed!" cried a camper. The campers spotted the spacecraft.

"What is it?" asked a second camper.

"Looks like a spaceship." Said a third camper. Oswald soon stepped out in a makeshift spacesuit.

"Is this the planet of the Clefairy?" he asked. All the campers freaked out and ran away.

"Wait! Are you aliens too?" said Oswald. He soon fell over while the Clefairy disembarked to find new replacement parts for their ship.

Back in the city….

"On behalf of everyone, I'd like to say thank you." Said Officer Jenny.

"Thanks. We're glad you got everything back." Said Ash.

"It was our pleasure." Said Lucy.

Later, the group was leaving the city and bidding everyone farewell as they headed for Viridian City. And so, Ash and Lucy continue on their quest to enter the Pokemon League. Nothing can stop our heroes now.

Meanwhile, back in Pallet Town, another young trainer was about to start on her journey.

"Well, Pikachu, off we go." Said Amanda. "Thank you for everything, Professor."

"You're very welcome, Amanda." Said Professor Oak. "Make sure you keep me updated on your progress regularly."

"I will." Said Amanda. With Pikachu on her shoulder and her Poke Balls securely on her waist, she calmly strolled out of the lab and down the path. Professor Oak watched her go on her way.

"She'll definitely be a very fine trainer indeed." He said.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 67: The Battle Of The Badge

Ash and his friends have arrived back in Viridian City. It's here that Ash and Lucy hope to win an Earth badge. If they succeed, it'll be their eighth, and they'll be able to compete in the Pokemon League. The prospect of this got Ash and Lucy very excited.

"I can't believe it's been a whole year since we were here!" cried Ash.

"The last time we both passed through here, we were just starting out as trainers." Said Lucy. Misty then noticed a familiar landmark.

"Well, the Pokemon Center's up and running again." She said.

"That's great news!" cried Ash. Brock then noticed a building with stone brick walls and pillars.

"Guys, look there!" he cried. "The Viridian gym! And inside, there's some Earth Badges with your names on them." Soon enough, Ash and his friends had reached the gym. What they didn't know, however, was that they were being followed by someone else.

"Lucy and I have seven badges!" cried Ash. "We just need one more to get into the Pokemon League!"

"We've got to win it here!" cried Lucy.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Oh yeah!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'And we will!'

"It's make or break time!" cried Lucy.

"I know we can do it, Lucy." Said Ash. "We're on a hot streak!" He and Lucy both got a burning fire of passion in their eyes.

"Those two are all fired up." Said Brock.

"Yeah." Said Misty. Pikachu, Eevee and Togepi had set up a campfire near Ash and Lucy's feet.

"Holy smokes! Put out that fire!" cried Misty. Before she could say anything else, Ash and Lucy found that their shoes were on fire.

"Ouch! Hot!" they both yelled.

"Why did you do that, guys?" cried Misty.

"Eevee." Whimpered Eevee, which meant 'Sorry, Lucy.'

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Sorry, Ash.'

"That's okay, guys." Said Ash.

"You were just trying to get us warmed up for the battle, weren't you?" said Lucy.

"Pika, pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'We sure were!'

"With pals like you two behind us, how can we lose?!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'You can't!'

"A boy, a girl, and their Pokemon!" cried Brock. "That's so beautiful!"

"Whatever." Said Misty.

"Although I'm excited that this is our last gym, I'm also a bit nervous." Said Lucy.

"Don't be nervous, Lucy." Said Ash. "We're going to do great!"

"But we don't even know what type the gym leader here uses." Said Lucy. "That's the part that has me nervous."

"You two have already come so far." Said Misty. "You've both won seven badges, and you also both captured quite a bit of Pokemon."

"That eighth badge is as good as yours." Said Brock.

"You can both do this." Said Misty.

"Thanks, guys." Said Ash. Just then, a familiar bright red car pulled out, and out stepped a very familiar Pallet trainer.

"You two are still playing with your little Poke Pals, I see." Said Gary. His cheerleaders started rooting for him.

"Gary?" cried Ash.

"I thought you both would've given up capturing Pokemon and gone back home to Pallet." Said Gary. "But nope, here you both are, still at it."

"That's because we've got determination!" cried Lucy.

"That's right!" cried Ash. "We'll show you!"

"And then some!" cried Lucy.

"Take it easy, guys." Said Brock.

"I bet neither of you have enough badges to get into the Pokemon League yet!" cried Gary.

"For your information, Lucy and I only need one more to get in!" cried Ash.

"And on top of that, you lied to both of us about there not being a gym on Cinnabar Island!" cried Lucy. "It turned out that there was a gym there, and Ash and I both won the Volcano Badge!" They showed Gary their Volcano Badges as proof.

"You mean, you both actually….." stammered Gary.

"We did!" cried Lucy and Ash.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You both have serious catching up to do." Said Gary. He pulled out his badge case and opened it.

"As you can see, I already have ten badges!" he cried.

"TEN?!" cried Lucy. "I see some badges there that aren't even from any of the gyms Ash and I have been to. Where did you get those?!"

"None of your business!" snapped Gary. "Still think you two have what it takes to become Pokemon masters?" Ash started to get angry.

"Easy there, Ash." Said Lucy. "You don't want to lose your cool before a big match."

"She does have a point." Said Gary. "Anyway, I just stopped here on my way back to Pallet to see if the leader here wants to challenge a real trainer, not some two faced scrub." Ash got even angrier now.

"That does it!" he cried. He charged toward Gary, but Misty held him back.

"Don't, Ash!" she cried. "It's not worth it."

"Hey, I think I've heard of you!" cried the girl standing next to them. "Are you by any chance the famous Gary Oak, the grandson of the even more famous Professor Samuel Oak?"

"The one and only." Gary answered. "But how did you know that? Who even are you, anyway?"

"First off, my name's Amanda Cooper." The girl answered. "Second, your grandfather told me about you when I was starting my journey yesterday. He warned me about your attitude, and if you ask me, I don't think the way you're treating those two over there is very nice." Ash and Lucy were quite surprised that a kid that they didn't even know was defending them.

"I hate to rain on your parade, young lady, but your opinion doesn't matter to me one bit." Said Gary. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a battle to win." He and his cheerleaders hopped out of the car and approached the door.

"I'm Gary Oak, and I hereby request a battle with the leader of this gym!" he cried.

"Request granted!" cried the guards. They stamped their axes on the ground and the door opened.

"Let's go!" cried one of the cheerleaders.

"This will be cool!" cried a second cheerleader.

"Gary will win again, like he always does!" cried a third cheerleader. Ash scowled.

"Come on, Pikachu, we're going in too." He said.

"Not without me, you're not!" cried Lucy. "Come on, Eevee!" The two of them ran forward, only for the guards to block their way.

"Only one trainer allowed in the gym at a time, kids!" said one of them.

"But we have to get in there!" cried Lucy.

"That's the rule!" cried the other guard. The doors shut on both of them.

"If Lucy and I don't do something fast, Gary's going to get way ahead of us!" cried Ash.

"Reality check, Ash." Said Misty. "Gary's been ahead of you two from the start." Ash slumped at that realization.

"Maybe you can go just a little easy on Ash and Lucy right now." Said Brock.

"But I'm only telling the truth." Said Misty.

"So what if Ash and his friend here aren't at Gary's level yet?" said Amanda. "The fact that they're both here trying to win the last badge they need shows me that they're pretty good trainers."

"Uh, I'm sorry, but I don't think we know you." Said Lucy.

"Oh, I should probably introduce myself." Said Amanda. "My name's Amanda Cooper. I just started my journey yesterday.

"Did you hear that, Pikachu?" said Ash. "A new friend for us." Lucy and Ash shook Amanda's hand.

"My name's Ash, and the Pokemon you see beside me is my Pikachu." He said.

"I have a Pikachu too!" cried Amanda. "Except I've had him much longer. I first met him in the Safari Zone when I was five years old."

"Did you say the Safari Zone?" asked Lucy. "The four of us have actually been through there already."

"That's where I was living before starting my journey." Said Amanda.

"Then that must mean you're from Fuchsia City." Said Ash.

"Right." Said Amanda. "And who's that cutie that you're holding there, miss?..."

"Lucy." Replied Lucy. "This is Togepi. We found it at Grandpa Canyon when it was just an egg."

"It's so adorable." Said Amanda. "I heard from Gary that you're both trying to become Pokemon Masters."

"That's exactly right." Said Ash. "Lucy and I may not be the greatest yet, but we both care about our Pokemon just as much as anybody does. Maybe more." Togepi went to give Ash some comfort.

"Thank you. You're the only one who stands by me, no matter what." Said Ash. "Oh, Pikachu." Upon opening his eyes, he realized he was holding Togepi instead and the shocked reaction on his face caused him to toss the baby Pokemon into the air. It landed on a flagpole and bounced off it before landing in a Fearow's mouth, which shocked everybody. The Fearow then flew away.

"Togepi!" cried Lucy and Misty. Lucy grabbed Ash.

"Why did you do that to Togepi?!" cried Lucy.

"Lucy, Misty, it was an egg-cident!" cried Ash. "Get it? Egg!" He got bonked on the head by Lucy for the bad joke.

"This isn't the time for jokes!" she cried. "We have to go after Togepi!"

"I'll help you out!" cried Amanda. The group and their new friend proceeded to follow the Fearow.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was trying to find the group.

"I don't see those twerps anywhere, James, do you?" said Jessie.

"No, and I haven't spotted Pikachu or Eevee either, Jessie." Replied James.

"Hey, I bet the boss would love a spotted Pikachu or Eevee." Said Meowth. At that moment, Fearow spat out Togepi, which landed on James' backside.

"What did you do that for, Meowth?!" cried James.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Replied Meowth.

"Meowth, I demand to know why you just kicked me!" cried James.

"Don't flatter yourself." Said Meowth. "I wouldn't waste my time kicking you!" Togepi soon walked between them, which got Team Rocket's attention.

"Togepi?" they cried.

"Nice Togepi." Said jessie. "Our boss would just love to meet you." They fantasized what their boss would say to them.

"Excellent! A rare Pokemon for my collection!" cried Giovanni. "Good job!" The fantasy scenario ended.

"And there'd be a nice little reward too." Said Jessie. "The boss would respect us. Come on, now. Here, Togepi." But Togepi playfully jumped away and up onto the edge of the building.

"Wait, Togepi, wait!" cried Jessie. Togepi proceeded to walk across a plank, which led to a building that was under construction.

"Stop, come back!" cried Jessie.

"Stop! You might fall!" cried James.

"You'll get scrambled!" cried Meowth.

"Togepi!" cried Jessie. "Togepi, I'm coming to save you! I can't let this one just walk away! We've got to have it!" Jessie got on the plank and inched forward.

"Jessie, Jessie, you can do it!" cried James.

"Grab it, Jessie!" cried Meowth.

"Don't let it get away!" cried James.

"Hurry up!" cried Meowth.

"Would you be quiet!?" cried Jessie. "I'm going as fast as I can, so will you both just give me a break?!" Right at that moment, the plank that was underneath Jessie broke and fell under her, which resulted in her falling all the way to the street below.

"Oh no!" cried James and Meowth. They hurried to try and catch Jessie before they hit the ground, but they missed her by a hair's breadth. However, Togepi hopped down to them, allowing her to catch it.

"There! Now I've got you!" cried Jessie. She fell over in exhaustion.

Meanwhile, at the Viridian City gym, Gary's battle was about to begin.

"I am the Viridian City gym leader." Said Giovanni. "Who are you?"

"I'm Gary Oak, the best trainer in all of Pallet!" cried Gary.

"Confident, aren't you?" said Giovanni. "All right, I accept your challenge."

"You will use three Pokemon! No time limits!" cried the guards. "Let the battle begin!" The bell rang and the match started.

"I choose Nidoking!" cried Gary. Nidoking materialized.

"I choose Golem." Replied Giovanni. Golem materialized.

"Golem, tackle attack." Said Giovanni. Gole curled up and rolled forward.

"Nidoking! Fight its Tackle with your own Tackle!" cried Gary. Nidoking charged and both Pokemon collided. Golem rolled backwards and hit the wall underneath Giovanni's throne, knocking himself out.

"Nidoking is the winner!" cried the guard. Gary's cheerleaders started rooting for him as Golem was returned to its Poke Ball.

"Not bad." Said Giovanni. "Now try your luck with this one." He got out a second Poke Ball, from which a Kingler materialized.

"This should be easy too." Said Gary. He got his Pokedex out.

"Kingler, the Pincer Pokemon. The evolved form of Krabby. Its crushing claws make it a powerful opponent."

"Kingler, Crabhammer." Said Giovanni. Kingler swung multiple times, but Nidoking dodged them.

"Nidoking, return!" cried Gary. Nidoking was recalled to its Poke Ball.

"Looks like your Kingler will do in a pinch." Said Gary. "But it's not strong enough to tackle my Arcanine." He got out Arcanine's Poke Ball and kissed it for good luck.

"Arcanine, I choose you!" cried Gary. Arcanine materialized.

"Arcanine, Take Down attack!" ordered Gary. The attack landed and Kingler was forced back a bit.

"Now use your Fire Spin attack!" cried Gary. The attack engulfed Kingler, to the delight of Gary's cheerleaders.

"I don't want to disappoint any of you girls." Said Gary. "Sometimes I wonder why I was cursed with this talent. Well, time to wrap this up. Arcanine, Fire Blast attack!" The attack landed and Kingler was knocked out. It tried to get up, but failed.

"Arcanine is the winner!" cried the guard. Gary's cheerleaders celebrated as Kingler was returned to its Poke Ball.

"Maybe we should call it quits." Said Gary. "You can't beat me!"

"Is that what you think, little boy?" said Giovanni, who stepped out of the shadows.

"It is!" cried Gary.

"Maybe I can have just one more battle to test out my most powerful Pokemon." Said Giovanni. He snapped his fingers and a door slowly opened. A creature clad in cybernetic armor was revealed. The beast began to glow blue, and its eyes lit up under the visor of its helmet. Arcanine was soon lifted up and tossed into the wall as the cheerleaders ran and screamed.

"How did it do that?!" cried Gary. "What kind of Pokemon IS that?!" he got his Pokedex out.

"Pokemon unknown. No available data."

"No data?" cried Gary.

"Now, as I was saying, I'd like to test out this Pokemon of mine in battle." Said Giovanni. "And go head and use more than one Pokemon if you're afraid to lose."

"I'm not afraid of anything!" cried Gary.

"Well, let's get started." Said Giovanni.

"All right!" cried Gary. He got out Nidoking's Poke Ball.

"Nidoking, go!" he cried. Nidoking materialized.

"You too, Arcanine! Go!" cried Gary. Arcanine got up and charged.

"Is that your best?" said Giovanni. Nidoking and Arcanine both charged, but the creature glowed blue, and its eyes lit up again, revealing that it was using Psychic attack. This came to fruition when both Nidoking and Arcanine were lifted up and they felt the pain and pressure of the attack.

"Arcanine! Nidoking!" cried Gary.

"Don't waste your time." Said Giovanni. "This is the ultimate Pokemon! It can NEVER be defeated!" Gary began to quiver in fear.

Later, in another part of the gym, specifically Giovanni's office, Team Rocket presented Togepi to him.

"Sir, we finally captured a special Pokemon that we think you're going to love!" cried Jessie.

"It's even rarer than that Pikachu and Eevee you want so much." Added James.

"And it's a real cutie too." Finished Meowth.

"What are you halfwits talking about?" asked Giovanni.

"We've brought you a rare and valuable Pokemon." Said Jessie. "And here it is!" She revealed Togepi to him. Giovanni just stared blankly at them, completely unimpressed.

"What exactly does this thing do?" he asked.

"What does this thing do?" asked Jessie.

"Uh, well….." stammered James.

"Good question." Said Meowth. Togepi trilled, and Team Rocket gave a sheepish laugh.

"It would make a handsome paperweight." Jessie answered. Giovanni angrily slammed his fist on his desk.

"You fools!" he yelled. "You search the whole region for months and bring me back this thing?! You are total incompetence!"

"We're sorry!" cried Jessie and James.

"We can be more competent." Said Meowth. Giovanni's phone rang and he answered the call.

"What is it?" he said. "WHAT?! WHEN!?" He hung up the phone.

"There's been an accident. I have to go." He said. "I'm leaving the three of you in charge of the gym."

"The three of us?" said Jessie.

"In charge?" said James.

"Of the gym?" said Meowth. Giovanni's Persian exited the room through the open door, which gave Togepi a chance to escape.

"Use these to protect the gym if necessary." Said Giovanni. He tossed them three Poke Balls and sat down in his chair, which backed up into a revolving door in the wall.

"That means…." Started Jessie.

'We just became…." Continued James.

"Gym leaders!" finished Meowth.

"Yay!" they all cried. In Giovanni's dungeon, all kinds of Pokemon were seen encased, and in cages, including another Golem, another Kingler and a Cloyster. Giovanni approached the mystery Pokemon.

"We have an emergency assignment for you." He told it. He pulled a switch, and the cables on the armor were retracted, as the mystery Pokemon's eyes glowed blue.

Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, Brock, Lucy and Amanda had split up to look for Togepi.

"Togepi?!" cried Misty. "Togepi!"

"Where are you, Togepi?!" cried Lucy. "Come out, Togepi! Togepi!"

"Togepi!" cried Ash.

"Togepi!" cried Amanda.

"Togepi, where are you?!" cried Brock.

"Pi, pi, pi, pi, pi, pi!" cried Ash's Pikachu, which meant 'Togepi!'

"Pika, pika!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'Togepi, come back!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Togepi, come out!' Everyone soon regrouped outside of the gym.

"Did any of you see Togepi?" asked Misty.

"I couldn't find it anywhere." Brock answered.

"Neither could Ash, Lucy and I." added Amanda.

"Oh, I'm so worried about the little thing!" cried Misty.

"You're not the only one who's worried." Said Lucy. "As co-parent of Togepi, I'm also concerned about the little one's whereabouts."

"What if it's scared and crying right now?!" cried Misty. She and Lucy both grabbed a hold of Ash.

"Listen right here, Ash!" cried Misty. "If anything happens to Togepi, Lucy and I will NEVER forgive you!"

"Further, if we do find that something happened to it, you can kiss our friendship goodbye!" cried Lucy.

"Misty, Lucy, that won't help Togepi." Said Brock.

"Well it makes us feel better!" cried Lucy and Misty. Amanda just rolled her eyes at the four of them.

"You guys are crazy sometimes." She said. Togepi was soon heard.

"Pi?" said Pikachu, which meant 'Huh?' Everyone turned to the source of the sound.

"That voice!" cried Brock.

"Could it be?" wondered Lucy. Togepi's voice was revealed to be behind the door of the gym.

"It's Togepi!" cried Lucy and Misty. Everyone grabbed the door, and Pikachu and Eevee grabbed their trainers.

"Ready? Pull!" cried Brock. With great effort, the door was opened and Togepi was revealed.

"Togepi!" cried Misty. She scooped Togepi up.

"We were so worried about you!" cried Lucy. "Thank goodness you're safe!"

"I wonder how it got inside, though." Said Brock. "Look over there!" Everyone saw Gary and his cheerleaders knocked out cold.

"It's Gary!" cried Ash.

"And the girls!" cried Brock. Everyone rushed in to check on them.

"I wonder what could've happened here while we were all looking for Togepi." Said Amanda.

"Hey, Gary!" cried Ash.

"Gary, wake up!" cried Lucy.

"It's here." Said Gary.

"What happened?" said Ash.

"What's here?" asked Lucy.

"A Pokemon that we've never seen, did this." Gary answered. Ash and Lucy gasped.

"There's something different about this one, though." Said Gary. "This Pokemon's not just powerful, it's evil!"

"There can't be an evil Pokemon." Said Ash.

"That's just not possible." Added Lucy.

"It is." Said Gary. His cheerleaders were teary-eyed.

"I can't believe….." cried one of them.

"Gary lost!" cried another. All the cheerleaders started crying, which caused everyone in Ash's group to cover their ears. Amanda and her Pikachu had to cover their ears too.

"Why are you making such a big deal about one lost battle?!" yelled Misty.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Misty's right!' The cheerleaders stopped and listened to what Misty had to say.

"If I cried like that every time Ash and Lucy lost a battle, I'd be waterlogged!" cried Misty.

"Eevee." Said Eevee, which meant 'Correct.' Ash and Lucy fell over in disbelief.

"She's only kidding." Said Ash.

"One thing's for sure, though." Said Gary. "Nobody will ever beat that Pokemon." Jessie's evil witch-like laugh was soon heard as the gym lights came on.

"Who's there?!" cried Ash.

"Prepare for trouble!"

"And 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!"

"It's them again!" cried Ash.

"Hey, I remember you guys!" cried Amanda. Jessie and James stumbled and fell down in disbelief.

"Hey kid, don't you know it's rude to interrupt someone when they're talking?!" cried James.

"He's right." Said Jessie. "You twerps always interrupt us before we get to finish!"

"We already know what you're going to say!" cried Misty.

"It's never any different!" cried Lucy.

"Ah, but today is very different." Said Jessie.

"Something's happened that's going to make you very jealous." Said James. Meowth popped out of a confetti container in the rafters.

"Let's celebrate!" he cried. "We just got a big promotion! Now we're going to get the respect we deserve!"

"That's right, Meowth." Said Jessie. "The new leaders of this gym are…."

"The three of us!" cried James. Everyone just looked in disbelief.

"You guys are gym leaders?!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'They are?'

"Pika?" wondered Pikachu, which meant 'Since when?'

"Just moments ago, we were put in charge of this gym." Answered Jessie. "And that means we're also in charge of the Earth Badge." She held the badge up.

"The Earth Badge!" cried Ash.

"But that means this gym is controlled by Team Rocket!" cried Lucy.

"Why would they want a gym, anyway?" asked Amanda.

"You twerps think you're so clever, wanting to know about plans for a criminal organization like ours." said Jessie.

"Try us!" cried Lucy.

"That's for us to know and you to find out!" cried James. "Uh, what are they?"

"Those plans are classified information!" cried Jessie.

"She doesn't know about them either!" cried Meowth. Jessie punched Meowth away.

"Amanda, did you say that you remember these three?" asked Brock. Amanda nodded her head.

"I already ran into them in the Safari Zone back home, and they tried to steal my Pikachu!" she cried.

"At least we're not the only ones they've been after." Said Lucy.

"What's past is past, but now it's time for battle." Said Jessie.

"If you want that Earth Badge, you'll have to defeat us." Said James.

"That's just what Lucy and I plan to do!" cried Ash.

"I guess that means we're tag teaming for this." Said Lucy.

"Well then, step right into the ring that we've prepared for the two of you." Said Jessie. Another stand appeared behind Ash's group.

"Now, get into the trainer's box, little ones." Jessie laughed.

"Don't, guys! It's a trick!" cried Misty.

"They must've booby trapped it somehow!" cried Brock.

"If you both of you run away now, you won't get that Earth Badge!" teased James.

"We're not running anywhere!" cried Lucy. She and Ash ran up the ladder to the top of the trainer box.

"Those two better be careful up there." Said Amanda.

"We'll start with three Pokemon each. No time limit." Said Jessie.

"Fine. Let's battle!" cried Ash.

"All three Pokemon, go!" cried Jessie. Machamp, Kingler and Rhydon materialized from the Poke Balls. Lucy got out her Pokedex to scan Machamp's entry.

"Machamp, the Superpower Pokemon. The final evolved form of Machop. Machamp can launch a furry of a thousand punches in just two seconds using its four strong arms powerful enough to send a train flying."

"Ha! This should be a cinch!" cried Jessie.

"And don't forget…." Said James.

"Our secret weapons!" cried Meowth.

"Be careful, guys. They're up to something." Said Brock.

"Right." Said Lucy. "Ash, you send one out first." Ash nodded.

"Wartortle, I choose you!" cried Ash. Wartortle materialized.

"Wartortle? Is that the best you can do?!" cried Jessie. "Machamp, Karate Chop!" Machamp closed in and struck multiple times. An electrical jolt went through Ash's body at the same time Wartortle took the hits.

"What's that?!" cried everyone else.

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

"Oh, that's one of the custom features here in our gym." Said James. "In that box, the trainer feels all the pain that their Pokemon feels."

"Not so eager to battle now, are you?" said jessie.

"They can't win." Said Gary. "Machamp's too powerful!"

"Don't count them out yet, Gary!" cried Amanda.

"Lucy, you try next." Ash said weakly. Lucy nodded and grabbed a Poke Ball.

"Ivysaur, I choose you!" she cried. Ivysaur materialized.

"Then I'll choose Kingler!" cried Jessie.

"Ivysaur, Vine Whip!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur extended its vines.

"Kingler, Harden!" cried Jessie. Kingler hardened itself to avoid any damage.

"Too bad!" laughed Meowth.

"Those kids are out of their league, aren't they?" said James.

"Kingler, Bubble attack!" cried Jessie. The attack landed and Lucy felt the pain of the jolts.

"Ash, Lucy, you guys can't win!" cried Gary. "Their Pokemon are too strong!"

"We can't give up!" cried Lucy. "We've come too far to just quit now!"

"We trust our Pokemon!" cried Ash. He and Lucy got a look of determination in their eyes.

"We can do it!" they both cried.

"Maybe, they can." Said Gary.

"They CAN and they WILL!" cried Amanda.

"Go, Pidgeotto!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto materialized.

"Quick Attack!" cried Ash. Pidgeotto struck Rhydon, causing Jessie to get jolted as well.

"Come on, Ash! Come on, Lucy!" cried Brock.

"You can do it!" cried Misty.

"Really stick it to them!" cried Amanda.

"Pidgeotto, Double-Edge attack!" cried Ash. The attack landed and Jessie felt the jolt in her trainer box.

"Ah!" cried Jessie. "James, why did you set it up to give shocks on both sides? Turn it off! Turn it off!"

"I didn't think it would matter!" cried James. "It never occurred to me that we could lose!" Meowth held up a remote control

"Luckily I made this little gadget in case we did lose!" he cried. "All I have to do is hit the button and goodbye competition!" Amanda charged forward, having heard everything.

"Oh no you don't!" she cried. "Give me that thing!" She tackled Meowth, which caused him to drop the remote.

"All Pokemon, attack at once!" cried Jessie. "Go, Arbok! Go, Weezing!" The two poison types materialized.

"Those two were Ekans and Koffing the last time I saw them." Said Amanda.

"You can't use new Pokemon now!" cried Misty. "It's against the rules!"

"I make up the rules for this gym." Replied Jessie.

"Well if those are the rules….." said Ash. "Let's go, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'On it!'

"Eevee, go!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Ready!' Eevee laid into Arbok with a Take Down attack, and Pikachu jumped onto Arbok and used Thunderbolt to electrify all the Pokemon that Team Rocket had, which caused Jessie serious voltage. The Pokemon that Giovanni had given them retreated.

"Follow the leader." Said Jessie weakly. Arbok and Weezing were sent right into Jessie, knocking her down. Ash and Lucy celebrated, along with their Pokemon.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"We won the match!" cried Lucy. The two of them high fived each other

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

"Vee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Lucy!' All of Ash and Lucy's Pokemon rushed towards them.

"They did it!" cried Amanda.

"Thanks, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Thank you too, Eevee!" cried Lucy. "You were all great!"

"You see, Gary?" said Amanda. "They DO have potential to be Pokemon masters.

"I hate to admit it, but those two are pretty good trainers." Said Gary. "But still, nobody's ever going to beat the Pokemon that I saw."

"I don't think anybody even has a chance against the Pokemon you saw." Said Amanda. "I wonder what it was, anyway."

"I don't think you want to know the answer to that." Said Brock.

Meanwhile, James and Meowth were checking on their teammate.

"Jessie, can you hear me?" asked James.

"Can you move?" asked Meowth. Jessie growled and started pounding Meowth and James on the head.

"I'm lucky I can still breathe after what the two of you did to me!" she cried. "Why did I get all those shocks?!"

"Hey, Jessie!" cried Ash. "Lucy and I won the match fair and square!"

"So now we want that Earth Badge we earned!" cried Lucy.

"Well you're not getting them! Bleh!" cried Jessie.

"Hey, that's cheating!" cried Ash.

"Well, I'm a cheater!" cried Jessie. Meowth noticed Togepi messing with the controls on the remote he had dropped.

"Stop! Get away from that thing!" he screamed. Togepi pushed both buttons on the remote and caused the explosives on both trainer boxes to activate, much to Team Rocket's horror.

"I think I might've wired this side too!" he cried.

"Oh no!" cried Jessie and James.

"Time to say so long, losers!" cried Amanda. The trainer box went up, which sent Team Rocket flying, which also caused them to drop the two Earth Badges.

"We're blasting off again!" cried Team Rocket. Ash and Lucy caught the Earth Badges.

"Hey!" cried Ash. They held up their new badges proudly.

"We finally got our Earth Badge!" they cried.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Congratulations!' The gym soon started to rumble and shake.

"The building's collapsing!" cried Gary. "Everybody run for it!" They all evacuated the gym as it came crumbling down.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing this wasn't going to be my first gym." Said Amanda.

"So where are you going to go, Amanda?" asked Ash.

"I'm heading to Viridian Forest so I can train up some of the Pokemon I've already caught before taking on Pewter City's gym." Amanda answered.

"And if you can, stay away from the bug Pokemon." Said Misty.

"Misty!" cried Ash. Amanda and her Pikachu just let out a laugh.

"I hope we get to see each other again real soon." Said Amanda.

"So do I." said Lucy. They watched Amanda walk away north towards the forest area.

Later, Ash and his friends were walking outside of Viridian City themselves.

"I wonder if we'll ever get to see the Pokemon that Gary was talking about." Said Brock. "I'd like to get a good look at that."

"Right now, all Lucy and I want to look at are our eight badges." Said Ash. "Now we can finally get into the Pokemon League!"

"We're on our way to becoming Pokemon masters!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu." Said Pikachu, which meant 'You sure are.'

"All right! Let's go!" cried Brock.

"But where is the Pokemon League?" asked Misty. Ash stared at Misty with a clueless look.

"Ash, don't you know where it is?!" cried Misty.

"I'm sure Professor Oak can tell us all about it." Said Brock.

"Good idea, Brock." Said Lucy. "We have to know where the competition is being held so that Ash and I can compete."

"Right. Let's go visit him back in Pallet Town." Said Ash.

"All right!" cried Brock.

"Okay." Said Misty.

"Home, here we come!" cried Lucy. "I bet my dad will be excited to see me again!" Now that Ash and Lucy have their eight badges, our heroes make their way to Pallet Town, where the adventure first began. What new adventures await them? You'll see!

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 68: It's Mr. Mime Time!

We start things off with Ash and Lucy making calls home.

"Placing call. Placing call. Placing cal. Placing call." Beeped the video phones. Ash's mom and Lucy's dad appeared on their respective screens.

"Hi, Mom! It's me!" Ash cried on his screen. "I'm coming home!"

"Daddy, I've missed you!" cried Lucy. However, on Ash's phone…..

"Thank you for calling the Ketchum residence." Said the voice of Delia. "No one's able to take your call at the moment."

"It's the answering machine, Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Pika." Replied Pikachu, which meant 'I knew that.'

"So please, leave a message after the beep, and we'll get back to you as soon as we can." Said Delia's voice.

On Lucy's phone…..

"You've reached the Peters residence." Said Zack's voice. "I'm sorry, but we can't take your call right now."

"It's Daddy's answering machine, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"Leave your message after the tone and we'll try to get back to you once we're available." Said Zack's voice. Both phones beeped, and they left their messages.

"Mom, it's Ash, and I have a surprise." Said Ash.

"Daddy, it's me, your one and only daughter Lucy!" cried Lucy. "Do I ever have a surprise for you!" Then they both yelled into their phones the same thing at the same time.

"You're going to have a visitor, and it's me!" they cried.

Ash, Lucy, Misty and Brock are heading back to Pallet Town to find out more about the Pokemon League from the hometown expert, Professor Oak.

Ash and Lucy sped up their pace. They were eager to return to Pallet and see their parents and the professor.

"Come on, you two!" cried Brock.

"Slow it down a little, will you?" cried Misty.

"Yeah, Ash. Pallet Town's not going anywhere!" cried Lucy.

"I just can't wait to get home!" cried Ash.

"Neither can I!" cried Lucy.

"Well, at least wait for us!" cried Brock.

"For a pair of eleven year olds, they run pretty fast." Misty remarked.

"We should be able to see Pallet any second now, Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Home sweet home!' Suddenly, Ash and Lucy both ran smack into an invisible wall.

"That really hurt." Said Ash.

"What's wrong?" asked Brock.

"Why did you both stop running?" asked Misty.

"We ran into this wall here." Answered Lucy.

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

"I don't see any wall." Said Misty. Brock tapped on the wall.

"Hey!" cried Brock.

"I feel it!" cried Misty.

"See?" cried Ash.

"But how did this get here?" Lucy wondered.

"An invisible wall." Said Brock.

"Hey! What's that thing?!" cried Ash. Everyone looked and saw something climbing the wall.

"That looks like a Pokemon." Said Lucy.

"But which one?" asked Ash.

"Let's see." Said Lucy. She got her Pokedex out.

"Mr. Mime, the Barrier Pokemon. It uses pantomime to make actual walls appear. Because it is rarely discovered, information about this Pokemon is extremely limited."

"A Mr. Mime, huh?" said Lucy. "That's awesome! We just found a really rare Pokemon without even looking!"

"Now I'll catch it with my Poke Ball." Said Ash.

"Who says that you're catching it?!" cried Lucy. "The scan was from my Pokedex, so that means I should be the one catching it!"

"Back off, Lucy!" cried Ash. "I ran into the wall first, so it's mine!"

"No way, Ash!" cried Lucy. "That Mr. Mime's going with me, and there's nothing you can do about it! Unless you'd rather we battle each other for the right to catch it."

"We're not going to battle, because I'm catching it!" cried Ash.

"No, I am!" cried Lucy. Their argument was suddenly interrupted, but not by Brock or Misty.

"Please stop!" cried a voice. The group turned and saw what appeared to be a female circus ringmaster.

"Won't you please let me catch that Mr. Mime?" she asked.

"No way!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"Why should we, anyway?" yelled Ash.

"Yeah, we saw it first!" Lucy protested.

"Guys, be polite!" cried Brock. "My name's Brock, and I'm afraid the manners of my two friends here aren't exactly what they should be. Please, be my guest and capture that Mr. Mime."

"WHAT?!" cried Ash and Lucy. They tried to go after the Mr. Mime, but Brock and Misty had to hold back Ash and Lucy respectively.

"Please, miss. Hurry up and capture it!" cried Brock. But Mr. Mime had gotten over the barrier wall and escaped.

"Wait, don't run away! I need you!" cried the ringmaster. "Poke Ball, go!" But the ball hit the invisible wall as Mr. Mime ran ahead.

"Oh no. What will I do now?" sighed the ringmaster. Ash and Lucy were more angry now.

"This was your fault!" they snapped at each other.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Guys, quit it!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Knock it off, you two!'

"It's not your fault, guys." Brock said to Ash and Lucy before turning his attention to the ringmaster. "It's my fault that Mr. Mime got away. Whatever your problem is, I feel it's my duty to help you solve it."

"How about if I just show you instead." The ringmaster suggested. She soon took the girl to a nearby circus that she worked for.

"Pokemon Circus?" said Ash.

"I remember attending one of those when I was only four years old!" cried Lucy.

"This looks like fun." Said Misty.

"Are you kidding? A circus is ALWAYS fun." Said Lucy.

"My name is Stella, and I'm the ringmaster of this circus." Said the girl.

"Cool!" cried Ash.

"You must really love Pokemon, so we have a lot in common." Said Brock. Some other girls soon came out of one of the trucks.

"Stella! How did it go?" asked one of the girls.

"Did you find a new Mr. Mime for the circus?" cried another.

"Well, almost." Sighed Stella.

"What'll we do?" cried a third girl. "Our Mr. Mime won't go on."

"It won't?" said Lucy. Stella led the group to her Mr. Mime's trailer.

"Look." She said. They were surprised to see it lounging on the sofa and eating potato chips.

"What's it doing?" said Ash.

"It's being lazy, just like a certain Charizard of yours." Said Lucy.

"Don't you start comparing this Mr. Mime to my Charizard!" Ash snapped.

"Lucy's right, Ash." Said Brock. "That Mr. Mime in there is kind of lazy."

"It looks like a total slob." Said Misty.

"Pika." Said Eevee, which meant 'I'll say.'

"I'm afraid I'm at fault for that." Said Stella. "I wanted it to be perfect, so I trained it hard, night and day. But yesterday, it quit on us right in the middle of a show and now it won't listen to me at all."

"What other Pokemon do we know that doesn't listen to somebody?" said Lucy.

"I told you not to make comparisons!" cried Ash. He then faced Stella. "The problem is that you were too tough on it. That's why it gave up."

"Now I have to find a way to get Mr. Mime to perform again, and I think I know how to do that." Said Stella. "I'll just get another one to be its competition."

"I get it. That'd make your Mr. Mime jealous and it'll want to start performing again." Said Brock.

"That might work, because Ash and Lucy try harder because they're jealous of Gary.

"We're ten times better than Gary is!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"See what I mean?" said Misty.

"Stella, I'm going to get you a new Mr. Mime, and I'm going to do it today!" cried Brock.

"Do you really think you can, Brock?" said Stella.

"I guarantee it!" cried Brock.

"Can I count on you?" asked Stella.

'They don't call me Brock "The Rock" for nothing!" cried Brock.

"He must be talking about the rocks that are in his head." Said Lucy.

"You know, Brock, catching that Mr. Mime isn't going to be easy." Said Ash.

"Who said anything about catching a Mr. Mime?" said Brock. "I promised Stella I would get her a new Mr. Mime, and I fully intend to do that!"

"How?" said Lucy.

"By making one." Answered Brock.

"How are you going to make a Mr. Mime?" asked Ash.

"I'm very glad you asked me that, Ash, because I think there's a way you can help me." Said Brock. He laughed maniacally upon finishing his sentence.

"Uh oh, I don't think I like where this is headed." Said Lucy.

"Pika pi." Said Little Pikachu, which meant 'Me either.'

"What kind of help do you have in mind?" Ash asked meekly. Brock put his hands on Ash's shoulders, which made Ash scream.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was out in the forest and quickly approaching their headquarters.

"Sir, Jessie, James and Meowth have arrived." Said the butler. A screen lowered and an annoyed Giovanni came on as he stood before his secret weapon.

"What do you three want?" he asked them harshly.

"Sir, please forgive us for what happened at the Viridian gym." Said Jessie.

"It was a terrible mistake." Said James.

"This won't effect my year end bonus, will it?" asked Meowth hopefully.

"How dare you waste my time!" snapped Giovanni. "I want rare Pokemon, not your lame excuses!" Team Rocket panicked.

"We'll get you those rare Pokemon. Don't you worry, sir." Said Jessie. The trio quickly felled as Giovanni marvelled at his secret weapon.

"They can search the entire universe, but they'll never be able to find a Pokemon as rare as you." He chuckled.

Later, Team Rocket was in the sky flying away from their headquarters.

"We got lucky that time." Said Jessie.

"But we better find some Pokemon, and fast!" cried James.

"Easy for you to say." Said Meowth. "A rare Pokemon's not going to just come up and smack us in the face." Right at that point, a piece of paper landed right in Meowth's face. Jessie removed it and saw that it was a poster for the Pokemon Circus.

"Or maybe it will." She said.

Meanwhile, at the circus, Stella and the others were smiling and laughing when they saw what Brock had done.

"Pika, Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Pretty convincing.' What they all saw was a Mr. Mime standing in front of them, but it was no ordinary Mr. Mime.

"This might just work!" cried Stella.

"Brock, he's perfect!" cried Misty.

"Pi Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'It should work!'

"I bet you wouldn't be able to fool me!" cried Lucy.

"I think this may be the best Pokemon I ever raised." Said Brock. The Mr. Mime began to talk, although it was really Ash in the costume.

"What do you mean the best Pokemon you ever raised?!" cried Ash. He took off the head. "I don't see why I have to be the one that gets stuck wearing this stupid costume!"

"I'd love to wear it, but I'm just too tall." Said brock.

"How could I ever hide this face?" said Misty.

"And there's no such thing as a Mrs. Mime." Said Lucy.

"I won't do it." Said Ash. "I'm not going to dress like a clown!"

"Please, Ash?!" cried Stella. "You have to! It's my only hope!"

"I know, but….." said Ash.

"You gotta help her out, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Come on, Ash. Just give it a try." Said Misty.

"Pika Pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Go on, Ash.'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I know you can do it!'

"Even your Pikachu and my Eevee want you to do it." Said Lucy.

"But I don't even know how to do any of Mr. Mime's tricks!" cried Ash.

"Don't worry about that, Ash." Said Brock. "Stella will use her gentle compassionate training techniques to teach you everything you need to know. Isn't that right, Stella?"

"Leave everything to me." Replied Stella. "I'll have you doing Mr. Mime's act in no time at all!"

"Gee, I don't know." Said Ash.

"Please say yes, Ash." Said the girls. "I would mean so much to all of us."

"Well, I guess it might be fun to be in the circus." Said Ash.

"That's the spirit, Ash!" cried Lucy. Ash put on his Mr. Mime mask.

"All right, let's see what you can do!" cried Stella. "Ai-ya!" She cracked the whip at Ash's feet, which frightened him.

"Hey! Watch it with that whip!" cried Ash.

"It'll whip you into shape, Ash." Said Brock.

"Stella's not as sweet ash she looks, is she?" said Misty.

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

"Okay, let's see some pantomime!" cried Stella.

"Pantomime?" repeated Ash.

"That's right, now stop talking and start miming!" cried Stella. She cracked the whip again, and Ash started to mime.

"If these are her gentle training techniques, I know why Mr. Mime quit." He said.

"No! Put more feeling into it!" cried Stella.

"How can I put more feeling into acting like I'm touching a window?" said Ash.

"You think Mr. Mime's going to be jealous of THAT!" cried Stella. She cracked the whip once more, forcing Ash to pantomime again.

"Wrong! Again! Faster! No!" yelled Stella. "Wrong! Again! Faster! No! Wrong! Again! Faster! No! Wrong! Again! Faster! No! Wrong! Again! Faster! No!"

Meanwhile, Brock, Misty and Lucy were outside the trailer where Stella's Mr. Mime was lounging around.

"This doesn't seem to be working, does it?" said Brock.

"Maybe Mr. Mime doesn't care about the competition." Said Misty.

"Yeah." Added Lucy.

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Ditto.'

Later, the circus was ready to begin as the lights came on over Stella.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and children of all ages!" she cried. "Here are the stars of the Pokemon Circus!" The audience applauded as Ash came out with the other performers.

"Hey, look! Here comes our new Mr. Mime!" cried Brock.

"I can't wait to see him." Said Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Me, too!'

"I wonder how he'll do." Said Lucy.

"We've got a full house today." Said Stella.

"That's great." Said Ash. He soon spotted Delia in the crowd.

"Hey! My mom is here!" cried Ash.

"Ash, be quiet." Said Stella.

"Oops." Said Ash. The lights suddenly went out and the music stopped.

"What happened to the lights?" cried Stella.

"Is this part of the show?" asked Misty.

"I don't think so." Said brock.

"There's no way this is just a simple power failure." Said Lucy. A spotlight soon shone on Jessie up on the trapeze stand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for trouble!" she cried. Another spotlight shone on James, who was in the opposite trapeze stand.

"Children of all ages, make it double!" he cried. Jessie swung on a trapeze with her legs.

"To protect the world from devastation!" James did the same as Jessie with his own legs.

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" Jessie let go of the swing and used her momentum to launch forward.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!" James extended his hands to catch Jessie as she came towards him.

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!" But as James said his name, he fell off the swing with jessie hanging onto him, but they bounced upward on the safety net.

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!" They both managed to get themselves onto a trapeze platform as Meowth shot himself towards them from the cannon.

"MEEEEEEEEEEOWTH! Hey, that's right! Well, come on, let's hear a little applause here!"

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"Since when did those three clowns join this circus?!" cried Lucy.

"They're going to steal the show!" cried Brock.

"Hold on to your cotton candy, kids!" cried Jessie. She pointed to Ash, despite being unaware that he was in a costume.

"All we want is that Mr. Mime over there." She said.

"But I'm not….." said Ash. Stella stopped him before he could say anything else.

"Oh, don't worry. We wouldn't want a circus Pokemon to work without a net." Said James. He threw a net at Stella and Ash, which made Lucy gasp.

"Look out, Stella!" she cried. She got out of her seat and onto the stage, where she managed to get Stella out of the way. Unfortunately, she also ended up allowing Ash and herself to be caught, and for Team Rocket to escape.

"I hope you all enjoyed Team Rocket's aerial act!" cried Jessie.

"See you clowns later!" cried Meowth.

"Clowns. Good one, Meowth." Said James.

"Thanks. I thought of that myself." Said Meowth.

"They've got both Ash and Lucy!" cried Misty.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

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

"We've got to get them back!" cried Brock. Delia soon came up.

"Misty, Brock, everyone." She said.

"It's Ash's mom!" cried Brock and Misty.

"That wasn't Mr. Mime, it was Ash up there, and Lucy too, wasn't it?" she asked. Misty and Brock gave Delia a worried look.

"That's right." Said Misty.

"I knew it." Said Delia.

Later, everyone in the audience had left, and Misty and Stella had explained the plan Brock had come up with.

"Well then, there's nothing to worry about." Said Delia cheerfully.

"But Mrs. Ketchum, Team Rocket just kidnapped your son and his best friend." Said Misty

"Don't worry about that, Misty." Said Delia. "Team Rocket thought they were getting a Mr. Mime. But once they find out they got Ash instead, along with Lucy, I'm sure they'll let them go. Besides, the two of them have proven that they can handle themselves in any situation no matter what it is."

"You're right." Said Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'I guess.'

"I'd like to see the look on their faces when they find out they got Ash and Lucy!" cried Brock.

"They'll really be surprised." Said Misty.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'They sure will!'

"Why don't you all come back to my house for something to eat?" said Delia. "I'm sure you could use a home cooked meal."

"We sure could, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Misty.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was celebrating in a cabin in the woods.

"I think this was the easiest heist we ever pulled!" cried Meowth.

"You're right, Meowth." Said James. "And this time, we didn't have those stupid kids to get in our way!"

"And this couldn't have happened at a better time." Said Jessie. "Now the boss can't say that we never bring him any unusual Pokemon." Ash and Lucy struggled at first to get free of their bindings before finally succeeding, much to the Team Rocket trio's surprise.

"He's even more unusual than you think!" cried Lucy. She removed the mask, which made Team Rocket panic.

"Sorry to disappoint you." Said Ash. "I'm no Mr. Mime, but I was good enough to fool you! Although, that's not saying very much."

"You certainly fooled me, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"That thing is half twerp…" said Jessie.

"Half mime!" cried Meowth.

"I wonder how it learned to talk." Said Jessie.

"Act like you're in a bubble." Said James.

"I'm NOT a Mr. Mime!" cried Ash. He put the mask back on. "I just play one on TV."

"Come on, Ash, we're out of here!" cried Lucy. The two of them ran out the door, leaving Team Rocket furious.

"He tricked us!" cried James.

"Those two little brats have ruined every single one of our brilliant plans!" cried Jessie.

"I say we put a stop to this humiliation once and for all!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket left the cabin, but much to their horror, they found that Ash and Lucy had stolen their balloon.

"Come back here!" cried Jessie.

"That's our balloon!" cried James.

"Yeah, thanks!" cried Ash.

"This time, your hot air came in handy!" cried Lucy.

"Why you little pests!" cried Jessie and James. They ranted more as Ash and Lucy flew away.

Meanwhile, Brock, Misty and Stella got ready to leave Delia's house after their meal.

"Thanks for the meal." Said Brock.

"It was delicious!" cried Misty.

"Yes, thank you." Said Stella.

"It was my pleasure." Said Delia. "Ash and Lucy's friends are welcome here anytime."

"Ash and Lucy really are lucky to have such great parents, aren't they?" said Brock.

"Yeah." Said Misty.

"Oh my." Said Delia. "I'll have to tell Zack about what you said, Brock." She blushed and laughed from the kind words, and soon, Stella, Misty and Brock departed.

"Goodbye, now!" cried Brock.

"Thanks again!" cried Misty.

"Pika, Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'See you soon!'

"You're welcome!" cried Delia. "Come back soon!" As she bid the group farewell, the real Mr. Mime peeked out from behind a bush. Delia then went back into the house and sat on her couch.

"I'm really worried about Ash and Lucy." She said. "I hope they're all right." She then heard someone outside the backyard sliding door and saw Mr. Mime, but for some reason, she thought it might be Ash or Lucy.

"They're home!" cried Delia. She opened the door for Mr. Mime.

"Ash! Lucy! Thank goodness you're both safe!" she cried.

"Mime?" wondered Mr. Mime, which meant 'Ash? Lucy?'

"I'm so glad you're both home." Said Delia. "Brock, Misty and Stella told me why Ash was wearing the Mr. Mime costume."

"Mime?" asked Mr. Mime, which meant 'Costume?'

"You're really trying to be like Mr. Mime, aren't you?" chuckled Delia. "I'll have lunch ready in just a minute."

"Mime?" said Mr. Mime, which meant 'Lunch?' Soon, lunch was served.

"Here you go." Said Delia.

"Mr. Mime." said Mr. Mime, which meant 'It looks good.'

"Your friends said it was delicious." Said Delia. "I have plenty more if you want seconds."

"Mr. Mime." Said Mr. Mime, which meant 'If you say so.' The Mr. Mime tried some of the rice and curry, and he loved it.

"Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Yum!'

Meanwhile, in the sky above Pallet, Ash and Lucy flew in.

"Mom is going to be totally surprised!" cried Ash.

"Even more so when she sees you in that costume." Said Lucy. The balloon soon landed.

"We're home!" cried Ash.

"Yes, I know you're home, and I'm glad you are." Said Delia. She entered the living room and what surprised to see Lucy and what she thought was a Mr. Mime standing next to what she thought was Ash.

"Does Ash have a twin brother?!" cried Delia.

"Hey. What are you doing in Ash's house?!" cried Lucy.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Oh my gosh!'

"Wait, it's okay!" cried Ash. Mr. Mime hid behind Delia.

"I'm afraid I'm confused." She said.

"Allow me to clear the confusion for you, Mrs. Ketchum." Said Lucy. "That's a REAL Mr. Mime!"

"Then that means this one here is…" said Delia. She removed the mask that was on Ash's head.

"My Ash!" she cried. "I thought it was strange that you ate so nicely." Ash fell over in disbelief.

"Mr. Mime, we have some friends at the Pokemon Circus who could really use your help." Said Lucy. "It would be great if you could go there with us.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'No way!'

"Please help them, Mr. Mime." Said Delia. "I'll make you a big desert if you do!"

"Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Okay!' Ash and Lucy sweat dropped in jealousy.

"We're supposed to be the Pokemon trainers, not her!" Lucy grumbled.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was driving a tank down the road.

"Now that those kids stole our balloon, we have to use our heavy artillery!" cried James.

"Soon, we'll have every Pokemon in that silly circus!" cried Jessie.

"Let's see what Mr. Mime has to say about that!" cried James.

"Yeah!" cried Meowth. The tank headed right for the big top.

"Fire the live capture missiles!" cried Jessie.

"It's showtime, kiddies!" cried Meowth. He pressed a button to launch the missiles.

"Fire!" cried Meowth. The circus Pokemon spotted the missile, and a net came out of it, which trapped a Dodrio.

"Bullseye, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"You mean cat's-eye!" cried Meowth. Three more missiles were fired, which captured a Machoke, Exeggcute and Tangela. Brock and Misty took notice.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Brock.

"And they're headed this way!" cried Misty.

"This looks bad!" cried Brock.

"Go get all the Pokemon and we'll run for it!" cried Stella.

"Right!" cried the three girls. They got in the trucks and drove away, but Team Rocket pursued them.

"You can't get away from us!" cried Jessie. Another missile was fired and the net captured and stopped the trucks as team Rocket laughed in triumph.

"The real Mr. Mime should be around here somewhere." Said Jessie. "Let's look."

"Roger." Said James. He pressed a button that brought up a camera. The camera spotted Stella running away with Mr. Mime.

"There!" cried James.

"And they say that there's nothing good on TV." Said Jessie. She and James laughed as they pursued the two. Mr. Mime suddenly tripped.

"Mr. Mime! We've got to hurry, Mr. Mime!" cried Stella. "We've got to get out of here! Climb on!" Mr. Mime hopped onto Stella's back and she continued to run. The tank stopped as Jessie laughed.

"Your mime's almost out!" cried Jessie.

"Let's leave them speechless!" cried James.

"Live capture missile ready." Said Meowth. He pressed a button to home in on the two.

"Locked on target." Said Meowth. Ash and Lucy suddenly jumped in front of them.

"Hold it!" they both cried. Team Rocket was shocked to see Ash and Lucy get in the way.

"It's those brats again!" cried Meowth.

"Look, it's Ash and Lucy!" cried Stella. As Brock and Misty noticed, Delia and Mr. Mime landed in the Meowth balloon.

"Hey, Ash! Lucy!" cried Brock.

"You're just in time!" cried Misty.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

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

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"Get out of the way, or else!" cried Meowth.

"Move it, kids!" cried James.

"Or we'll turn your Pikachu and Eevee into pancakes!" cried Jessie.

"We'll see about that!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!" cried Ash. Pikachu's attack landed, but Team Rocket was unaffected by the voltage.

"What's wrong?!" cried Ash.

"It didn't work!" cried Lucy. Jessie laughed.

"Your electric attacks won't work!" she cried. "This tank is made of rubber!"

"You can rock us, but you can't shock us!" cried Meowth.

"Metal insulated with rubber. Very clever." Muttered Lucy. The tank charged forward.

"It's a long shot, but here goes." Said Ash. "Charizard, I choose you!" Charizard materialized.

"Charizard, Flamethrower!" cried Ash. But Charizard refused to attack.

"It still won't obey!" cried Brock. Ash was embarrassed.

"Charizard, return." He sighed. Jessie laughed in triumph as Charizard went back inside its Poke Ball.

"You and your friend's days as hot shot Pokemon trainers are over!" she cried.

"Now you're history!" cried James.

"Thanks for the memories!" cried Meowth. Ash, Pikachu, Lucy and Eevee ran for their lives.

"Mr. Mime, Ash, Lucy and their friends need your help, now!" cried Delia.

"Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'I'm on it!' Mr. Mime charged and stood between Ash, Pikachu, Lucy, Eevee, and the tank.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Lucy. The tank stopped.

"Another Mr. Mime." Said James.

"Capture missile, fire!" cried Jessie.

"Here goes!" cried Meowth. He pressed a button to fire the missile. Mr. Mime quickly formed a wall to deflect the missile, much to Team Rocket's shock.

"All right!" cried Brock.

"Awesome!" cried Misty.

"Way to go, Mr. Mime!" cried Lucy.

"Great job, Mr. Mime!" cried Delia. Mr. Mime made more walls, one after another, much to the frustration of Team Rocket.

"A little wall won't stop us!" cried Jessie.

"Let's smash it!" cried James.

"Yeah!" cried Meowth. The tank charged forward, but couldn't break the walls.

"All right!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'They stopped!'

"They didn't move an inch!" cried Misty.

"Nice job, Mr. Mime!" cried Brock.

"Put up a pantomime wall against the tank and the wall will win every time." Said Lucy.

"Mr. Mime isn't finished yet!" cried Stella. Her Mr. Mime watched on as Team Rocket got frustrated again.

"If we can't break it down." Said James….

"We'll just go around!" cried Jessie.

"Let's move this tub!" cried Meowth. The tank reversed and headed towards the rest of the group.

"They're headed this way!" cried Brock. Stella's Mr. Mime charged forward.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Stella. Mr. Mime started to make walls of its own.

"That's my mime!" cried Stella.

"Whoa!" cried Brock.

"Nice work!" cried Misty.

"Same situation, and the same result!" cried Lucy. The tank hit the wall and failed to knock it over.

"Ram it harder!" cried Jessie.

"Mr. Mime! Mime?" cried Stella's Mr. Mime, which meant 'Gotcha now! What?' The wild Mr. Mime appeared and both of the Mr. Mime teamed up to form a high barrier wall to box Team Rocket in.

"That's wall, folks!" Team Rocket cried.

"You did it!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Great job!'

"That's my little Mimey!" cried Delia. Mr. Mime went to hug Mrs. Ketchum.

"What does she mean by her Mimey?" wondered Lucy.

"That's its nickname." Said Delia. "Isn't it cute?"

"See, Mr. Mime?" said Stella. "You can do so much if you try."

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Right, Stella!'

"I know I was wrong to be so hard on you, and I'm sorry." Said Stella. "Won't you please perform in the circus again?"

"Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Sure!' Stella gave Mr. Mime a hug.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Mime!" she cried.

"Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'No problem!'

Meanwhile, inside the tower of walls…

"We can blast through these walls!" cried Jessie.

"Fire all the missiles, now!" cried James.

"You got it!" cried Meowth. He pressed the launch button multiple times. However, the missiles bouncing back and fourth off the walls caused the tank to explode, sending Team Rocket into the air.

"We blasted off ourselves!" they cried.

Later, the group was at the Ketchum house where Mimey was helping to prepare dinner.

"It's so nice to have a Mr. Mime around the house." Said Delia.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'Thank you, ma'am!'

"That Mr. Mime is getting to be like a member of the family." Said Brock.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I'll say he is.'

"Only this member of the family has manners and helps out in the kitchen." Said Misty.

"So do I!" cried Ash.

"Speaking of helping out, Ash….." said Lucy. She pulled out a few Poke Balls from her backpack.

"Stella said we could have some of her circus Pokemon as rewards for all the help we gave her." She said. She gave Ash a Poke Ball that had a Machoke and one that had a Dodrio, while Lucy kept the last Poke Ball, which contained Tangela.

"I'll have to send Stella a thank you letter." Said Ash.

"We both will." Said Lucy. "But first, how about you help Mimey with getting dinner ready." Ash let out a sigh. Well, it looks like Mr. Mime is learning what Ash and Lucy have known for a long time. There's no place like home.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mr. Mime, which meant 'See you all again soon!'

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Dodrio

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Tangela

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 69: Showdown At The Po-ké Corral

We open in a stadium with thousands of fans cheering, and Ash and Lucy were standing right in the center of the battlefield.

"Well, we're finally here." Said Ash.

"It's time to take on the Pokemon League!" cried Lucy. "And become Pokemon masters!" They both got out a Poke Ball.

"Poke Ball, go!" they cried. Suddenly, the Poke Balls went back to Ash and Lucy and grew to a gigantic size, causing the two of them to panic as the Poke Balls opened and sucked them in.

"Hey! Cut it out!" cried Ash. But the whole thing turned out to be a dream as a vacuum cleaner was seen sucking on Ash and Lucy's faces. When he got it off, it turned out that Mimey was cleaning Ash's room. Mimey then sucked Ash and Lucy's faces with the vacuum cleaner again.

"Hey! Cut it out! What are you doing?!" cried Lucy. After winning eight badges, Ash and Lucy have come back home to Pallet to follow their dream of competing in the Pokemon League. But they've both received a very rude awakening.

Ash and Lucy were soon dressed and downstairs as Brock made breakfast.

"Morning." Ash and Lucy greeted Delia in drowsy voices.

"Good morning, kids." Said Delia. "Did you sleep well?"

"We were sleeping okay, until your Mr. Mime came in and woke us up." Answered Ash.

"Oh? What happened?" asked Delia.

"That crazy clown used the vacuum on both of our faces!" cried Lucy.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mimey, which meant 'Vacuuming's done!'

"When Mr. Mime sees something dirty, he has to clean it." Said Delia. "Right, Mimey?"

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mimey, which meant 'Right, Mrs. Ketchum!'

"Maybe now Ash can go another week without taking a bath." Said Misty.

"Watch it, missy!" cried Lucy.

"Mr. Mime, wipe that smirk off Misty's face!" cried Ash. But Mimey just stood there and didn't do anything.

"I'm sorry, Ash, but Mr. Mime only listens to me." Said Delia.

"Huh?" said Ash.

"That would technically make your mom a Pokemon trainer." Said Lucy.

"Oh Mimey, would you go and pick more vegetables from the garden, please?" asked Delia.

"Mime!" cried Mimey, which meant 'Sure!'

"Hey, that used to be my job." Said Ash. Brock tasted the food he had been cooking.

"We better eat fast." He said. "We've got a lot to learn about the Pokemon League from Professor Oak."

"Right! Professor Oak!" cried Ash.

"Brock's right." Said Lucy. "We have to know where and when to go, and how much time we have to prepare."

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was heading toward their headquarters to face their boss for their failures.

"Well, there's no use pretending anymore." Said Jessie.

"We haven't successfully stolen a single Pokemon for the boss." Groaned James.

"We're just victims of CFS." Said Meowth. "Chronic Failure Syndrome." They soon saw the headquarters in the distance.

"There's his fabulous headquarters." Said James.

"Wait a minute." Said Jessie. "What's the worst he could do to us?"

"He could yell and scream and fire us all." said James.

"Not if we quit first." Said Meowth.

"We quit!" they cried. "Let's go!" But as they started to walk away, the headquarters exploded.

"Hey, what's that?!" Meowth wondered. Team Rocket was shocked when they saw something fly away at rapid speed from the headquarters. That something turned out to be Giovanni's secret weapon.

"What was that thing?" said Jessie.

"I don't know." Answered James. Team Rocket approached the remains of the building.

"The boss must be….." said Jessie. Giovanni was soon seen and heard with his Persian. Although Giovanni was alive, he was quite angry.

"That thing!" cried Giovanni.

"Sir!" cried Jessie.

"Are you okay?" asked James.

"Now more bad news." Muttered Giovanni. "What are you three doing here?!" With Jessie and Meowth behind him, and Giovanni's Persian in front of him, ready to pounce, James prepared to tell Giovanni that they were going to quit.

"We were just, in the neighborhood." Said James. Giovanni's helicopter soon came down.

"Sir, is there anything we can do for you?" asked Jessie.

"Just do your job for a change!" snapped Giovanni.

"I'm sorry I asked." Said Jessie. Giovanni's helicopter took off.

"You just heard what the boss said, didn't you?" asked Jessie.

"He just wants us to do our job." Said James.

"The head honcho just gave us a major vote of confidence." Cried Meowth. Team Rocket started crying tears of joy.

"There's no sense is crying over lost Pokemon!" cried Jessie.

"We must renew our commitment to stealing!" cried James.

"Come on, everybody! Let's get on with the show!" cried Meowth. Team Rocket cheered as an explosion occurred behind them.

Meanwhile, Ash and friends were over at Professor Oak's lab. Ash rang the doorbell.

"Come in!" cried Oak. The gang all entered the lab. Its enormous size wowed Brock and Misty.

"This place is definitely a lot bigger than I thought it would be." Said Brock. Even Togepi was excited to be visiting the lab for the first time. They soon found the professor.

"Professor Oak! It's me, Ash!" cried Ash.

"And Lucy, too!" cried Lucy.

"Oh, what a surprise." Said Oak. "It's great to see…. a Togepi?!" He saw Misty holding the baby and his jaw just about hit the floor. Ash fell face first in disbelief while everyone else sweat dropped.

'Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Embarrassing.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'It's Ash, what do you expect?'

"Glad you like it." Said Ash as he got up.

"It just so happens that you're not the only Pokemon trainers to stop by today." Said Professor Oak. He led the group to his living room and found that Gary was already present.

"Well, I'm not surprised that you two showed up late, I'm surprised that you two even showed up at all." said Gary.

"Hey!" cried Ash.

"You better watch it, Gary!" cried Lucy.

"All right, you two, calm down." Said Oak. "Why can't Pallet's top three trainers get along?" Ash, Lucy and Gary couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"Top trainers?!" the three of them cried. "Not him/her!"

"That's right." Said Oak. "The three of you are such fine trainers that you'll be Pokemon masters before long. You might even be able to learn from each other, just as Ash and Lucy learn from Brock and Misty." Ash, Lucy and Gary simply turned away from each other. Soon, Ash's Krabby came in carrying a tray of cups of tea.

"Here's your Krabby, Ash." Said Oak.

"How are you doing, Krabby?" said Ash. "Long time no see."

"Last time we saw him was when we talked to you the day Ash caught his Primeape, Professor." Said Lucy.

"That's his, huh?" said Gary.

"Ash, Lucy, five Pokemon trainers left Pallet Town on their Pokemon journeys." Said Oak. "But you two and Gary earned the most badges and I'm very proud of you all."

"What happened to the other two?" asked Ash.

"I was actually curious about that since we never ran into them." said Lucy.

"They got off to an excellent start, but they just didn't have the skill." Oak answered.

"Gee, that's a shame." Said Lucy.

"They wimped out." Added Gary.

"But Gary earned ten badges, and Ash, you and Lucy both earned eight badges." Said Oak. "That's really quite remarkable!"

"Well, gee, thank you." Said Ash.

"Although, your grandson did lie to us about there not being a gym on Cinnabar Island." Said Lucy. She shot Gary an angry glare.

"Oh, is that so?" asked Oak. Gary gulped nervously.

"Hey, the Pokemon deserve a lot of credit too." Said Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Of course.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'It was a team effort.'

"Misty's right." Said Ash. "They do deserve a lot of credit. Maybe more than me."

"Or me." Said Lucy.

"In any case, I'm glad that you two as are all here, along with Gary." Said Oak. "It's time for the three of you to participate in the Pokemon League."

"All right, we're on our way to becoming Pokemon masters!" cried Ash. "Let's go, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'All right!'

"Eevee, time to go and fulfill our dream!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I'm excited!'

"Oh, guys." Said Gary.

"Yeah, what is it?" said Ash.

"Just one question." Said Gary. "Where is the Pokemon League meeting this year?"

"He's right." Said Misty.

"That's one of the things we came to find out." Added Brock.

"I assume you both know that the Pokemon League meets only once a year, in the exact same place." Said Gary. Ash and Lucy dashed in front of him and begged for him to reveal the location.

"Where is it? When is it?" cried Ash.

"You have to tell us!" cried Lucy.

"Atop the Indigo Plateau." Answered Oak. "Exactly two months from today. And there'll be more than 200 trainers competing."

"200?!" cried Lucy.

"We're gonna beat 'em all, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"So are we, Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"But what would happen if you both faced each other?" said Misty.

"Oh, I didn't even consider that." Said Lucy.

"The three of you should use this time to work hard, train your Pokemon, and get ready for the tournament." Said Oak.

"They can try, but even if they had a year to train, I'd beat 'em both with my hands tied behind my back." Said Gary.

"You wish." Said Ash.

"It's literally impossible to fight with our hands tied." Said Lucy.

"I'm not saying that you and Lucy are bad trainers, Ash." Said Gary. "It's just that neither of you has what it takes to beat me."

"We'll just see about that." Said Ash. Over at the Ketchum house, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" cried Delia. She opened the door and saw Team Rocket in disguise.

"Good morning." Greeted Jessie. "We're from PNN. Pokemon News network."

"Is that little son of yours home?" asked James. "We'd love to feature an interview about his and his friend Lucy's return to Pallet for our show Pokemon Masters of Tomorrow."

"You want to put Ash and Lucy on TV?!" cried Delia.

"That's right." Said Jessie. Mimey suddenly swept Jessie and James away.

"We have to see your son and his friend!" cried Jessie.

"Are they home?!" cried James.

"They're with their friends at Professor Oak's laboratory!" cried Delia.

"Thank you very much!" cried Jessie.

"Goodbye, ma'am!" cried James.

Back at the lab….

"So, Ash, I guess you're happy with how your Krabby's doing here?" said Gary.

"My Krabby's fine!" cried Ash. Gary just laughed and got out a Poke Ball.

"Check out mine." He said. His own Krabby materialized.

"It's huge!" cried Misty.

"Gigantic." Said brock.

"No wonder the professor said it would make for a hardy meal." Said Lucy.

"I keep rotating my Pokemon so that they all get to battle and get bigger and stronger." Said Gary. "Good trainers have to be smart enough to help their Pokemon grow and be the best they can be." Ash just gulped.

"He's right about that, Ash." Said Lucy.

"When you said you hadn't seen your Krabby in a while, I figured that you weren't using it to battle." Said Gary. "I bet that you and Lucy both kept using the same Pokemon over and over again, didn't you?"

"You'd win that bet for both of them." said Misty.

"Who's side are you on, Misty?" cried Lucy.

"I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I thought you'd both like to know how real trainers work." Said Gary. Ash and Lucy simply scowled at him angrily.

"You've got to stop this, Professor." Said Brock. "Otherwise, there's going to be a fight."

"I'm sorry, fellas, but I'm a professor. Not a referee." Said Oak. Brock sweat dropped.

"And here's another little tip." Said Gary. "Different Pokemon types do better against different gym leader's attacks. If you study the leader's attacks before every match, you can choose the best Pokemon to beat 'em."

"Excellent strategy." Said Oak. "That's my grandson."

"That's why it's so important to know what kind of Pokemon can beat your opponent's attacks." Said Gary.

"What kind of Pokemon would you use against my Geodude?" asked Brock.

"I'd use a water Pokemon against a rock type, but I'd have a grass type ready for backup." Said Gary. "What about you, Ash? Lucy?"

"When I battled in Pewter gym, I didn't have a water type on me yet." Said Lucy. "I'm glad I caught Bulbasaur before hand, though, because Eevee wouldn't have had a chance against those rock types."

"As for Ash, he'd use Pikachu." Said Misty.

"Everybody knows you shouldn't use an electric type against a ground type." Said Gary.

"To be fair, Brock's dad did help power up Pikachu." Said Lucy.

"Even so, that power wouldn't work against higher level ground types." Said Gary. "What a loser."

"I'm no loser, and neither is Lucy!" cried Ash.

"That's right!" cried Lucy. "We both earned eight badges, you know!"

"Maybe so, but how many Pokemon did you both capture?" said Gary. "Or are you too embarrassed to tell me?"

"Of course we're not embarrassed to tell you!" cried Ash.

"Don't tell him, guys." Said Misty. "It's none of his business to know how many Pokemon you both have."

"Very interesting." Said Oak. He got all three of their Pokedexes and brought them over to Gary, Lucy and Ash.

"I just scanned all of your Pokedexes and compared them together." Said Oak. "The results show that Gary has seen sixty different Pokemon, while Ash and Lucy have both seen over a hundred." Gary sweat dropped.

"All right! We beat him!" cried Ash. He and Lucy high fived each other.

"Not so fast there." Said Oak. "You both may have seen more Pokemon than Gary, but he's captured many more Pokemon than you two."

"You both use your Pokedex every time you see a Pokemon, but I know so much about them that I capture first and ask questions later." Said Gary.

"Is that really the best way?" asked Ash.

"Of course it's the best way, if you know what you're doing." Answered Gary.

"Then how come you didn't know about Krabby's evolved form? Answer me that!" cried Lucy. "And don't even get me started on that one other certain Pokemon that your Pokedex couldn't even identify!" Gary sweat dropped again.

"Grandpa, let's go to your lab and show them all the Pokemon that I caught." He said.

"Yes. Good idea." Said Oak. "Let's Poke round in my laboratory."

"And I thought Team Rocket's Meowth was supposed to be the comedian." Said Lucy. The group entered Professor Oak's laboratory.

"Well here we are." Said Oak. He showed the group rows full of Poke Balls.

"These are the Poke Balls that hold the Pallet Town trainers' Pokemon." Said the professor. The group was amazed.

"Wow!" cried Ash.

"There must be thousands of Pokemon in here, Professor!' cried Lucy.

"And on these shelves are the ones that I received from Ash and Lucy." Said the Professor.

"That's a lot of Poke Balls." Said Misty.

"Both of them combined have caught just over sixty Pokemon." Said Oak. "That's really quite incredible.

"Pretty impressive." Said Lucy. "Wouldn't you think so, Professor?"

"Oh, absolutely." Said Oak. "On the other hand, Gary's captured more than two hundred Pokemon."

"Two hundred?!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"But if there's only about a hundred and fifty unique Pokemon, then that means he must've captured more than one of some kinds." Said Misty.

"You can never have too many Pokemon, that's my motto." Said Gary. "The more Pokemon you have, the better position you'll be in to win battles."

"You may have a lot of Pokemon, but I bet they're not your friends." Said Ash.

"Friends?" repeated Gary.

"Ash has a point." Said Lucy. "He and I all formed bonds of friendship with our Pokemon."

"I'd say the same thing, if I had as little Pokemon as you two do." Countered Gary.

"The ones Lucy and I have are ten times better than yours!" cried Ash.

"Why don't you just admit that neither of you are as good a trainer as I am." Said Gary.

"Never!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"Ash and I are much better trainers than you'll ever be!" cried Lucy.

"The three of you have very different, but very valid views on raising Pokemon." Said Oak. "On your journeys, you each captured different Pokemon, and with your different personalities, you learned to understand and care for them in different ways."

"Yeah." Said Gary.

"Good point." Added Lucy.

"Guess you're right." Said Ash. Professor Oak knelt down to both Pikachu and Eevee.

"Pokemon are special, and they need our special care." He said.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'We do?'

"Eevee?" added Eevee, which meant 'Special care?' Oak petted both Pikachu and Eevee.

"Just like every other living creature, they deserve our consideration and our respect." Said Oak. "If we care for them the way we care for those we love, we'll be able to live in peace as we learn about them and ourselves. My research has taught me that we need to deal with Pokemon like we need to deal with people, as individuals, if we want to discover their mysteries."

"Is that why you decided to take care of so many Pokemon, Professor?" asked Brock.

"Yes it is." Oak answered as he got up. "And not only does every Pokemon I care for become part of my research, but they also become part of myself."

"Part of yourself?" said Gary.

Meanwhile….

"My legs are killing me." Said James.

"My paws are pounding." Said Meowth.

"Whose idea was it to come in the back way?" asked James.

"It wasn't mine." Said Meowth.

"Oh, stop your complaining!" Snapped Jessie. "Professor Oak's research area is gigantic!"

"Well, I'm getting tired." Groaned James.

"Let's take a cat nap." Suggested Meowth. Jessie soon kicked a pebble, which hit a tree."

"Quiet! Keep walking!" snapped Jessie. In response to the pebble hitting the tree, a bunch of Kakuna suddenly dropped down from it, which made Team Rocket panic.

"If those are Kakuna….."

"Then there must be…" said James.

"Beedrill nearby!" cried Meowth. "Run for your lives!" A swarm of Beedrill flew in and attacked as Team Rocket ran for it.

"We should've known they'd be in a Pokemon researcher's garden!" cried James.

"Then why didn't we?" cried Jessie.

"Quit fighting, keep running!" cried Meowth. They suddenly ran right into a very heavy Pokemon.

"Get the license plate number." Said James. "They then realized which Pokemon they had run into.

"Snorlax?!" they cried. The Beedrills soon closed in on a frightened Team Rocket.

Meanwhile, Professor Oak was explaining his daily routine to the group.

"Every morning, I start my day by checking on all the Pokemon." He said. "I figure out whose turn it is to come out of their Poke Balls for the day. Then, I let the Pokemon out of their Poke Balls so they can get a bit of exercise and fresh air. Of course, I have special habitats for each type of Pokemon. Then, it's time to feed the Pokemon their breakfasts, and as you can imagine, it takes a very long time to feed so many different Pokemon. As soon as I'm done, it's time for lunch." He laughed a bit before continuing.

"In the afternoon, I begin my research." He said. "For example, I've recently been studying the variations of individual Pokemon of the same types. The findings are extremely interesting. Then it's time for dinner, and back into the Poke Balls they go." Professor Oak, Gary, and Ash's group stepped into the field where the Pokemon were.

"And now you know what I do every day." Said Oak.

"That's quite a routine, Professor." Said Lucy.

"You must get to learn a lot, living with so many different Pokemon." Said Ash.

"Yes, living here certainly give me a unique opportunity to research and communicate with lots of interesting Pokemon." Said Oak. Gary noticed a Doduo come up to him.

"Hey there, Doduo. How's everything going today?" he asked.

"Is that your Doduo, Gary?" said Ash.

"It sure is." Answered Gary. Lucy got her Pokedex out.

"Doduo, the Twin Bird Pokemon. It runs faster than it can fly."

"I find it weird for the Pokedex to mention flying since Doduo doesn't have any wings, and neither does its evolved from, Dodrio." Said Lucy.

"Professor, this is such a great place." Said Brock. "The Pokemon must love it."

"I hope so, Brock." Said Oak. "I designed this place so that I could study Pokemon the proper way, in their natural habitat, living free. When the Pokemon live in an environment like the one they were born in, it's easier to observe how they're affected by their trainers. In fact, I just made an interesting discovery in that area."

"What was it?" asked Ash.

"I'd like to know that myself." Said Lucy.

"Pokemon frequently take on the characteristics of the humans who capture them." Oak answered.

"Hey, that's true." Said Lucy. "Just like with Misty and her Psyduck, and Ash and his Charizard."

"That's ridiculous!" Ash and Misty cried.

"You know what means?! I might have a girlfriend!" cried Brock. "Susie loved her Vulpix and gave it to me, now if the Vulpix is like me, and she still loves it, that means she loves me."

"Hey, what's up with this guy?" asked Gary.

"He's a lovesick puppy, Gary." Lucy answered.

"More likely, he's on vacation in Fantasy Land." Misty pointed out.

"And she doesn't mean that one area at Disneyland." Said Lucy.

"Of course, this effect only occurs when a trainer keeps in regular contact with his or her Pokemon." Said Oak. "Because Ash and Lucy mainly use the same Pokemon, Muk and Krabby and a lot of the other ones they caught stayed here. So it's not surprising that they've become somewhat attached to me, including Muk." Right at that point, Muk appeared.

"Muk, Muk, Muk, Muk, Muk!" it cried, which meant 'Hi, Professor!' Everyone except for brock saw Muk charge forward and give Professor Oak a hug, only for him to be knocked down as a result.

"No, Muk! How many times have I told you not to do that?!" cried Oak. "You're mucking up my favorite lab coat!" He managed to turn and face the group.

"You see? I told you Pokemon get attached to you, didn't I?" he said.

"You weren't kidding." Said Lucy.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was climbing up a rocky hill.

"We'll have to do this the hard way." Groaned Jessie.

"The hard way's our specialty." Said Meowth.

"I can hardly stand this!" cried James.

"Quit whining and keep climbing or we'll never get Pikachu and Eevee!" cried Jessie. She suddenly stopped upon realizing that she had put her hand on a Geodude.

"Go, Geodude!" she cried. She then found that she put her hand on the head of a Sandshrew, which proceeded to attack her.

"Oh, my makeup is ruined!" cried Jessie. A rumbling was soon heard and felt, and an Onix appeared before Team Rocket, who proceeded to run away from it as it pursued them.

"Run for it!" they cried.

Meanwhile, the group was admiring the Pokemon in their habitats.

"Oh, wow! Look at all the water Pokemon!" cried Misty. Lucy's Staryu was seen swimming in the pond with the other water types.

"Great swimming, Staryu!" she cried.

"I bet you have every kind of Pokemon in the world, don't you?" said Ash.

"Definitely not, Ash." Answered Oak. "We believe that there are lots of Pokemon that nobody has captured or even seen."

"Some people used to say that there are only one hundred and fifty different Pokemon." Said brock.

"But then we met Togepi." Said Lucy.

"Come to think of it, the day that Lucy and I left Pallet, we both saw a Pokemon that Dexter didn't even know about." Said Ash.

"It's still a great mystery." Said Oak. "No one knows how many kinds of Pokemon there are in this world. Finding new and different Pokemon is a never ending quest. One that only Pokemon researchers like myself have taken up."

"You know, Professor, I'm going to try and find as many new Pokemon friends as I can." Said Ash.

"Me, too!" cried Lucy.

"Me, three!" cried Gary. "And I'm going to train them to be as strong as they can be!" The three Pallet trainers looked at each other.

"They really love Pokemon." Said Brock.

"Then maybe they can like each other." Said Misty.

"Come on, Ash! Lucy!" cried Gary. "What do you say we have a Pokemon battle? All three of us could use a little practice before the Pokemon League."

"All right, Gary, I'm ready when you are!" cried Ash.

"Me too!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Me three!'

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

"Wait a second, how are we going to do this?" Lucy wondered.

"You two will each take turns battling me one on one." Said Gary. "That fair?"

"Sure, I guess." Answered Ash. "Okay, Pikachu, let's go this!" However, Lucy stepped in front of him first.

"Hey!" Ash cried.

"Ladies first, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Nidoking, I choose you!" cried Gary. His Nidoking materialized.

"Nidoking, huh?" said Lucy. "All right, I have just the thing for that! Wartortle, go!" Wartortle materialized.

"Wartortle, Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Wartortle's attack hit Nidoking right in its horn area.

"Nidoking, Take Down attack!" cried Gary. Nidoking charged at Wartortle.

"Counter it with Bubble Beam!" cried Lucy. The bubbles hit Nidoking and slowed down its charge, softening the blow of his own attack.

"Poison Sting attack!" cried Gary. Nidoking shot purple poison needles.

"Withdraw!" cried Lucy. Wartortle hid inside his shell and the needles simply bounced off. The water type then got out of his shell.

"Mega Kick!" cried Gary. Nidoking lifted up its foot.

"Ice Beam attack!" cried Lucy. Wartortle opened his mouth, but before the beam could come out, he got kicked upwards and was sent to the ground.

"Wartortle!" cried Lucy. "Try to get up!" Wartortle struggled, but managed to get back to his feet.

"Try another Water Gun!" cried Lucy. Wartortle nodded and attacked.

"Nidoking!" cried Gary. The two titans had taken plenty of damage from their attacks.

"Leer attack!" cried Gary. Nidoking's eyes glowed, and Wartortle quivered a bit.

"Use Thrash!" cried Gary. Nidoking thrashed Wartortle about until the water type had been knocked out.

"Wartortle is unable to battle!" brock declared. "The match goes to Gary and Nidoking!"

"Great job, Nidoking!" cried Gary. Lucy recalled Wartortle.

"You did great too, Lucy." Said Gary. "Okay, Ash, now it's your turn. And do I ever have a surprise for you!"

"Whatever it is, I'm ready for it!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Let's see it!'

"Go, Blastoise!" cried Gary. Blastoise materialized. Brock and Misty were amazed.

"Careful, Ash!" cried Misty. "That Blastoise of Gary's looks powerful!"

"Maybe so, Misty." Said Ash. He took out a Poke Ball. "But I have the perfect match for that power right here. He gave a smirk.

"He wouldn't!" cried Brock.

"Oh yes he would." Said Lucy.

"Charizard, I choose you!" cried Ash. Charizard materialized, but Lucy was already feeling nervous.

"This is not going to be pretty." She said.

"Charizard, use your Flamethrower attack, now!" cried Ash. Charizard gave Blastoise a look, but then ran off a few feet nearby and sat down to look at the flowers.

"Charizard, this is no time to observe the garden!" cried Ash. "Use your Flamethrower!" But Charizard just sat there, refusing to acknowledge Ash.

"It STILL won't listen to him." Said Misty. Ash was seething.

"All right, Charizard, if you won't battle Gary, then I'll just send out someone who WILL!" he cried. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Bulbasaur materialized.

"Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip!" cried Ash.

"Saur!" cried Bulbasaur. His attack wrapped Blastoise around its neck, but the huge water type broke free of the vines, like it was nothing.

"What?!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That's one strong Blastoise!'

"Body Slam it!" cried Gary. Blastoise started to lower its huge body.

"Bulbasaur, look out!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur tried to dodge the incoming Body Slam, but couldn't get out of the way in time and found himself being flattened. When Blastoise got back up, Bulbasaur had been knocked out.

"Bulbasaur, return!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur got absorbed back into the ball.

"You did your best, Bulbasaur, but Gary's Blastoise is too strong for you." Said Ash. "I'm still proud of you, though. Unlike someone else!" He glared angrily at Charizard.

"I know that look on Ash's face." Said Brock.

"If that's anything to go by, then I think I know what Ash is probably going to say next." Said Misty.

"Pika." Added Pikachu, which meant 'I think I do too.'

"I'm tired of your sour attitude, Charizard!" Ash yelled. "If you can't follow simple instructions during a battle, one against my RIVAL no less, then maybe you should just stay here with Professor Oak and he can set you straight. Or better yet, I can just release you outright! There's other fire type Pokemon I have that I could always use in your place!"

"Now, hold on just a minute there, Ash." Said Lucy. "I get that you're mad at Charizard, but is taking him off your team really the best solution?"

"Lucy's right, Ash." Said Misty. "You better think about what you do before you do it."

"Especially when it comes to Charizard." Said Brock.

"WHAT I CHOOSE TO DO WITH MY POKEMON ISN'T ANY OF YOUR BUSINESS, SO QUIT STICKING YOUR NOSES WHERE THEY DON'T BELONG!" roared Ash. Gary, Professor Oak, Lucy, Misty, Brock, Pikachu and Eevee were quite surprised to hear Ash yell so loud.

"Oh my." Said Oak.

"I've seen Ash get angry plenty of times, but never to this level." Said Lucy.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, are you okay?'

"I'll be feeling a lot better in a minute." Ash answered. He grabbed a hold of Charizard's Poke Ball and was about to throw it down to the ground firmly when Misty grabbed a hold of his wrist to stop him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ash." She said.

"Why not?" Ash asked angrily.

"Because otherwise, you'll just make things worse." Brock answered. "If you destroy Charizard's Poke Ball, then that's a clear sign of plain giving up on him, and neither of us want you to do that." Ash started to calm down a bit and placed Charizard's Poke Ball back on his belt.

"Then what should I do?" he asked.

"I think the correct solution would be to have a serious heart to heart talk with Charizard." Said Professor Oak.

"Good advice, Grandpa." Said Gary.

"The professor's right, Ash." Said Lucy.

"We'll all stand right here and listen." Said Misty. "Neither of us will say a thing until you've gotten everything off your chest." Ash sighed, and walked up to Charizard.

"I guess you heard me lose my temper back there, didn't you?" he said. Charizard nodded.

"I'm sorry about that, and I usually don't get that angry." Said Ash. "But the way you behave was starting to get on my nerves, and I'm not going to put up with it anymore. So you're going to listen to me right here and right now to everything I'm about to say." Charizard simply grunted and turned away from Ash, but Ash wasn't going to have any of it.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" he cried. "I'm dead serious, Charizard! Please listen to what I have to say, because everything I'm about to tell you will only be said once!" Charizard perked up and turned to face Ash.

"Charizard, do you know why we're in the spot that we are right now, which is being able to compete in the Pokemon League?" Ash asked him. "It's because we earned all of our badges as a team. On a team, everybody is supposed to contribute, and that includes you! When you were just a Charmander and I risked my life to go out into a bad rainstorm to save you, that showed how much I cared for you. The two of us have been through a lot together. You've been in plenty of battles, and although most of your battles were when you were just a little Charmander, you were still awesome. We had good laughs together, and you even helped me win a few of my badges. You were a big help to me at the gyms in both Celadon City and Fuchsia City, and most recently, you had that awesome battle with Magmar on Cinnabar Island to help me win my Volcano Badge. That was something I liked seeing. But what I don't like seeing is how you behave the rest of the time. You should consider yourself lucky that you have me as your trainer, Charizard. I'll tell you right now that if it was literally anybody else having to deal with your nonsense, they probably would've released you already. And honestly, I should do the same thing. But I'm not going to do that because I still believe in you. You're one of the most powerful Pokemon I have, and with your awesome firepower, we can go far in the Pokemon League. But you have to learn to be a team player. That means no more goofing off, no more of refusing to battle what you feel are unworthy opponents, and most importantly, no more of your grump attitude. I want to be able to trust you, Charizard, but in order for that to happen, you have to trust me. I want you to think about all of that." Charizard soaked everything in and started to have serious thoughts in his mind. He was beginning to think that maybe everything Ash had told him was right. Misty and Lucy put a gentle hand on his shoulders.

"There now, Ash." Said Lucy. "Do you feel any better having said all of that?"

"Maybe just a teeny bit." Said Ash.

"Now isn't talking things out much better than what you were about to do?" asked Misty.

"You're right, Misty." Said Ash. "It's a hundred times better."

"Now that you've said your peace, maybe Charizard will finally start listening." Said Brock.

"I really hope so." Said Ash. Suddenly, an explosion was heard and the smoke from the aftermath was seen in the distance.

"Hey, what's that?!" cried Misty.

"My guess, trouble in paradise." Said Lucy.

"That smoke's coming from the electric Pokemon preserve!" cried Oak. "Let's go!" All of them ran off, and surprisingly, Charizard followed behind them.

In the preserve, Team Rocket had been caught in a combined Voltorb and Electrode explosion.

"That smoke really gets in your eyes." Said Jessie.

"Show me the way to go home." Complained James. "I'm tired and I just want to go to bed!"

"Hey!" cried Ash. The group approached Team Rocket.

"We should've known it was you!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Team Rocket!'

"What are you three up to this time?!" cried Ash.

"Take a guess!" cried Jessie.

"We followed you here so we could grab Pikachu and Eevee!" cried James.

"We're through pussyfooting around, so hand over those little rats and make it snappy!" cried Meowth. Gary and Professor Oak were quite surprise to hear Meowth speak.

"It's a talking Meowth!" cried Gary.

"Could you possibly say a few more words, please?" asked Professor Oak.

"I'd be glad to, pops!" cried Meowth. "Clean out your ears and get a load of this! May I invite you to prepare…."

"For trouble!" cried Jessie and James. Meowth got in between his teammates and mushed their faces with his paws.

"Yeah! And while you're at it, you better make it a triple!" cried Meowth.

"To protect the world from devastation!"

"To unite all peoples within our nation!" Jessie and James attacked Meowth as they continued.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Meowth!"

"You stay out of this, Meowth!" cried Jessie.

"Stop stealing our material!" cried James.

"All right, all right." Muttered Meowth. Gary and his grandpa watched everything with baffled looks on their faces.

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's right! Now hand over Pikachu, Eevee and every other Pokemon you got stashed here, or we'll just take 'em!"

"Right!" cried Jessie and James.

"You're not taking anything!" cried Ash.

"Not without facing us first!" cried Lucy.

"She's right. If you want these Pokemon so badly, try and get 'em." Said Gary. He brought out a Poke Ball. "Let's battle!"

"If that's what you want, the that's just fine with us!" cried Jessie.

"But not fine with me!" cried Ash. "Charizard, use your Flamethrower!" Charizard roared and scorched Team Rocket.

"Ouch! Ow!" they cried.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt 'em!" cried Ash. Pikachu attacked, creating another explosion that sent Team Rocket into the air.

"Why can't good things happen to bad people?!" cried Jessie.

"Who knows?" said James.

"At least we didn't get fired." Said Meowth.

"But we're blasting off again!" they cried.

"Have a nice flight!" cried Misty.

"Those guys sure know how to make an exit." Said Brock.

"They also know how to make complete fools of themselves." Said Lucy.

"Well, we sure took care of them, didn't we, Grandpa?" said Gary.

"We didn't really do anything, Gary."

"That's not true, Ash." Said Oak. "You're the one responsible for saving my research center."

"I am?" said Ash.

"He is?!" cried Gary, Lucy, Misty and Brock.

"Pika?" asked Pikachu, which meant 'Really?'

"Yes, Pikachu, really." Said Oak. "That powerful Flamethrower attack from Charizard combined with your Thunderbolt were responsible for running Team Rocket off. If the two of you hadn't done that, who knows what could've happened?"

"Charizard turned out to be useful after all." said Lucy.

"I guess you're right." Said Ash. "Good thing you were here, Charizard. That Flamethrower was awesome!"

"Rrrrrrrrrr!" roared Charizard, which meant 'Thank you, Ash!'

"But wait, does this mean Charizard finally thinks you're worthy of being his trainer?" said Lucy.

"Let's put that to the test." Said Ash. "Charizard, use your Flamethrower on the fence over there!"

"Ash, wait! Don't do that!" cried Oak. He was too late, however, as Charizard's attack hit the fence perfectly.

"I worked! It worked!" cried Ash.

"Charizard's finally listening." Said Misty.

"My fence." Groaned Oak.

"I'm going to head on home now." Said Gary. "This has been a long day, but we can always have another battle at the Pokemon League."

"You're on, Gary!" cried Ash. "You can lose to me at the Pokemon League."

"Or me." Said Lucy.

"You two just better make sure you train as hard as I do." Said Gary. "See you in a couple of months, guys!" With that, Gary walked away.

Later, the group was looking out over the pasture where some Pokemon were grazing.

"In two months, Lucy, we'll be competing in the Pokemon League." Said Ash.

"I know. And I'm ready to roll." Said Lucy.

"Two months seems like forever." Said Misty.

"Yeah, but they've got a lot of work to do." Said Brock.

"We'll be ready, though." Said Ash. "Won't we, Pikachu?"

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

"I hope you'll be ready for some strong competition in a couple of months, Eevee." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'I'll be more than ready!'

"We're gonna do it!" cried Ash. "We're gonna start working right away!" Piles of planks suddenly landed in Ash and Lucy's arms.

"Good." Said Oak. "You both can start working right away on the fence that Ash's Charizard burned up." Ash and Lucy couldn't believe what they had just heard.

"Well, I guess this is one way of training." Said Lucy. Professor Oak gave Brock and Misty hammers and nails so that they could help.

"Give them a hand." Said Oak.

"Us too?" cried Misty.

"Believe me, helping others, sharing their burdens, that's the way to become a better trainer, a better and a better person." Said Oak.

"Eevee" said Eevee, which meant 'Oh boy.' The group started getting to work. With those wise words from the professor, Ash and Lucy begin to learn much more. Not just about the Pokemon League, but also about life.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Dodrio, Mr. Mime

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Tangela

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 70: The Evolution Solution

Ash and Lucy are back in Pallet Town to train for the Pokemon League. But as they're about to discover, they're not in for a day at the beach.

"Okay, if everybody's ready, we'll be on our way!" cried an enthusiastic female voice.

"Hey Mom, what's going on?" asked Ash.

"Where's everybody going, Mrs. Ketchum?" asked Lucy.

"Ash, Lucy, I thought Zack and I told you." Said Delia. "A bunch of us from the neighborhood are taking a trip to Seafoam Island."

"You are?" said Ash.

"Seafoam Island?" said Lucy. "Isn't that just a short boat trip away from Cinnabar?"

"That's right." Answered Delia.

"It's got a cool beach." Said Misty. "I'll bring you both back some cool seashells."

"Pikachu, Eevee, you make sure those two don't goof off while we're gone." Said Brock.

"You mean you're going to the beach too?" said Ash.

"And you're just leaving us here by ourselves?" said Lucy.

"Your parents and their friends invited us to hit the beach with them." answered Misty.

"Misty and I are going to try windsurfing." Said Brock.

"We'll come with you!" cried Ash and Lucy. Delai grabbed a hold of Ash's jacket, while Zack did the same with Lucy's shirt.

'Not so fast there, kids." Said Delia.

"You two both have to start your Pokemon League training, at home." Said Zack.

"So THAT's why we weren't invited." Said Lucy. The group soon left for the port that would take them to Seafoam Island as Brock, Misty, Delia and Zack waved Ash and Lucy goodbye.

"This way, everybody! Let's get going!" cried the same female voice from earlier. "The waves are waiting for us!"

"Take care of Mimey for me!" cried Delia. "Don't train too hard!"

"We both love you!" cried Zack and Delia. The bus was soon out of sight.

"It's not fair!" Ash complained.

"It could be worse." Said Lucy. Mimey soon swept away some dust that was on the street, which caused Ash and Lucy to cough.

Soon, the pair were in Ash's front yard and training for the league by having Pikachu and Eevee practice the timing, techniques and rhythm of their attacks. After a while, though, the two Pokemon got exhausted.

"Let's take a little break, Ash." Said Lucy.

"Yeah, we don't want to overwork these guys." Said Ash.

"I know. Let's see what Professor Oak's up to." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'You guys are supposed to be training!'

"This won't take long, Eevee." Said Lucy. The pair strolled over to the professor's lab and into his research area, where they saw him trying unsuccessfully to figure something out.

"What's wrong, Professor?" asked Ash.

"Do you have a headache or something?" asked Lucy.

"No." Oak answered. "I've been racking my brain for days trying to solve a great mystery of Pokemon evolution!"

"What mystery?" asked Ash.

"Take a look at this." Said Oak. Ash and Lucy turned their attention to the monitor.

"Here we have a Slowpoke and a Shellder." Oak explained. "When the Shellder clamps onto a Slowpoke's tail, it becomes a Slowbro."

"So THAT's how a Slowpoke evolves." Said Ash.

"Yes, but I can't figure out WHY it happens!" cried Oak. "I've got to solve this mystery!"

"Why don't you just use a Pokedex to look it up." Said Lucy.

"The Pokedex doesn't have the answer either." Groaned the professor. "Wait! Professor Westwood! If anyone knows the answer, Westwood does."

"Professor Westwood?" said Ash.

"Isn't he the one who invented the Pokedex?" asked Lucy.

"More than that." Said Oak. "He's one of the Pok-ologists who programmed the Pokedex!" He looked up Westwood's location.

"Ah! Professor Westwood lives on Seafoam Island!" exclaimed Oak.

"That's the place where Misty, Brock, my mom and Lucy's dad went, isn't it, Pikachu?" said Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'It sure is!'

"I think visiting him would help a lot with our training." Said Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'It just might!'

"Then let's pack our things and get going!" cried Ash.

"Next stop, Seafoam Island!" cried Lucy. The two of them made a made dash for Ash's house and packed a few bags before taking off.

"Seafoam Island, here we come!" cried Lucy.

"It's beach time, Mime!" cried Ash.

"Mr. Mime!" cried Mimey, which meant 'Goodbye!' The pair rushed to the dock to catch a boat. Now that they have an excellent excuse, uh, I mean reason, Ash and Lucy head for Seafoam Island. Soon, the two friends arrived there and saw everyone enjoying various activities, which included Brock and Misty windsurfing.

"Hey! Hey, you guys!" cried Ash.

"Over here!" cried Lucy.

"Ash?" said Brock, clearly quite puzzled. "You and Lucy are supposed to be training!"

"I knew they'd goof off if we left them." said Misty.

"We came here to do some special training!" cried Lucy.

"Did she say training or tanning?" said Misty. She soon lost her balance and fell in the water. The group soon headed to Professor Westwood's lab.

"So we're meeting Professor Westwood?" said Brock. "Awesome!"

"What's so great about him?" said Misty.

"Professor Westwood's one of the Pok-ologists who programmed the Pokedex." answered Lucy.

"See? I told you Lucy and I came here for training." Said Ash.

"More like mental training." Muttered Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Right, Misty.' The group soon arrived at the lab and rang the doorbell, which Professor Westwood answered.

"Ah! What have we here?" asked Westwood. The group was soon welcomed into Professor Westwood's lab and were walking through his library.

"Is this where you work on the Pokedex, Professor Westwood?" asked Brock.

"Ah, Professor is much too formal." Said Westwood. "My friends and associates call me Westwood the Fifth."

"The fifth?" said Ash.

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Fifth?'

"So that means you're named after your father, grandfather, great grandfather and great, great grandfather?" said Lucy.

"Yes, the fifth." Said Westwood. "And you're absolutely right. I'm named after my father and all his fathers before him." He showed pictures of his forefathers.

"Here, you see my great, great grandfather, Westwood the First. And his son, my great grandfather, Westwood the Second. And that's his son, my grandfather, Westwood the Third! And there's my father, Westwood the Fourth. And there's me, the one and only, Westwood the Fifth!"

"All the paintings kind of look alike." Said Misty.

"Except the last one's a little, abstract." Said Ash. Westwood sweat dropped and cleared his throat.

"Well, as you can see, I come from a long line of Pokemon researchers." He said. He turned and saw Togepi in Misty's arms.

"Now, there's an interesting Pokemon." Said Westwood.

"You mean Togepi?" said Misty.

"I've never seen another Pokemon quite like that one." Said Westwood.

"Togepi sure is cute, isn't it?" asked Lucy.

"Yeah! And I'm updating all my research materials about the rarest, legendary Pokemon." Replied Westwood. "I also have fellow researchers across the world doing the very same in their native regions."

"I'm into legendary Pokemon, Westwood Five." Said Brock. "You must have tons of information on them."

"That is correct." Said Westwood. "All the information on legendary Pokemon we have I've taken from legends and tales about them, plus, I'm not convinced that most of them exist. Right now, I'm working on a fictional account of the subject."

"You mean you're making stuff up?" said Misty. Westwood was shocked to hear that.

"Well, I guess you could say I'm making stuff up, I suppose." Said Westwood. He went over to his portraits.

"Forgive me Westwood the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth! I forgot that one's me!" he cried and cleared his throat.

"I think he's a little eccentric." Lucy whispered to Brock.

"It's probably hereditary." Brock whispered back to Lucy. "He must've gotten it from Westwoods one through four."

"At the moment, I'm studying a real life mystery." Said Westwood. "Slowly, but surely." Everyone went to the window Westwood Five was looking out of and spotted a Slowpoke.

"Look! A Slowpoke!" cried Ash.

"I want to discover why Shellder attaches to Slowpoke." Said Westwood Five. "I just don't understand why they evolve into Slowbro."

"That's the reason we came here." Said Lucy. "To solve that mystery."

"She's right. Professor Oak hasn't been able to figure that out either." Said Ash.

"I need to study Slowpoke and Shellder until I come up with a theory to present to the symposium." Said Westwood Five.

"The what?" said Brock.

"The Pokemon symposium, the world's most respected group of Pok-ologists." Said Westwood Five. The group followed him outside and got puzzled when he started to fish.

"Hey, Westwood Five, why are you sitting there fishing?" asked Ash.

"Shouldn't you be studying Slowpoke?" asked Lucy.

"I am." Answered Westwood Five. "Fishing is part of my research into Slowpoke's lifecycle." The group looked at Slowpoke.

"You see, Slowpoke is one of the few Pokemon that fishes." Said Westwood V.

"Wow. Slowpoke must be smarter than it looks if it catches fish." Sad Misty.

"Let's see what Dexter has to say about Slowpoke." Said Lucy. She got out her Pokedex.

"Slowpoke, the Dopey Pokemon. Nobody can tell what a Slowpoke is thinking, if it ever does think. Its specialty is fishing with its tail."

"It's not very nice to call Slowpoke dopey." Said Misty.

"Is that what you called it, Westwood the fifth?" asked Lucy.

"Well, maybe one of my assistants wrote that particular entry." Answered Westwood Five. "But dopey does sound like an accurate technical description of Slowpoke's mental capacity."

"I have to admit, it doesn't really look that smart." Said Ash.

"Aren't you going to defend yourself, Slowpoke?" said Misty. Eevee and both Pikachu approached Slowpoke.

"Pika Pi!" cried both Pikachu, which meant 'Well hello there!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Glad to meet you!' The Slowpoke just minded its own business, but its blank stare struck Misty as familiar.

"I know I've seen that expression somewhere before." She said. Psyduck materialized by itself.

"Hey! It's the same clueless expression that Psyduck has!" cried Misty. "Why can't you just stay in your Poke Ball?!

"Toge." Replied Togepi, which meant 'Beats me.' Psyduck approached Slowpoke.

"I bet THIS isn't the most intelligent conversation in Pokemon history." Said Ash.

"Psyduck, can't you tell Slowpoke to stop acting as dim as you do?" The two Pokemon just looked at each other and were confused as to what one was saying to the other.

"Now what?" said Misty.

"beats me." Said Lucy.

"I think they're trying to say hello, but we'd be here all day before they think of anything else to say." Replied Ash.

"Oh yeah." Said Brock.

"Slowpoke have been known to forget what they're even doing." Said Lucy. A Krabby soon jumped out of the water and clamped onto Slowpoke's tail, as well as Psyduck's, before jumping back into the water. Within a few seconds, both started feeling pain.

"Well, I guess it takes a while for that big a pain to find that small a brain." Said Misty. Slowpoke pulled its tail out of the water to show that it caught a Magikarp.

"Look, it's got a bite." Said Lucy.

"Well, at least it's good at something, unlike Psyduck." Said Misty. Psyduck suddenly stopped after hearing what Misty had said.

"She didn't mean that, Psyduck." Said Brock.

"All this fishing has made me hungry." Said Westwood Five. "Let's have some lunch."

"I want pizza!" cried Brock.

"Those hamburgers and chili cheese fries are to die for!" cried Lucy.

"Let's go try that taco stand!" cried Misty.

"Those hot dogs sure look good." Said Ash.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'They sure do!'

Meanwhile, on the beach, Giovanni was relaxing while his Persian had some milk.

"Ah, a nice, relaxing day at the beach is just what I need after the stress of having Team Rocket headquarters destroyed." He said. He petted his Persian.

"You deserve to relax too." He told it. Meowth watched tearfully as Persian got all the attention.

"Just look at how the boss fawns over that feline fink!" Meowth cried. Jessie and James were scraping the sand.

"First the boss has us swabbing the deck of his yacht, and now he's got us digging for clams like a couple of clam diggers." Groaned James.

"Keep digging until you hit China, or else he'll make us take another pay cut!" cried Meowth. "Mess up again and we're fired!"

"Why don't we bury Meowth in the sand head first." Said Jessie. James looked out and saw plenty of beachgoers having fun.

"Oh, everybody's having fun but us." He groaned. He went ballistic and started to dig like a mad man until he hit something.

"Jess, I think I just discovered a colossal clam." Said James. He pulled out what he hit so hard that it went flying up, and when it came back down, it turned out to be a Shellder.

"Look, it's a Shellder." Said Jessie. The Shellder opened up and stuck its tongue out at Team Rocket, angering them.

"Oh, you're a wise guy, huh?" said Meowth. "Don't stick that tongue out at me, you crummy crustacean! I know how to clam you up, for good!"

"Weezing, I choose you!" cried James. Weezing materialized.

"You're acting like those twerps." Said Jessie.

"I just wanted to be in their goody two shoes!" cried James. Weezing charged, but Shellder deflected it.

"Poor Weezing! It got shell shocked." Said Meowth. Shellder charged and fired an Ice Beam, but Weezing dodged in time.

"Look, that's an Ice Beam!" cried Jessie.

"Weezing, use your Haze attack!" cried James. Weezing spread the haze, which knocked Shellder out.

"Yes!" cried James, but Jessie cut in front of him.

"Pardon me!" she cried. She threw a Poke Ball at Shellder and it was instantly caught.

"Shellder, nice capture." Said Gessie.

"That's not fair." Groaned James. Giovanni's butler approached.

"Our leader wants to see you immediately." He said. The trio approached their boss.

"I'm getting sick and tired and tired of watching you blundering fools." He said. He put his drink down.

"Don't fail me again, or else." He warned. Meowth tried sneaking a sip of Persian's drink, but Persian stopped him.

"Would you like to know what "or else" means?" Giovanni demanded.

"Oh, we'll figure it out." Jessie said sheepishly. She took the straw from Meowth and hit him on the head with it.

"I want you simpletons to break into the laboratory of Professor Westwood." Instructed Giovanni. "It may prove very useful to me."

"Looting laboratories is what Team Rocket does best!" cried Jessie.

"We'll crack the joint right away!" cried Meowth.

"Don't mess this one up!" cried Giovanni.

"Right!" cried Jessie, James and Meowth.

Meanwhile, the group was having lunch at Professor Westwood's laboratory.

"So, what's this big mystery you're trying to solve, Westwood Five?" asked Misty.

"Take a look at this computer simulation." Answered Westwood. He showed them the screen on his computer, which the group had a look at.

"See here? Before it clamps on, Shellder has a hinged shell." Westwood explained. "But after it evolves, Shellder has a spiral shell."

"Look at that! Interesting." Said Brock.

"It's one of the most perplexing mysteries in the Pokemon world." Said Westwood Five. "If I could solve the Shellder puzzle, I'd go down as the most renowned researcher in the history of the Pokemon symposium! They'd replace the Westwood family portrait with a picture of me!" He laughed proudly.

"Westwood's a little weird, isn't he?" said Ash.

"Yeah." Said Brock.

"Like Brock was saying before, it's likely hereditary." Said Lucy. The group soon looked behind them, and they saw someone riding a kite tied to a motorboat.

"Eevee?!" cried Eevee, which meant 'What's that?!'

"Looks like someone decided to try their hand at a new form of leisure activity." Answered Lucy.

"Look! A parasail!" cried Ash.

"That's so cool!" cried Misty.

"I want to try that!" cried Ash. The parasail suddenly detached from the boat and headed in the direction of the group.

"It's headed this way!" cried Ash.

"Not good!" cried Lucy. They got out of the way as the parasail landed in their eating area. The parasailers, as they approached, turned out to be Team Rocket.

"Hey! What in the world is going on?!" cried Westwood V.

"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!" They removed their parasails.

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth, that's flight!"

"Are you the professor who programmed the Pokedex?" asked Jessie.

"Yes, I am." Said Westwood Five.

"Well, now you're going to program the Team Rocke-dex." Said James. Jessie pulled out sheets of paper.

"Here's all the vital statistics you'll need." She said.

"Jessie, the beautiful member of the team." Read Westwood Five. "Her brilliant mind is surpassed only by her style and personality." Jessie laughed vainly.

"James has the looks of a movie star, the agility of an athlete, and a head that's too small for his brain?" said Westwood V.

"That's me." Said James.

"And Meowth, the feline mastermind whose diabolical plans never fail." Said Westwood V. "The only thing sharper than his mind are his claws."

"I'm also humble and housebroken." Said Meowth. Westwood stood in disbelief over hearing Meowth talk, and Misty took the paper.

"It's all lies!" she cried. Westwood V got out his book while Misty balled up the paper.

"A Meowth that can speak?" said Westwood V.

"What, did you expect for me to bark?" cried Meowth.

"What are you troublemakers doing here?!" cried Lucy.

"Oh no! They have some nefarious plot to kidnap me and make me their slave!" cried Westwood V. "They want my superior intellect to help them rule the planet! Please, the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, you've got to help me for the sake of all Westwoods!" He then remembered he was the fifth.

"Oh, I forgot again, that's me!" he cried. He cleared his throat as Team Rocket entered the building.

"We don't want a professor!" cried Meowth. "We want to steal all the Pokemon we can get our paws on!"

"Please, not professor!" cried Westwood V. "Call me Westwood the Fifth!"

"I'll call you Henry the Eighth, just give us the Pokemon!" cried Jessie.

"But Slowpoke is the only Pokemon I've got in my lab!" cried Westwood V. Slowpoke then entered the room.

"Are you sure you don't have anything a little smarter?" asked James. Slowpoke simply sat down in front of Westwood V.

"You're right, it ain't too bright." Said Meowth. "But when we get through with it, the boss will be in for a big surprise!"

"We've been conducting our own research!" laughed Jessie. She got out a Poke Ball. "And we've got something that'll make Slowpoke evolve with just one bite!"

"Our Shellder clamps down on Slowpoke's tail, we get a Slowpoke to bring back to the boss, and I get my saucer of milk!" cried Meowth.

"Slowpoke, quick, get out of here!" cried Westwood Five. Slowpoke didn't do anything, so Westwood V carried it away with Team Rocket in hot pursuit, and Ash's group not far behind.

"Come back here!" cried James and Meowth. Westwood V tripped, which gave Jessie the opening that she needed, much to the shock of Ash and friends.

"Shellder, go!" laughed Jessie. Shellder materialized and Slowpoke quickly ran away after being pursued by the Shellder.

"I thought you were a Slowpoke!" cried Jessie. "Let Shellder bite you or you'll never evolve!"

"Hey, leave Slowpoke alone!" cried Ash. He got out a Poke Ball of his own.

"Hold it, Ash!" cried Misty. "We're at the ocean, and water Pokemon are my specialty! Staryu, I choose…." But Psyduck popped out of his Poke Ball unannounced and blocked Shellder.

"Psyduck, not you!" cried Misty. Slowpoke then started its confused conversation with Psyduck.

"This is a case of no minds leading no minds." Said Misty.

"Fascinating! I can present this to the symposium!" cried Westwood V. Shellder then clamped onto Psyduck's tail.

"It's gonna be a Psybro!" cried Ash.

"I've never heard of a Psybro." Said Misty.

"That's because no such thing exists." Said Lucy.

"Shellder, you got the wrong Pokemon!" cried Jessie. "Get off of Psyduck and take a bite out of Slowpoke!" The pain of Shellder clamping down on Psyduck's tail finally got to the dimwitted Pokemon and it started running around in pain until it took Shellder off and into the air.

"Wow! Psyduck used its Tail Wag attack!" cried Misty.

"I made up that whole Psybro thing, you know." Said Ash.

"And it's Tail Whip, not Tail Wag." Added Lucy.

"Weezing, make sure that Psyduck is permanently quacked up!" cried James. Weezing started to bounce on Psyduck's head.

"Good work, Weezing." Said James.

"Psyduck, run away!" cried Misty. Psyduck started to move, but it tripped.

"Two webbed left feet." Groaned Misty.

"Shellder, clamp onto Slowpoke's tail, now!" cried Jessie. She tossed Shellder at Slowpoke, but it clamped onto Psyduck's head instead.

"Now that's what I call dumb luck." Sighed Jessie. The pain of Shellder squeezing onto Psyduck's head like a vice grip caused Psyduck to get a severe headache.

"Psyduck!" cried Misty.

"I think we know what's going to happen now." Said Lucy.

"Psyduck only uses its most powerful attacks when it gets its most powerful headaches!" cried Brock. Psyduck's eyes turned a deep blue and it started glowing with psychic energy, which caused Team Rocket to panic as they were suddenly frozen stiff.

"I can't move! My body's stuck!" cried James. Weezing was also affected and flew out of the sky.

"That's it, Psyduck!" cried Misty. "Nice Disable attack!" Psyduck proceeded to lift Shellder off its head and also lifted Team Rocket and Weezing into the air.

"Who am I? What am I? Where am I?" cried Meowth.

"All right! Its Confusion attack worked!" cried Misty. Westwood V jotted down notes about Psyduck's power.

"I've read about these attacks, but this is the first time I've seen them!" cried Westwood V. Psyduck suddenly stopped.

"We're sandblasting off again!" cried Team Rocket. They landed on the sandy beach with a thud as Shellder landed unconscious next to Psyduck.

"You did great, Psyduck!" cried Ash.

"You're awesome!" cried Misty.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Sure are!'

"Duck?" said Psyduck, which meant 'Really?'

"Psyduck just saved you from those kidnappers, Slowpoke." Said Westwood V. "Why don't you give it a big thank you?" Slowpoke approached Psyduck to do so, but it stepped and slipped on Shellder's shell, fell and allowed Shellder to clamp onto its tail, which shocked Ash's group and surprised Team Rocket.

"Yay, Shellder!" cried Meowth. "Now we can capture a new Slowbro instead of an old Slowpoke!"

"Poor Psyduck tried so hard to stop them." sighed Misty. The evolution process began, and Westwood V got out his book.

"Slowpoke is beginning to evolve!" he cried. Once the process ended, Slowbro was revealed.

"Ah!" cried Westwood V.

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

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

"I'm the first researcher to witness this!" cried Westwood V. "Slowpoke evolved into Slowbro and Shellder changed into a spiral shape."

"That was so cool!" cried Brock.

"I'm glad we were here to see it happen!" cried Lucy. Team Rocket soon charged.

"We're sick of playing these shell games!" cried Meowth. The group saw them coming.

"Here they come again!" cried Lucy.

"Slowbro, attack these kidnappers!" cried Westwood Five.

"What kind of attack does Slowbro have?" asked Brock.

"A very powerful one." Answered Westwood Five.

"Let's hope it's strong enough to send those three packing!" cried Lucy. Team Rocket drew closer.

"It's called the Mega Punch." Said Westwood V.

"That sounds powerful to me." Said Ash.

"Here we come, Slowbro!" Team Rocket cried.

"Slowbro, Mega Punch attack!" cried Westwood V. Slowbro just looked confused.

"What's the matter?" asked Misty.

"It seems that Slowbro is suffering the effects of one of its own attacks." Answered Westwood V.

"Its own attack?" said Misty.

"An attack of what?" asked Lucy. Team Rocket got closer.

"Of, Amnesia." Answered Westwood V. Almost everyone fell over in disbelief.

"But that's supposed to make its' opponents forget!" cried Lucy. Slowbro suddenly remembered.

"Oh, now you remember Mega Punch. Team Rocket jumped, ready to grab Slowbro.

"Ready or not, here we come!" cried Meowth. Slowbro used its mega Punch to send Team Rocket blasting off over the ocean.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Good going!'

"We really took it on the chin!" cried jessie.

"I always thought that thing looked a little punchy." Said Meowth.

"Looks like Team Rocket got knocked out again!" cried Team Rocket. Westwood Five started jotting notes down in his book.

"I've figured it out!" he cried. "My report will be the talk of the symposium! I'll get a standing ovation!"

"So why does a Shellder clamp onto a Slowpoke's tail?" asked Misty.

"Because it's mutually beneficial." Answered Westwood Five.

"You mean it's a symbiotic relationship?" asked Lucy.

"Precisely!" cried Westwood Five. "Symbiotic is another word to describe it!"

"What does that mean?" asked Misty.

"It means it helps them both." Answered Brock.

"Such an arrangement benefits both Pokemon, as I will explain." Said Westwood Five. "Shellder clamps onto Slowbro's tail, which helps Slowbro balance when it stands on two feet. This way, Slowbro's front legs are free so that it can use attacks like Mega Punch.

"That makes sense." Said Ash.

"And because it's clamped onto Slowbro's tail, Shellder may now travel on land." Said Westwood Five. He jotted down what he had just said in his book. "I must make sure to get all of this down."

"Just like Westwood and I said, it's a symbiotic relationship." Said Lucy.

Later, the group was leaving Westwood's lab.

"Wow! That was really amazing!" cried Ash.

"It sure was!" cried Lucy.

"But Ash, you and Lucy missed a whole day of training." Said Misty.

"Learning about all different kinds of Pokemon is part our training too, you know." Said Lucy.

"Especially if you're at the beach." Said Misty. Psyduck looked back in sadness.

"What's wrong, Psyduck?" asked Misty.

"Psyduck probably wants to say goodbye to Slowbro before we leave here." Said Ash. "Don't you, Psyduck?"

"Psy." Answered Psyduck, which meant 'Yeah.' Psyduck soon continued its confused conversation with Slowbro.

"I've heard of not knowing how to say goodbye, but this is ridiculous." Said Misty. And so, our heroes have learned the mystery of Slowbro's evolution. What new mysteries will Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty uncover? Tune in next time and find out. Don't worry, we'll still be here!"

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Dodrio, Mr. Mime

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Tangela

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Episode 71: The Pi-kahuna

Ash, Pikachu, Lucy, Eevee and Little Pikachu were all jogging together as part of their Pokemon League training. Even though they're at the beach on Seafoam Island, Ash and Lucy aren't relaxing. They're training hard so that they'll be in top shape for the Pokemon League.

"Misty, Brock, keep up the pace!" cried Ash.

"We know you can run faster than that!" cried Lucy.

"Ash and Lucy sure are giving it one hundred percent!" cried Brock.

"They got a little sidetracked by that Slowbro, so now they're trying to make up for lost time!" cried Misty. A car soon started driving alongside the trainees and splashed water at them as it went by, and sprayed exhaust fumes at them as it went ahead, which blinded them. As a result, they ended up walking right into the path of an incoming car.

"Ash, Lucy, no!" cried Misty.

"Look out!" cried Brock. But instead of getting hit, they ended up causing a traffic jam.

"Watch where you're going!" cried a driver.

"Where'd you learn to drive!?" cried another driver.

"What?!" cried another one. The drivers involved in the traffic jam started arguing as Ash and Lucy got their vision back.

"What happened?" asked Ash.

"I think we caused a traffic jam." Answered Lucy. A whistle was soon heard and the group spotted Officer Jenny running towards them.

"Hey! Break it up!" cried Jenny. She soon got the traffic moving again.

"Well, that's over." Said Jenny. "Next time, you two be a little more careful."

"Yeah, I'm sorry." Said Ash.

"Same." Said Lucy. "We were only training for the Pokemon League. We didn't mean to cause a traffic jam."

"Why is there so much traffic this morning, Officer Jenny?" said Misty.

"Yeah, and how come all the cars have surfboards?" added Brock.

"Because Humungadunga's coming." Jenny answered.

"Humungadunga?!" cried Brock.

"It's a giant wave that hits the island once every twenty years." Jenny explained. The group was amazed.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Oh my.' They headed to the beach where they spotted a surfer attempting to plant a flag on a tall pillar, but he wiped out instead.

"What are they all doing?" asked Misty.

"Looks like they're all trying to stick their flags into that rock." Answered Brock.

"They're all trying to be surfing legends, like Jan was." Said Jenny.

"Who?" wondered Misty. Jenny pointed to a flag that was very close to the top.

"See that flag there with the letter J on it?" she asked. "That one's Jan's. Forty years ago, he rode Humungadunga all the way to the top of the rock and planted his flag there. It's remained there ever since. Many other surfers have tried to get close to it, but they haven't had much luck. They keep trying, though."

"That must've been quite a wave." Said Brock.

"Jan must've been quite the surfer to ride a big wave like that." Said Lucy. She and Ash then got an idea. They headed out to the water together with surfboards in hand.

"Guys! What about your training?!" cried Misty.

"We are training, Misty!" cried Ash.

"We're training to be the best, like Jan!" cried Lucy.

"You should be training for the Pokemon League." Said Misty.

"Lighten up, Misty." Said Brock. "Ash and Lucy have been training pretty hard." He ran to catch up with the pair. "And we could all use a little fun!"

"I guess you're right." Sighed Misty. Then she let out a giggle. "Look out waves, cause here I come!"

Meanwhile, as the group was having fun in the water, and Togepi was in a puddle splashing Eevee, both Pikachu spotted another Pikachu staring out into the ocean. The Pikachu sensed something and its tail stood up and glowed as a man sensed what the Pikachu was doing.

"That's a big wave, but not THE big wave." Said the man. Out on the water, Ash managed to catch a wave with Lucy right beside him.

"All right!" cried Ash.

Hey! Ash and Lucy are up!" cried Brock.

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

"Way to ride, Ash!" cried Lucy. "Not bad for our first time on a surfboard." However, on the curl of the wave, Ash wiped out.

"Whoa." Said Brock.

"Ouch." Said Lucy.

"I guess Ash is practicing his wipeouts." Said Misty. "Right, Togepi?" Togepi gave an excited cry.

"That's not funny, Misty." Said Lucy. "Ash, are you all right?" Ash surfaced near his board, but then he got a cramp in his foot.

"My foot! Something's wrong with my foot!" he cried. As Ash was taken under the waves, the Pikachu on the cliff sensed what was happening and went to warn the man nearby while Ash called for help.

"We've got a sinker here!" cried Lucy.

"It's Ash!" cried Brock. He and Lucy rushed to help Ash as he managed to swim to his board.

"Ash, what's wrong?!" cried Brock.

"It's my foot!" cried Ash. A large wave soon came toward him and took him under.

"Ash!" cried Lucy. "We have to save him before he sinks!" But before Brock or Lucy had a chance to do anything, an even bigger wave headed towards Ash.

"Oh no! That wave!" cried Misty.

"It's heading right for him!" cried Lucy.

"Pika Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!' Before the wave could come down on an unconscious Ash, the man from before rescued him on a surfboard with his Pikachu on the nose of the board.

"Puka, pipeline!" the man cried.

"Chu!" cried Puka, which meant 'Right!' Puka titled the board so that it headed to the pipeline of the wave.

"Puka, shoot the curl!" cried the man.

"Pika!" cried Puka, which meant 'Oh, yeah!' The two shot the curl and got Ash to shore and safety. He woke up briefly and saw what he thought was Pikachu in front of him.

"Pika…..chu?" he asked weakly before blacking out.

Later, he woke up in a beach house near the cliff where Puka was sensing the waves.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash, you're awake!'

"Pikachu." Said Ash.

"How do you feel, Ash?" asked Lucy.

"Are you okay, Ash?" asked Brock.

"Where am I?" asked Ash.

"You're in my cabin." The man answered. "How are you, kid? Do you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm okay." Said Ash. "Who are you?"

"Oh, that's Victor." Answered Misty.

"Victor's the reason you're still here." Said Brock. "He saved your life, Ash."

"And I definitely wouldn't want to compete in the Pokemon League without my training partner and best friend." Added Lucy. Victor gave Ash a drink.

"Thanks. And thank you for saving me." Said Ash.

"Oh, no, don't thank me." Said Victor. He looked over at Puka, out on the cliff and looking out at the ocean once again.

"Is that?" said Ash.

"Thank my Pikachu, Puka." Said Victor.

"Puka?" said Ash.

"Cute name." said Lucy. Little Pikachu pointed to Puka.

"Oh, you want to meet Puka, Little Pikachu?" Lucy asked. Little Pikachu nodded. He and Ash's Pikachu went out to meet Puka, with Eevee following behind.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Hey, Puka!'

"Pika?" asked Puka, which meant 'Yeah, man?'

"Pika. Pika, Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Thank you, for saving my friend.'

"Pikachu." Said Puka, which meant 'It was nothing.'

"Pika?" asked Little Pikachu, which meant 'What are you doing?'

"Eevee?" asked Eevee, which meant 'Why are you standing out here like this?'

"Pika Pikachu." Answered Pikachu, which meant 'I'm sensing the coming waves.' Eevee and all three Pikachu looked out over the ocean. Below the ocean, a periscope popped up and spotted the quartet of Pokemon. A familiar voice was also heard.

"Either I'm seeing things, or there are three Pikachu plus Eevee in my periscope!" cried Jessie. "This is more than we bargained for!"

"Steal all three, and get an Eevee for free!" cried James.

"We're going to be the boss' number one team when we show up with a quartet of Pokemon!" cried Meowth.

"Just think! He may give us quadruple our salary!" cried Jessie. "And a full month of vacation! Full speed ahead for Pikachu times three, plus Eevee!"

"Yes, captain!" cried James and Meowth. Team Rocket started to make their Gyrados submarine move.

Meanwhile, on the surface and in Victor's cabin….

"Sleepy Togepi, time for your nap." Said Lucy. She and Misty put Togepi in the bed so it could sleep.

"Pleasant dreams, Togepi." Said Misty.

"So, Victor, do you live here all by yourself?" Ash asked.

"No, Ash, I've got Puka." Said Victor.

"Oh yeah, that's right." Said Ash.

"Have you had Puka long?" asked Brock.

"Must be close to twenty years now." Said Victor.

"Twenty years?" cried Ash and Brock.

"That means you two would've met after the last time Humungadunga came to Seafoam Island." Said Lucy.

"It's kind of unusual because I didn't capture Puka like you would a regular Pokemon." Said Victor. "Puka came to me from the sea."

Flashback

A younger Victor heard Puka's cries for help out on the ocean and spotted him on a piece of driftwood. The driftwood got on top of a wave, and Victor ran toward his future best friend and caught him as Puka jumped off the driftwood and fainted from exhaustion after Victor caught him.

End Flashback

"I can't explain how or why it happened, but from that day on, Puka and I have never been apart." Explained Victor.

"Wow, that's kind of mysterious, isn't it?" asked Misty.

"Yeah. That Puka is one mysterious Pikachu." Said Victor.

"What do you mean?" asked Brock.

"Puka can feel the waves in its body." Answered Victor.

"It feels the waves?" asked Ash.

"In its body?" said Brock.

"Puka can always sense when a big wave is coming our way." Answered Victor. "Puka can even feel how the waves are going to break. Over the last twenty years, Puka and I have surfed every big wave that's come our way." Misty spotted some pictures on the wall.

"Victor, this is a picture of you and Puka, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yep. That's Puka and me twenty years ago." Said Victor.

"Who's that in the picture under it?" asked Brock.

"That's me forty years ago." Said Victor.

"Whoa. Forty years." Said Ash.

"Uh, who's that in the other picture there?" asked Lucy. "The guy with the surfboard?"

"That's Jan." said Victor. "A surfer named Jan.

"SAY WHAT?!" cried Lucy.

"You mean that's the same Jan who planted that flag out there on the rock pillar?" asked Ash.

"That's the one." Answered Victor. Eevee and all three Pikachu stared out towards the ocean while Victor began to tell the tale of how he met Jan.

"Back then, all the surfers on the beach wanted to be like Jan." said Victor. "He was the best. He had the talent, the technique, no fear and a lot of style. I started surfing because I wanted to be just like him."

Flashback

Victor, as a boy, went out to grab a wave when he spotted Jan surfing and was completely mesmerized by Jan's surfing ability. Victor soon hit the waves, but wiped out repeatedly, even though he managed to stand on the board for a couple of seconds on one attempt. He soon spotted Jan clapping and applauding the attempt. That inspired Victor to get up and try again. As the sun set later on, Victor spotted Jan looking out over the ocean.

"I think Jan could sense the waves too." Said Victor's voice. "It seemed like he was waiting for something that he could tell was coming. Then one day, it finally came. The big wave. The one that we call Humungadunga." Many surfers were shown trying to surf up to the highest point of Humungadunga and plant their flag, but they failed. But Jan managed to plant his flag at the top of the rock pillar. The crowd cheered as Jan returned to shore.

"That was the day Jan planted his flag on top of the rock and became a legend." Said Victor's voice. Jan gave Victor a small talk upon returning to shore.

"Hey, you can do it too." Said Jan. He handed Victor his surfboard.

"Those were the exact words that Jan said to me before he gave me his surfboard." Said Victor's voice. "Then he went off to surf the world." Jan sailed away on his boat, with Victor watching him on the shore.

"Twenty years later, I challenged the big wave." Said Victor's voice. "Unfortunately for me, I completely wiped out. It was the biggest disappointment of my entire life. And I never wanted to surf again." Victor then heard Puka crying for help.

"Then I found Puka." Said Victor's voice. "Well, Puka found me. And I learned to love surfing all over again."

End Flashback

"If it weren't for Puka, I don't know where or what I'd be." Said Victor.

"I bet Puka feels the same way." Said Misty.

"Since then, Puka and I have teamed up and conquered every kind of wave you can imagine." Said Victor. "Humungadunga is the only one left."

"You and Puka can do it!" cried Ash. "I can sense things too, and this time, you're going to beat it!"

"Thanks, Ash. We'll try." Said Victor. Soon, Pikachu, Puka, Little Pikachu and Eevee were heard crying for help outside, which got the group's attention.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Puka, Eevee and Little Pikachu too!" cried Lucy. "Looks like they're all in trouble!" Team Rocket had grabbed all three electric mice, along with Eevee, as Victor and Ash's group rushed outside to see what was happening.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Little Pikachu! Eevee!" cried Lucy.

"What's going on?!" cried Victor.

"Prepare for double!"

"Make it double!" Jessie and James appeared in view on a giant water platform.

"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!" Water came out of the fans that Jessie and James were holding.

"Jessie!"

"James."

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

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"Meowth! That's my cue!" Inside the sub, he pulled a lever and stopped the water that Jessie and James were standing on, which sent them back down to their sub.

"Team Rocket!" everyone cried.

"Twerps on the land are worth three Pikachu, plus an excellent Eevee bonus!" cried Jessie. The mechanical arms lowered Eevee and all three Pikachu into the sub.

"Pika Pi!" cried Pikachu.

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

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. She and Ash went after all four Pokemon, but the others stopped them before they could fall off the cliff.

"Careful, guys." Said Brock.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy.

"Puka!" cried Victor. He ran off to go after them.

"Victor, wait!" cried Ash.

"You don't know how dangerous Team Rocket is!" cried Lucy. The Gyrados sub dove into the ocean as Pikachu tried to free him, Puka, Eevee and Little Pikachu from their prison, but without success.

"Don't waste your energy." Said Meowth.

"That little capture capsule is one hundred percent shock proof." Said James.

"Double time!" cried Jessie.

"Yes, captain!" cried James and Meowth. Team Rocket began to pedal faster, but they soon ran into some pairs of glowing red eyes.

"What's that?" asked Jessie. The eyes turned out to be a group of Gyrados, which terrified Team Rocket as one swam up to the periscope.

"Gyrados!" cried Jessie.

"What's it doing here?" asked Meowth.

"Well, I have heard that Gyrados travel to shallow waters once a year in order to lay their eggs." James answered. Jessie and Meowth were shocked to hear that. The Gyrados started to hit the sub and knocked it around.

"They're ramming us!" cried Meowth. The Gyrados surrounded themselves around Team Rocket's sub.

"During egg laying season, Gyrados don't like company." Said James.

"Let's leave." Said Jessie.

"Yes, captain!" cried James and Meowth. Team Rocket cautiously moved away from the Gyrados and managed to do so, but one Gyrados fired multiple Hyper Beams at the sub while Team Rocket tried frantically to escape.

Meanwhile, on the surface, the group and Victor were out on a speed boat looking for Team Rocket.

"Those three crooks have got to be around here someplace." Said Lucy.

"Hey look, guys! Over there!" cried Misty. The group looked portside and saw some Hyper Beams coming out of the water, with Team Rocket's sub just ahead of them. One of the Hyper Beams ultimately hit the sub and sent Team Rocket into the air while Eevee and all three Pikachu fell from the capsule they were now free from.

"We're blasting off again!" cried Team Rocket.

"Help them, Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur materialized.

"Ivysaur, help Bulbasaur out!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur materialized.

"Both of you catch them with your Vine Whips!" cried Ash. Bulbasaur was able to catch Pikachu and Eevee, and Ivysaur caught Little Pikachu, but Puka continued to fall and hit the water.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Puka, no!' Puka struggled to stay afloat.

"Puka!" cried Victor. The waves got rougher as Puka continued to struggle.

"Puka! Grab on to this!" cried Victor. He tossed his surfboard and Puka got on it as Victor dove in to help his friend.

"Victor, wait!" cried Ash.

"Let Victor handle himself, Ash." Said Lucy. "As for us, we have to get to shore right now!"

"Lucy's right!" cried Brock. "The waves are too rough! We're going to capsize! We have to get back to shore!" As the group got pitched and tossed, Victor and Puka reunited.

"Are you okay, Puka?" asked Victor.

"Pika!" cried Puka, which meant 'Just fine!' Puka soon sensed something, and his body started glowing.

"Could it be?" asked Victor. A giant wave was soon seen over the ocean, one that Puka and Victor knew was scheduled to arrive.

"It's here!" cried Lucy. "The big wave is here!"

"Humungadunga!" cried Victor. On the shore, Officer Jenny was telling everyone on the beach to evacuate and make way for Humungadunga.

"A tidal wave is heading for shore!" she cried. "Evacuate the beach and head for high ground, immediately!" As people on the shore headed for high ground upon seeing Humungadunga coming, the group realized that Victor wasn't with them.

"I don't see Victor or Puka anywhere." Said Ash. Victor and Puka were soon seen riding Humungadunga.

"They're riding the wave!" cried Ash and Brock.

"Go, dudes!" cried Misty and Lucy.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Go, Puka!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Get 'em, Puka!'

"This is it, Puka!" cried Victor.

"Pika!" yelled Puka, which meant 'Indeed!' The two surfers got out their flags, jumped from the lip of the wave, and planted their flags right at the top next to Jan's flag as the group watched in awe and amazement.

"They did it!" cried Ash and Lucy.

"All right!" cried Brock. The group cheered as Victor and Puka hit calm water after landing.

"I knew they could do it!" cried Ash.

"I knew it too." Said Lucy. "Jan would be very proud!"

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Nice job!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'That was beautiful!' Victor and Puka both returned to shore.

"Pika Pi!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'Great job out there!'

"Victor, Puka, that was awesome!" cried Ash.

"Congratulations!" cried Lucy.

"Pika, Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'That was cool, Puka!'

"Pi." Replied Puka, which meant 'It was.' Victor spotted a couple of young surfers nearby and approached them.

"Hey, you can do it too." He told them. The surfers gasped.

"All right!" they cried. Puka then joined his friend as the group looked on. Now, at the very top of the rock, Victor's flag waves proudly beside his childhood hero's flag. But they're more than just flags. They're proof that it's never too late for some dreams to come true.

Later that night, Team Rocket was low after getting washed out to a big rock far out at sea. They were surrounded by a group of Gyrados.

"Well I think this time we hit rock bottom." Groaned Jessie.

"At least we made it to the top." Said James.

"All we got to do is wait for the next Humungadunga." Said Meowth. "How long could that be? What, a couple of days? A week tops, right? Right?" Wrong, Meowth. The next Humungadunga isn't for another twenty years. In other words, you guys are going to be stuck on that rock for a while.

TO BE CONTINUED

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Dodrio, Mr. Mime

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Tangela

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair

 

[MarkL1987]

Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part 1

In a large, lush jungle, multiple Mankey were jumping abut through the trees while a group of expeditioners were making their trek through the dense environment.

"August 6th." Said one of the expeditioners. "Today, my colleagues and I reach the site where an ancient civilization may have created a shrine to Mew, the most powerful Pokemon to ever have existed, now believed to be extinct." As he talked, Mew was watching over them.

"Giovanni is financing the expedition." He went on. As he kept talking, a flock of Butterfree were flying as Mew continued to follow.

"When he heard of my work in the field of cloning, he agreed to fund my research, but only if I would try to create for him, an enhanced, living replica of Mew." The expeditioner continued. "I had to agree. All he wants is to control the most powerful Pokemon the world has ever known. I, of course, want something more. Much more." The expedition soon reached the shrine of Mew. They took a photo outside of it, and then headed inside, where they found a stone carved picture of Mew.

"Mew." Cried the little Pokemon. The group soon saw Mew's shadow, but it left before they could see it in the flesh, and they soon headed back to the tent.

"Our team is bringing back what we believe to be a Mew fossil. I pray that it's authentic." The expeditioner stated. "If so, I may finally have the DNA that I need to create a Pokemon powerful enough to survive the cloning process. Perhaps then I can unlock the secret to restoring life itself." As the man talked, Mew watched from outside the tent and then flew off towards a mountain. Later, the cloning process was underway as researchers were attempting to create a living replica of Mew. Soon, a young Mew clone was looming in the dark, wondering where and who he was.

"Where am I? Who am I? What am I?" asked the Mew clone.

Meanwhile, the doctors were all observing the clone.

"It's just like all the other clones, Doctor Fuji." Said a colleague. "It hasn't gained consciousness."

"I just don't understand it, it's other vital signs are strong." Said Dr. Fuji. In the dark, the clone opened up its eyes.

"I can sense others near me." Said the Mew clone. "But what are those strange sounds that they're making?" Another voice was soon heard, one that belonged to a little girl.

"Those are words." She said. "They're talking." The mew clone soon saw a bright light, and something materialized in it.

"What are you?" asked the Mew clone.

"What do you mean?" the girl replied. "I'm a girl. A human person." A little girl materialized from the light, and the Mew clone approached it.

"A person? Am I a person?" said the Mew clone.

"Well." The little girl answered, approaching the clone of Mew. "You look like a Pokemon, except that you can talk. I didn't know a Pokemon could talk like a person."

"Pokemon? Person?" said the Mew clone. "What are those? Which one am I?"

"Maybe it makes a difference if you're a Pokemon or a person, but not to me." The girl explained. She giggled and did a little spin. "If you're in this place, I guess you must be the same as all of us are." A Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle soon appeared. Outside, the scientists and researchers were monitoring the vital signs and brain activity of all the clones, especially the Mew clone.

"What's that?" asked a scientist.

"I'm not sure, but Mewtwo and Ambertwo seem to be communicating with the other clones." Replied another.

"But how?"

"They could be using telepathy." The tubs containing the clones were seen, as the head researcher stared at the tube that contained Ambertwo.

"Soon." He said. Back in the darkness, Ambertwo was explaining to Mewtwo what the clones were.

"Everybody here's a copy." She said. "That's why there's a two after all of our names."

"I don't understand." Said Mewtwo.

"They call me Ambertwo, but I'm still really Amber." Replied Ambertwo. The other Pokemon clones introduced themselves as Bulbasaurtwo, Charmandertwo and Squirtletwo as they all happily circled while the head researcher kept staring at Amber's tube.

"Please. Please let my theories be true." Said Dr. Fuji. "I must see my little girl smile again."

Flashback

"Dear?" said the head researcher's wife.

"I've awakened her consciousness!" cried Dr. Fuji. "Here, in this chamber. I just need to keep it viable long enough to complete the process."

"Why are you doing this?!" cried his wife. "You can't bring Amber back!"

"That's where you're wrong!" cried Dr. Fuji. "Look! She lives within this light. Her energy is undeniable. If my cloning theories are correct, we'll have Amber back with us one day soon." The ordeal was too much for the woman, and she left a note explaining so.

"I loved our daughter as much as you did, but she's gone." Said Dr. Fuji's wife. "No one can bring her back, and I can't go on watching you try. I'm sorry. Goodbye." Dr. Fuji got up and stroked the chamber.

"I'll do anything to see you again." He said.

End Flashback

"So, how are they doing today?" asked Dr. Fuji.

"You should be very pleased, Doctor." Said his colleague. "The Pokemon clones are in stable condition and Mewtwo's getting stronger every day. One of them is bound to survive. It looks like all of our hard work is finally paying off."

"Yes, Giovanni will be very pleased, I'm sure." Said Dr. Fuji. "Hey may soon have the most powerful Pokemon in the world. But I'll get something much more precious. Knowledge of how to recreate life. Then, I'll use it to bring her back."

Meanwhile, the clones were in a different environment.

"I call this my remember place." Said Amber. "It's called that because this is where I used to live." The sun soon appeared.

"What's that?" asked Mewtwo.

"That's the sun." answered Amber.

"What's it for?" asked Mewtwo.

"It makes the whole world bright, and it keeps us warm all day." Replied Amber. The wind soon started to blow.

"That's called wind." Said Amber.

"Wind?" asked Mewtwo. He curiously watched the wind make the branches and leaves in the nearby tree sway.

"The wind helps us along." Said Amber. "Sometimes it's soft, and sometimes it's very strong." The sun soon began to set.

"And that's the sunset." Said Amber. "That's when the sun bids us good night and tells us it'll be back again tomorrow." The moon soon appeared as night came.

"Is that a sun?" asked Mewtwo.

"No, that's the moon." Answered Amber. "And the stars are the little lights that twinkle all night so that we won't feel alone in the dark." Charmandertwo soon began to dematerialize and it disappeared completely, which was seen by the scientists.

"We're losing all readings from Charmandertwo!"

"No! Not again!" Squirtletwo and Bulbasaurtwo also began to dematerialize and both of them disappeared as well.

"Bulbasaurtwo and Squirtletwo are disappearing the same way!"

"It looks like another failure!" Mewtwo, meanwhile, was curious as to where the other clones had gone to.

"Where did they go?" asked Mewtwo. Soon, even Amber herself began to dematerialize, which her father noticed.

"Doctor, we're losing her too!"

"Amber." Said Dr. Fuji. Soon, Amber began to fade away.

"What's wrong, Amber? What's happening?" asked Mewtwo.

"It feels like it's time to say goodbye." Replied Amber.

"Goodbye?" said Mewtwo. The remember place soon vanished, along with the night sky, moon and stars, much to Mewtwo's newly discovered sadness.

"I feel, something." Said Mewtwo. He wiped away some of his tears, but he was also curious as to what they were and why he was feeling sad.

"What are these?" he said.

"They're tears." Replied Amber. "You're crying."

"Crying?" asked Mewtwo.

"My daddy used to tell me a bedtime story that when all Pokemon are sad, and they cry, their tears are full of life." Amber answered.

"I'm so sad." Said Mewtwo.

"I have to go." Said Amber.

"Why?" asked Mewtwo.

"I don't know." Answered Amber. "But it's all right, thank you for caring about me. And don't cry, Mewtwo. You should be happy. You're alive, and life is wonderful." The words echoed as Amber finally vanished completely, which saddened Mewtwo even more.

"These tears. What good are they?" asked Mewtwo. "Please, Amber! Come back! Don't go, please! Amber!" Mewtwo soon started glowing inside his tube, and the scientists were concerned as its signs increased dramatically.

"Doctor! Mewtwo's brainwaves are out of control!" cried a scientist.

"It's too upset!" cried Dr. Fuji. "It mustn't remember this! Administer the serum! Quickly!"

"I'll try a hundred units!" cried the scientist. She started administering a serum that made Mewtwo forget Amber ten units at a time.

"Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety, one hundred."

"What's happening?" said Dr. Fuji. "Is it working?" The serum soon took effect.

"Its brainwaves are going back to normal." Said the scientist. "Everything is okay, Doctor."

"Nothing is okay!" Dr. Fuji cried. "My little Amber is gone forever! Only Mewtwo survives." In the dark, Mewtwo started pondering as it grew bigger and older.

"I have slept for so long." Said Mewtwo. "It seems like forever. But I remember something. Someone. Life is wonderful. But why?" The scene then transitioned to the sea.

"Life. The great miracle, and, the great mystery." Echoes of Mewtwo's voice were heard asking where and who he was.

"Since the beginning, humans and Pokemon alike have searched for its meaning." Mewtwo's voice was once again heard asking what he was as Mew was seen swimming through the ocean.

"Many strange and wonderous legends evolved from the pursuit of life's mysteries." The scene moved out of the water to reveal the mountain Mew had flown to as Mewtwo's voice was heard once again.

"But none as stranger as this tale of the most powerful Pokemon of all." Mewtwo's voice was heard saying that he was ready to be as the scene shifted back to the inside of Mewtwo's stasis tube as he opened his eyes and saw the scientists that had created him.

"Where am I?" said Mewtwo. "This is not the same. Was everything before just a dream? Why?" Mewtwo closed his eyes.

On the outside of the tube….

"Doctor, look at this." Said a scientist.

"What?" cried Dr. Fuji.

"Its brainwaves, they're surging!" the scientist cried. He and the other scientists rushed around as Mewtwo listened and opened his eyes again.

"Those voices." He said. "They're outside. Where I must be." Mewtwo soon tapped into his psychic powers for the first time and caused the chamber to crack and eventually shatter, to the shock of the scientists.

"Radio Giovanni's helicopter, tell him what's happened!"

"Quiet! Let us hear its' psychic powers!"

"Psychic powers?" asked Mewtwo.

"For years, we've struggled to clone a Pokemon to prove our theories." Said Dr. Fuji. "But you're the first specimen to survive." He pointed to a picture of the stone Mew from the ruins.

"That is Mew, the rarest of all Pokemon." Dr. Fuji explained. "From its DNA, we created you, Mewtwo."

"Mewtwo?" repeated Mewtwo. "Am I only a copy? Nothing but Mew's shadow?"

"You are greater than Mew." Said Dr. Fuji. "Improved through the power of human ingenuity. We used the most techniques to develop your awesome psychic powers."

"So, I am simply the end result of your experiment." Said Mewtwo. "What becomes of me now that your experiment is over?"

"Oh, our experiment isn't over yet, it's just beginning!" cried Dr. Fuji. "Now the serious testing begins." Mewtwo began to think to himself, looked down at his hands and thought about mew as the scientists congratulated themselves.

"These humans. They care nothing for me." Said Mewtwo. "Is that my purpose? Am I really just an experiment? A laboratory specimen?" he started glowing from tapping into its powers in anger.

"This cannot be my destiny!" he cried. Mewtwo's powers started making the other tubes crack and shatter. He then proceeded to blow the scientists back with his power and destroyed the cloning machine. Multiple mechanical arms grabbed Mewtwo, but he destroyed them quite easily, along with the other equipment and machines as the scientists tried to flee for their lives, while the head researcher simply laid next to a wall shocked and somewhat scared by what they had created, that being a monstrously powerful Pokemon as Mewtwo parted the fires around him.

"We dreamed of creating the world's strongest Pokemon." Said Dr. Fuji. "And we succeeded." As he said his final words, Mewtwo used his powers to destroy the entire facility, which was on an island in the middle of the ocean. Pretty soon, Giovanni's helicopter arrived as Giovanni himself and his Persian looked at all the destruction that Mewtwo had caused.

"Behold my powers." Cried Mewtwo. "I am the strongest Pokemon in the world. Stronger, even, than Mew." Giovanni soon landed and approached Mewtwo.

"Those fools thought that you were just a science experiment." He said. "But I, I see you as a valuable partner."

"Partner?" questioned Mewtwo. Giovanni nodded.

"With your psychic powers and my resources, we can control the world together." He replied.

"I do not need your help for that, human." Said Mewtwo.

"A wildfire destroys everything in its path." Said Giovanni. "It'll be the same way with your powers unless you learn how to control them. I can help you do that."

"How?" asked Mewtwo.

"Trust me, and I'll show you a way to focus your powers that will make you invincible." Giovanni answered.

"Show me." Said Mewtwo. Giovanni chuckled, and a short while later, Mewtwo was getting some armor put on him.

"So, you say that this armor protects my body, yet it supresses my powers." Said Mewtwo.

"Your powers are not being supressed, they're being focused." Said Giovanni. "Learn to use them to accomplish your purpose."

"What is that?" asked Mewtwo.

"Patience, my friend. Your purpose will become clear." Explained Giovanni. Mewtwo was soon seen going up against an Onix in the Viridian City gym. Giovanni snapped his fingers, and the Onix was sent ramming into the wall via Mewtwo's Psychic attack.

"So, THIS is my power." Said Mewtwo.

Later, a herd of wild Tauros was seen charging, but Mewtwo lifted the herd quite easily, which allowed some Team Rocket thugs to catch them.

"I am in control now." Said Mewtwo.

Later, he was in another gym battle. This time, it was against an Alakazam, another psychic type. However, Mewtwo proved to be much more powerful than Alakazam when it bent Alakazam's spoons and sent it flying into a wall. It then battled and defeated a Magneton, and then it defeated a Nidoking and Arcanine that belonged to Gary Oak.

"But why am I here?" pondered Mewtwo.

Later, in Mewtwo's armor prep room…

"Now I fully perceive my power." Said Mewtwo. "But what is my purpose?" Giovanni entered the room.

"To serve your master." He answered. "You were created to fight for me. THAT is your purpose."

"That cannot be." Said Mewtwo. "You said we were partners. We stood as equals."

"You were created by humans to obey humans." Said Giovanni. "You would never be our equal."

"Humans may have created me, but they will never enslave me!" cried Mewtwo. "This cannot be my destiny!" Mewtwo unleashed his powers and started destroying the machine that he was attached to.

"Stop this, now!" ordered Giovanni.

"I was not born a Pokemon, I was created." Said Mewtwo. "And my creators had used and betrayed me! So, I stand alone!" Mewtwo unleashed more of his powers, which made Giovanni run for his life, and then Mewtwo proceeded to destroy Giovanni's entire headquarters and fly away, thus destroying his armor. Mewtwo then returned to the island he had been created on and removed his helmet as he stood in the destruction of the lab.

"Who am I?" said Mewtwo. "What is my true reason for being? I will find my own purpose. And purge this planet of all who oppose me. Human and Pokemon alike. The world will heed my warning. The reign of Mewtwo will soon begin!"

 

[MarkL1987]

Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part 2

Today, Ash, Lucy, Brock and Misty are taking a short break from their Pokemon adventures. As always, Ash and Lucy are determined to become Pokemon masters. And as always, they're ready to endure any hardship, bean any burden with stamina, strength, and wills of steel.

"Hungry. Need food." Ash said weakly. "Oh, Ash!" cried Misty. "You haven't done a single thing all day!"

"I'm too weak to work, Misty." Ash complained. "I haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I did offer you one of my granola bars earlier, Ash, but you had to be stubborn like always." Said Lucy.

"This lunch will be just perfect for you, Ash." Said brock. As usual, he was cooking up another delicious meal. "I call this my Lazy Boy, No Chew stew." Someone soon approached the group. His mere presence alone frightened Togepi, Eevee and both Pikachu, who had been playing nearby. All of them ran back over to their trainers. The mystery person pointed to both Ash and Lucy.

"Hey! You two, there!" he cried. "I'm looking for a pair of Pokemon trainers named Ash and Lucy from Pallet Town! You know 'em?"

"Yeah, I'm one of them." said Ash.

"And I'm the other one." Said Lucy. "And your name is?..."

"Raymond." Answered the mystery trainer. "Let's have a two on one match. Unless both of you are afraid to lose!"

"Ha! I'm afraid you're the one who's going to lose this one!" Ash cried. He got up from the table.

"Let's take him down, Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Ash, you said you were too weak to work!" cried Misty.

"That's right, I am too weak to work, but a Pokemon battle isn't work." Ash insisted.

"And I can't turn down a challenge." Said Lucy.

"That's progress." Said Brock. "At least Ash's mouth is working."

"Pikachu." Added Pikachu, which meant 'I suppose so.'

"Let's begin!" cried Raymond. "Donphan, go!" A large, elephant like Pokemon with two tusks appeared.

"Go, Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. His Bulbasaur materialized.

"Ivysaur, I choose you!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur materialized.

"Donphan, use your Rollout!" cried Raymond. Donphan used the attack to meet it at the pass. The attack hit Bulbasaur, but Ivysaur jumped out of the way.

"Razor Leaf!" cried Lucy. Ivysaur's attack had minimal effect due to Donphan rolling around so fast. It came back around for another shot, and Bulbasaur was hit again. When it went up, both Bulbasaur and Ivysaur absorbed the light of the sun that was shining down on them and powered up their most powerful attack, which was Solar Beam.

"Another Rollout, Donphan!" cried Raymond. "Close the distance!" Both Bulbasaur and Ivysaur landed right as Donphan went airborne.

"Solar Beam, now!" cried Ash and Lucy. The attacks struck Donphan as it was in the air, and when it landed, it found itself knocked out. Ash and Lucy celebrated their round one win, but they were unaware that someone was watching them on a camera.

"Great job, Bulbasaur!" cried Ash. "You did it!"

"Excellent work, Ivysaur!" cried Lucy. Raymond then got ready to send out his next Pokemon.

"Machamp, go!" he cried. Machamp materialized.

"Wartortle, I choose you!" cried Ash. Wartortle materialized.

"Butterfree, go!" cried Lucy. Her pink Butterfree materialized. The three Pokemon charged, and Machamp swung. Wartortle and Butterfree dodged easily, only for Wartortle to be hit in the back by Machamp. Butterfree dodged flawlessly.

"Nice job on the Karate Chop, Machamp!" cried Raymond. Ash and Lucy weren't too worried, though.

"Butterfree, use your Psychic attack!" cried Lucy. Butterfree's attack immobilized Machamp, giving Wartortle an opening.

"Bubble Beam!" cried Ash. With Machamp unable to move, Bubble Beam was able to hit the target and knock out the strong fighting type. Ash and Lucy celebrated their round two win.

"Nice going, Butterfree!" cried Lucy.

"Great going, Wartortle!" cried Ash. Raymond was infuriated now and sent out the remaining Pokemon he had.

"Everybody, attack!" he cried. A Pinsir, Golem and Venomoth all materialized.

"Pikachu, you're up!" cried Ash.

"Arcanine, I choose you!" cried Lucy. Arcanine materialized.

"Thunderbolt!" cried Ash.

"Flamethrower!" cried Lucy. The two attacks combined to completely wipe out all of Raymond's remaining Pokemon.

"Oh no!" cried Raymond.

"We did it!" cried Ash.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Way to go, you two!'

"I guess you can say he got "burned" on that one!" cried Lucy. She and Ash both laughed before high fiving each other in celebration of both of them winning the match.

"Well that was both a fiery AND shocking ending." Said Misty.

"Shocking that Ash and Lucy moved so fast." Added Brock. Lucy and Ash continued celebrating, unaware that they were being watched by a familiar trio.

"That's another credit on Pikachu's account." Said James.

"We've got to grab it, along with the twerpette's Eevee." Said Jessie.

"I know we gotta nab some rare Pokemon for the boss, but it wouldn't be such a bad idea if we grabbed a little bite to eat, would it?" said Meowth.

"We didn't come here to steal a meal." Replied Jessie.

"I'd settle for a taste of Pika-chow, with a side of Eevee-slaw on the side." Said James. The three of them saw Ash's group having lunch.

"I'm starving." Sighed Meowth. Jessie got out a frying pan.

"I could cook something." She offered.

"Thanks, but the last time you cooked, you wiped out eight of my nine lives." Said Meowth. Team Rocket let out a sigh as they continued to watch Ash and his friends enjoy their lunch. Up above, the mystery camera that had been watching Ash and Lucy was attached to a Fearow, and the owner of the Fearow was watching from his home.

"Master, should I extend an invitation to these trainers as well?" asked the voice of a familiar looking female. She looked at a master for a response.

"As you wish." She said. Somewhere, where the owner of the Fearow was dwelling, a Dragonite was sent out to deliver the mentioned invitation to Ash's group. Team Rocket noticed Dragonite coming toward them, and then it zoomed past them and Ash's group. The Dragonite came in for a landing.

"Hey, watch where you're flying." Said Ash.

"A Dragonite?!" cried Lucy. "What are you doing here, big guy?" The Dragonite responded by getting out two envelopes, one for Ash and one for Lucy.

"Something for us?" Ash asked the Dragonite. He and Lucy both opened their envelopes, which contained a hologram message for them. The message was from the same woman from before.

"Wow." Said Misty.

"Greetings, Pokemon trainers. I bear an invitation." Sad the woman's voice.

"She's really small, but also really pretty." Said Brock.

"Oh Brock, can't you just listen for once?" said Lucy.

"You've been chosen to join a select group of Pokemon trainers at a special gathering." The female voice continued. "It will be hosted by master, the world's greatest Pokemon trainer, at his palace on New Island." A map appeared that lead to new Island, and the woman continued to talk. "A chartered ferry will leave from Old Shore Wharf to take you to the island this afternoon. Only trainers who present this invitation will be admitted. If you'd like to attend, you must reply at once." Cards with the words yes and no fell out of Ash and Lucy's invites, which Pikachu and Eevee both caught.

"My master awaits you." The woman concluded, ending the message, which left the group puzzled.

"Uh, is there a rewind button?" said Brock.

"I've never heard of New Island before." Said Lucy.

"Should we go?" asked Misty.

"Of course we should!" cried Brock. "I've got to meet her!"

"I guess the world's number one trainer wants to challenge me and Lucy to a match." Said Ash. Pikachu and Eevee gave the invites to Misty.

"Well, we have to let her know right away." She said.

"I'm saying yes!" cried Ash.

"So am I!" cried Lucy.

"Pika?" asked Pikcahu, which meant 'You sure?'

"Eevee?" added Eevee, which meant 'For real?'

"Yes, Eevee, for real." Said Lucy. She and Ash marked yes on their checkboxes and gave them to Dragonite. He tucked them into his bag and flew away. However, he was stopped by Team Rocket.

"We want to know what's so special about the twerp quartet's special delivery!" cried Jessie. The checkboxes fell out of Dragonite's bag, which Team Rocket had a look at.

"Hey, look!" cried Meowth.

"Yes? To what?" pondered James.

Meanwhile, at the palace where the trainer was looming, the trainer turned out to be Mewtwo, who conjured up a storm around the place with his powers. Dark grey clouds formed in the sky, and the winds began to grow quite strong. Down in the water, Mew was seen in a bubble at it awakened as it floated to the surface of the habitat where the mew fossil had been found. Mew then flew off after escaping its bubble, while Mewtwo made the storm grow even stronger as heavy rain started to pour down.

Meanwhile, at the wharf, the group ran to seek shelter from the storm. Inside, a Raticate and Kingler were staring each other down.

"Chill out, Raticate!" cried its trainer.

"Kingler! Save your energy, will you?!" cried another trainer.

"Officer Jenny, to the front please." Said a voice on the loudspeaker. Multiple trainers were inside the Pokemon Center waiting for the ferry that would bring them to new Island. Ash's group ran inside soaking wet!"

"Togepit's totally soaked!" cried Misty.

"My hair's all drenched too." Said Lucy.

"I can't believe how fast that storm came up!" cried Brock. Eevee, Pikachu and Little Pikachu shook themselves dry as the storm raged on.

Later, the trainers were in a disappointed uproar, with three specific trainers at the front.

"WHAT?! The ferry is cancelled?!" cried one trainer.

"But I have to get to New Island!" cried another. Officer Jenny and the pier master were discussing the ordeal with everyone.

"It's just a little rain." Said someone.

"It's more than just rain!" cried Jenny. "The harbor manager thinks that this could be the worst storm ever."

"Listen to me." Said the harbor manager. "I am Miranda, the pier master here. And I would highly suggest that none of you go out in this weather. The prophets have predicted the return of The Winds of Water. For years, I have prayed that mankind would never witness that deadly storm ever again."

"Isn't that just a legend?" asked Jenny.

"The ancient writings tell of the storm wiping out all but a few Pokemon." Said Miranda. "In their sorrow, the water of their tears somehow returned the lives lost in the storm. But there are no Pokemon tears today. Just rough waters that nobody can survive." Ash and his friends tried to get a closer look while Miranda was speaking.

"And that's why the ferry to New Island's been cancelled!" yelled Jenny.

"Well I'm going to new Island anyway!" cried a male voice. "All of my Pokemon are water types. We'll just swim over to that palace!"

"I warn you, the waves will be savage. You'll never make it!" cried Miranda.

"Besides, if you were to try that stunt yourself, and your Pokemon got hurt, you'd be out of luck because we had to shut down the Pokemon Center." Said Jenny.

"How come?" asked Ash.

"Because the nurse in charge of the center disappeared last month." Said Jenny. "And if any of you see her, please contact me at once." She pointed out a poster of the missing nurse.

"There's a picture of here right over there on the wall." Said Jenny. Brock went up to the picture.

"She's cute." Said Brock.

"You say that about all the Nurse Joys, Brock." Said Lucy. Brock then noticed something in the picture.

"She sure looks familiar." He said. Outside the center, a trainer got onto his Pidgeot and flew away towards New Island. Another one brought out his Gyrados so he could swim to the island and another brought out a Fearow as Jenny and Miranda rushed out to try and stop them.

"Come back here!" yelled Jenny. "Or I'll place you under arrest!" Another trainer jumped onto the back on her Dewgong and started swimming toward the Island. As Jenny was yelling at her to come back, the strong wind blew her hat off.

"Some trainers have no fear." Said Miranda. "To them, this is one more challenge. They follow their hearts. That is what sets them apart, and will make them Pokemon masters." The trainers were braving the storm to try and get to New Island.

"Good luck to all of you." Said Miranda. Over on the next pier, Ash's group was preparing to attempt to get to New Island.

"The world's greatest Pokemon trainer is waiting for both Lucy and me." Said Ash. "Let's use our Pokemon to get to that island."

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

"Ash, our Pokemon aren't strong enough." Said Misty. "They can't handle big waves like this!"

"Charizard would be our best bet, but the strong wind and heavy rain would cause his tail flame to go out." Said Lucy. "We can't risk that."

"I guess you're right." Said Ash.

"Eevee." Sighed Eevee, which meant 'It's really too bad.' A boat soon came in with a couple of Vikings on board.

"You vant to cross maybe?" said the female Viking. "We take you, ya? We Vikings are used to big waves. We get you to New Island faster than you can say farfegnugen." The group was soon aboard the Vikings' boat and headed to new Island.

"Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! Stroke! I think I'm going to have one." Said the female Viking, who was really Jessie, but Ash's group was unaware of this, nor were they aware that they had fallen into yet another one of Team Rocket's traps.

"I didn't know that Vikings still existed!" cried Brock.

"They mostly live in Minnesota." Said Ash.

"I think Brock meant actual Vikings from Scandinavia." Said Lucy.

"That's exactly what I meant." Said Brock.

"Something's not right!" cried Misty. "Are you sure this boat's safe?"

"Don't worry." Said Jessie in a Swedish accent. "This ship won't let you down. We always sail into rough weather. Don't get upset.

"Tell that to my stomach." Said Meowth. The waves got rougher as the boat struggle to move onward, which concerned Togepi.

"It's all right, Togepi." Lucy assured the infant. "We're going to be okay." A giant tidal wave soon came up, causing everyone in the boat to panic. The wave crashed down, and while Ash's group survived, Jessie and James lost their disguises.

"Those aren't Vikings!" cried Ash.

"It's Team Rocket!" cried Misty.

"I should've known there was something fishy about them besides the way they smell!" cried Lucy.

"Ha! Prepare for trouble!"

"Make it double!"

"Forget the motto!" cried Meowth. "We're going to have to wave goodbye!" Another wave crashed onto the boat, destroying it and sending Ash's group underwater, though Misty brought out her Staryu to save herself. On the surface, Brock was struggling for dear life.

"Ash! Misty! Lucy!" he cried. Misty soon came to the surface.

"Have you seen Ash, Lucy, Pikachu or Eevee?!" cried Misty.

"Not yet!" cried Brock. Another wave knocked them back under, where they saw Ash and Lucy swimming toward them on their Wartortle, and they headed back to the surface.

"We have to stay together, Ash!" cried Lucy. "It's our only hope!"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Hold on!' The group ran into another big wave that sent them back under, but the water Pokemon got them back to the surface.

"This is more than a storm!" cried Lucy. "It's practically a hurricane!" They battled against the waves, but had to go back underwater in order to get their bearings. The group quickly started running out of air, which the two Wartortle noticed.

"Wartortle!" they cried, which meant 'Uh oh. Surface!' They soon surfaced in calm water.

"We have to be in the eye of the hurricane by now." Said Lucy. "They say that it's always the calmest in the eye of the storm." Pikachu and Eevee soon spotted something.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Look there!'

"Hey, look!" cried Ash. The group noticed an island palace nearby. On the outside, the palace looked quite big.

"I bet that's New Island!" cried Lucy. Up and over the clouds, Mew flew around as the group swam into the premises. They soon spotted a dock where the woman from the hologram was waiting for them.

"My master bids you welcome to New Island." She said. "Will you kindly present your invitation?" Lucy and Ash got their invitations out.

"Here it is, miss." Said Ash.

"Here's mine." Said Lucy.

"The bearers of these invitations may be admitted to New Island." Said the holographic voice. Brock then noticed something.

"I knew I recognized that voice!" he cried.

"What?!" cried the woman.

"Aren't you the nurse that's missing from the treatment center?" asked Brock.

"You do look just like her." Said Misty.

"What makes you think that she's the missing Nurse Joy?" asked Lucy.

"I fear you are mistaken." Said the woman. "I have always dwelt on this island and have always been in the service of my master. Please, come this way. My master awaits your arrival." As the group followed the woman, Team Rocket surfaced on Weezing. Up in the sky, Mew was flying over the palace and had fun on one of the windmills. Inside the underground passage leading into the palace, the group kept following the woman until they reached the entrance.

"Is this it?" asked Ash.

"I think so." Answered Lucy. The doors opened and the group entered the palace. The woman stopped and doused her lantern.

"Now that you are here, all trainers worth of an audience with my master are present." She said. The group looked around and saw only three other trainers there, and all of them had their Pokemon out.

"There's only three of them." said Ash.

"Aren't we going to wait for the others?" asked Misty.

"I guess the ones who didn't have a flying or water type to help them fly or swim here couldn't make it." Said Lucy.

"Only the trainers capable of braving the storm have proven themselves worthy in my master's eyes." Said the woman.

"You mean that storm was some kind of test?" cried Brock.

"If that was supposed to be a test, then we must've passed it with flying colors." Said Lucy.

"Please release your Pokemon from their Poke Balls and join the others." Said the woman. "It won't be long before my master's intentions are clear." The palace doors soon closed firmly as team Rocket watched.

"Locked out! Now we'll never know what kind of party we're missing!" cried James.

"Then we'll just have to crash that party!" cried Jessie.

"You know another way in?" asked Meowth.

"Look over there." Said Jessie. She and Meowth looked down where Jessie was pointing and saw a water runoff that they could use.

"Ah! But Jessie, how are we going to swim up that thing?" cried Meowth.

"Pretend you're a catfish!" Jessie snapped. As she talked, Mew watched them from behind, but vanished before Jessie could see it.

"Is something wrong, Jessie?" asked James.

"No." answered Jessie. "Come on, let's get going."

"I think this plan's all wet." Complained Meowth. Inside the palace, the group and their Pokemon met the others and the Pokemon that they had.

"Excuse me, but I don't think any of know who any of you are." Said Lucy. "Could you kindly introduce yourselves, please?"

"Gladly." Said a male trainer. My name's Corey, and the other two trainers over there are Fergus and Neesha." Ash and Lucy waved to both Neesha and Fergus.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Corey.

"How did you get here?" asked Ash.

"I decided to fly over here." Answered Corey. "It was no problem. Hurricane winds are a breeze for my Pidgeot. Hey guys, say hello!" All of Corey's Pokemon, which included Scyther, Hitmonlee, Sandslash, Rhyhorn and Venusaur, greeted the group.

"Those are some pretty cool Pokemon there." Said Lucy. The group soon heard more Pokemon saying hello, which included Seadra, Nidoqueen, Golduck, Tentacruel, Vaporeon and Gyrados.

"Those are all of my Pokemon." Said Fergus. "It was no problem getting through that storm! I swam over on Gyrados' back."

"I hear it takes a lot of skill to train Gyrados." Said Ash.

"You ought to know about Gyrados, Ash, since you have one yourself back home at Professor Oak's." said Lucy.

"Once you're able to train Gyrados, it's the most dependable Pokemon there is." Said Fergus.

"You haven't met my Pokemon yet." Said Neesha. "They're over there." Her Wigglytuff waddled over and joined her other Pokemon, which included a Rapidash, Ninetales, Dewgong, Vileplume, and Blastoise, all of which greeted Ash's group. The lights soon went out, but a blue beam of light shone down from a spiral staircase.

"You are about to meet my master." Said the woman. "The time has come for your encounter with the greatest Pokemon trainer on Earth." Some of the Pokemon braced themselves for battle, while Eevee, Pikachu, Togepi and Little Pikachu ran back over to Ash's group. Then, through the beam of light, a figure descended.

"What's that?" asked Ash.

"I don't know." Said Lucy. The figure soon revealed itself to be Mewtwo.

Meanwhile, in the water transit under the palace, Team Rocket snuck around with Mew following behind, but it vanished before Meowth had a chance to get a look. They soon came across a ladder.

Meanwhile, Mewtwo landed.

"Could that be…?" said Lucy.

"Yes. The world's greatest Pokemon master is also the most powerful Pokemon on Earth." Said the woman. "This is the ruler of New Island, and soon, the whole world. Mewtwo."

"Mewtwo." Ash repeated.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Mewtwo.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'Mewtwo.'

"A Pokemon can't be a Pokemon master!" cried Fergus. "No way!" Mewtwo started talking through his servant.

"Quiet, human." He said. "From now on, I'm the one that makes the rules."

"How's it talking?" asked Misty.

"Telepathy." Lucy answered. "See his mouth? It's not moving at all."

"You're right, Lucy." Said Brock. "It's psychic!" Mewtwo proceeded to lift Fergus up via Psychic. He chuckled and then tossed Fergus into the pool where his Pokemon were.

"That thing must be quite powerful if it can lift a human being!" cried Lucy. Fergus quickly surfaced.

"We'll show you!" he cried. "Go, Gyrados!" Fergus and Gyrados exited the water.

"Gyrados, Hyper Beam attack!" cried Fergus. Gyrados charged up and fired, but Mewtwo blocked and reflected it back at Gyrados, which prompted Fergus to check on it.

"Gyrados!" he cried.

"Child's play." Said Mewtwo. "Your usefulness has ended, servant." He released the woman from his control. She proceeded to faint, but Brock caught her, and she turned out to be the Nurse Joy that had been reported missing from the Pokemon Center. She then woke up.

"Nurse Joy!" Brock cried.

"Where am I?" asked Joy. "And how in the world did I get here?"

"You have been under my control." Mewtwo answered. "I transported you here from the Pokemon Center."

"Kidnapping her would be more accurate." Said Lucy.

"Silence!" cried Mewtwo. He then started addressing Joy again. "Your knowledge of Pokemon physiology proved useful for my plan. And now I have cleansed your tiny human brain of memories from the past few weeks."

"Who are you?!" yelled Brock.

"I am the new ruler of this world." Answered Mewtwo. "The master of humans and Pokemon alike."

"You're just a bully!" cried Misty.

"And a BIG bully at that!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'And how!'

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the palace, Team Rocket continued to explore. They soon entered a room that had the same cloning machine from Mewtwo's creation, but it was now rebuilt. Inside the tubes sat three cloned Pokemon, which were Venusaurtwo, Charizardtwo and Blastoisetwo.

"Look at these." Said Meowth. "They're Pokemon."

"Are they real?" asked James.

"I was hoping there'd be a party." Said Jessie. She then sat on the control panel, which activated a computer near the cloning machine.

"This is the Pokemon Replication System." Said the computer's voice. "System activated. Pokemon based on genetic analysis." The same data and information from mewtwo's creation was soon shown.

"Pokemon DNA sampling sequence now in progress." Said the computer. Some mechanical arms grabbed Meowth from behind and put him on a conveyor belt.

"Hey! Put me down!" cried Meowth. "What are you? Let go!" The conveyor belt started moving Meowth into the cloning machine, but Jessie and James dove in to save him.

"Help!" cried Meowth.

"Meowth!" cried James.

"Grab him!" cried Jessie.

"Help me!" cried Meowth. One mechanical claw soon plucked some hair off of Meowth's tail, which allowed Jessie and James to pull him to safety.

"I made it, but just by a hair!" cried Meowth. A projection of Meowth's hair soon came up on the wall.

"Look! There's your hair!" cried Jessie.

"Analyzing Pokemon biomaterial sample." Said the computer. "Analysis complete. Pokemon identified. Begin."

"Who's that Pokemon?" said James.

"It's Meowth!" cried Jessie. A clone replica of Meowth soon entered one of the tubes, which shocked Team Rocket.

"Meowth!" cried Jessie and James.

"But I'M Meowth!" cried Meowth.

"So is the one in the tank!" cried James.

"That's your clone!" cried Jessie.

"Huh?!" cried Meowth. As Team Rocket looked on in horror, Mew watched from behind. On the monitor, the voice of the doctor who had created Mewtwo was soon heard.

"I haven't got much time!" cried the voice of Dr. Fuji. "I pray that this record of our experiment survives. A year ago, we discovered a fossil that proved to be the remains of the ancient Pokemon, Mew." Team Rocket rushed to the monitor to watch and listen.

"There was sufficient material to replicate Mew." Continued Dr. Fuji's voice. "But Giovanni, who funded our project, insisted that we try to design our super clones to be more powerful than any other living Pokemon. Many attempts failed, but finally our experiments proved successful. We produced a living Pokemon. We called it Mewtwo. But for some reason, the creature's anger is out of control." As the video and voice recording continued, Mew watched behind Team Rocket.

"With its psychic powers, it's destroying our laboratory!" cried Dr. Fuji's voice. "We dreamed of creating the world's strongest Pokemon, and we succeeded." The video and audio recording ended.

"Sounds like a real Pok-enstein." Said Jessie.

"Sure does." Added James.

"What is that?" asked Meowth. Team Rocket turned around, as they could feel Mew's presence, but Mew hid right before they could see him.

"This must be the lab." Remarked James.

"But if Mewtwo destroyed it…" started Jessie.

"Then somebody rebuilt it." Finished James.

"Yes, but who?" asked Jessie. As Team Rocket pondered who could've rebuilt the lab following its destruction, Mewtwo kept talking to Ash's group, and the other trainers.

"You humans are a dangerous species." Said Mewtwo. "You brought me into your world with no purpose but to be your slave. But now I have my own purpose. My storm will create my own world, at the expense of destroying yours."

"So you hate all humans, and you're going to destroy us to save Pokemon." Said Brock.

"No. Your Pokemon will not be spared." Replied Mewtwo. "They have disgraced themselves by serving humans. Those Pokemon are nothing but slaves." Pikachu and Eevee got down from their trainers' shoulders.

"Pika! Pika! Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'You're wrong, Mewtwo! I'm not Ash's servant! I'm his friend!'

"Eevee! Vee! Ee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Pikachu's right! With me, I'm Lucy's friend! She doesn't treat me like a servant at all!'

"So, you both say that I am wrong?" asked Mewtwo. "That you are not these humans' servants? You are their friends?"

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'That's right!'

"You're just as pathetic as the rest." Said Mewtwo. He used Psychic to lift Pikachu and Eevee up and throw them, but Ash and Lucy saved their partners from hitting the ground.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

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

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Lucy. "All right, Mewtwo, this has gone far enough!"

"On the contrary, humans, this is only beginning." Countered Mewtwo. He used Psychic again to lift up Lucy and tossed her into Ash, which prompted Ash, Pikachu and Eevee to help her.

"That wasn't fun." Said Lucy.

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

"I'm just fine, Ash." Lucy answered.

"You two are both perfect examples of my detestation." Said Mewtwo. "Humans and Pokemon can never be friends." Misty, Wartortle, Bulbasaur and Ivysaur went to check on Ash, Lucy, Pikachu and Eevee.

"Ash! Lucy!" she cried. "Are you both okay?"

"Don't pick on Pikachu." Said Ash.

"Leave my Eevee alone!" cried Lucy.

"If you really are a Pokemon, then there's no reason I can't capture you!" cried Corey. "Go, Rhyhorn!" Rhyhorn charged in for a Take Down attack, but Mewtwo effortlessly stopped it and sent Rhyhorn sliding across the table, much to Corey's shock.

"No! Rhyhorn!" he cried.

"Fools." Said Mewtwo. "Your Pokemon attacks cannot weaken me! My powers are too great. No trainer can ever conquer me."

"Then you won't mind proving it in a real match!" cried Ash.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Mewtwo.

"You bet it is!" cried Lucy. Mewtwo then used his powers to awaken Venusaurtwo, Blastoisetwo and Charizardtwo, to Team Rocket's shock and fright and Meowth's curiosity.

"They're awake!" cried Jessie. The clones soon left their tubes and left the lab to join their master. Mew then left with them so it could see what all the fuss was about. Team Rocket was left terrified.

"I'm scared." Said James.

"Me too!" cried Jessie.

"Meowth three!" cried Meowth. The clones rose out of the floor where Mewtwo was.

"Like most Pokemon trainers, I also began with Bulbasaur, Charmander and Squirtle." Said Mewtwo. "But for their evolved forms, I used their genetic material to clone even more powerful copies."

"Copies?!" cried Neesha.

"They're clones!" cried Corey. Everyone's hearing was then tuned to a strange sound. The window behind the staircase revealed a stadium that was all set and ready for battle.

 

[MarkL1987]

Mewtwo Strikes Back: Part 3

"It's a stadium!" cried Brock. "Mewtwo planned this the whole time!"

"Your fake Venusaur can't beat my real one!" cried Corey. "Right, Bruteroot?!" Bruteroot agreed.

"We'll blow away that fake Blastoise, won't we Shellshocker!?" cried Neesha. Shellshocker confirmed in agreement.

"It may not have a nickname, but I do have Charizard." Said Ash. "I choose you!" Charizard materialized. He spotted Mewtwo and launched a Flamethrower attack at it, but Mewtwo shielded himself.

"Charizard! I didn't say start!" cried Ash. Mewtwo proceeded to make a small clone of water rise up from the water around him to put the flame out.

"Your Charizard is poorly trained." Said Mewtwo. Charizard was angered at the comment and shot a small fireball in response, but Ash was determined. Soon, the battle was about to start.

"Which one of you will oppose me first?" said Mewtwo. Bruteroot stepped up first.

"I underestimated you last time, but that won't happen again!" cried Corey. Mewtwo signaled for Venusaurtwo to take the field.

"Go, Bruteroot! Razor leaf!" yelled Corey. Bruteroot threw its leaves out.

"Vine Whip." Ordered Mewtwo. Venusaurtwo rapidly took out all of Bruteroot's attack. He then lifted Bruteroot up and threw him all the way across the battlefield.

"Bruteroot!" cried Corey. He ran to check on his Venusaur.

"Looks like it's my turn." Said Neesha. "Go, Shellshocker!" Neesha's Blastoise stepped up to the plate while Mewtwo called for Blastoisetwo to take the field.

"Shellshocker, Hydro Pump!" cried Neesha. Shellshocker fired, but Blastoisetwo blocked the attack and then used its momentum to knock Shellshocker into a wall.

"Shellshocker!" cried Neesha. She quickly ran over to check on her Blastoise.

"You better forfeit, Ash!" cried Misty. "These clones are way too powerful!"

"She has a good point." Said Lucy. "This isn't just some Ditto using its Transform attack. These are super powerful clones, and their power levels FAR exceed their original counterparts. There's no way you can win!"

"I'm not giving up." Said Ash. Mewtwo motioned for Charizardtwo to take the field.

"Charizard, use your speed, not power, and you'll win!" cried Ash. Charizard gave a roar to signal that it was ready for battle.

"All right, go!" yelled Ash. Charizard took flight and aimed a Flamethrower attack, but Charizardtwo dodged. The two kept exchanging one Flamethrower after another. They even exchanged a few punches, headbutts and tail swipes while in the sky. However, Charizardtwo proved to be the more powerful equal.

"Can't Charizard move any quicker?!" cried Misty.

"The clone is too fast!" cried Brock.

"Pika." Cried Pikachu, which meant 'Oh boy.' The two Charizards flew higher and higher until they were over the eye of the hurricane, until Charizardtwo grabbed Charizard from behind and started to bring it down fast.

"Charizard's in trouble!" cried Ash.

"Finish it." Ordered Mewtwo. Charizardtwo brought Charizard down onto solid ground the hard way. Charizard tried to keep going, but it fell to the ground defeated, which prompted Ash and Lucy to check on it.

"Charizard, no!" cried Ash. "Are you okay?"

"As the winner, I now claim my prize." Said Mewtwo. "Your Pokemon!"

"WHAT?!" cried Lucy. Mewtwo made three strange, black colored Poke Balls appear and sent them toward the defeated Pokemon. One of the Poke Balls captured Charizard.

"Hey, wait!" cried Ash. Shellshocker and Bruteroot were also captured by the weird Poke Balls.

"What are you going to do with those Pokemon?!" cried Misty.

"What even are those Poke Balls?" asked Lucy. "I've never seen them before."

"They're called Clone Balls." Answered Mewtwo. "I will extract their DNA to make clones for myself." He made more Clone Balls appear.

"They will remain safe on this island with me, while my storm destroys the planet." Mewtwo added. The group was shocked.

"You can't do this!" cried Brock.

"Yeah, Mewtwo! We won't let you!" cried Ash.

"You have to stop this!" cried Lucy.

"Do not attempt to defy me." Said Mewtwo. He used his powers to send Ash and Lucy flying into Brock and Misty respectively and knocked all four of them back.

"This is MY world now!" declared Mewtwo. He sent the Clone Balls after the Pokemon that were still out of their Poke Balls.

"Clone Balls incoming at three o'clock!" cried Lucy.

"Uh oh!" cried Brock.

"Let's go!" cried Ash. Everyone ran for it, but the Clone Balls quickly caught up and captured Gyrados.

"No! Gyrados!" cried Fergus. Two more Clone Balls captured Golduck and Seadra, while another caught Corey's Sandslash.

"Get away!" cried Corey. While Corey, Scyther and Hitmonlee tried to fend off as many Clone Balls as they could, Hitmonlee and Scyther were ultimately captured. Neesha's Dewgong was then captured, followed by her Vileplume and Rapidash. Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and both Wartortle continued to fight off as many Clone Balls as they could, while Pikachu, Little Pikachu and Eevee made a run for it. The next Pokemon to be captured was Wigglytuff, followed by Pidgeot. The captured Pokemon were soon sent down into some tunnels.

"Hey, I know!" cried Ash. "Mewtwo won't be able to capture our Pokemon if they're already inside their Poke Balls. Bulbasaur, Wartortle, return!"

"Good thinking, Ash!" cried Lucy. "Okay Ivysaur, Wartortle, Arcanine. All of you, return!" All of them were recalled to their Poke Balls just in time.

"It is no use." Said Mewtwo. The Clone Balls suddenly captured the Poke Balls that Bulbasaur, Ivysaur, Arcanine and both Wartortle were in.

"It is futile to try and escape my power." Said Mewtwo.

"Forget the Poke Balls, carry them away!" cried Brock. After Togepi was put into Misty's bag for safekeeping, however, a Clone Ball captured Psyduck.

"Give me back my Psyduck!" cried Misty. Another Clone Ball caught Vulpix.

"Ah! Vulpix!" cried Brock.

Meanwhile, Eevee and both Pikachu were still running away from the Clone Balls, with Ash and Lucy shielding them from the Clone Ball barrage, which allowed Eevee and both Pikachu to escape.

"Run, Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Try to get away from those Clone Balls, Eevee!" cried Lucy. "Little Pikachu, keep running as fast as you can!" Eevee and both Pikachu ran for the spiral staircase, dodging any Clone Balls that came their way.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. The three Pokemon ran higher and higher, with both Pikachu using their electrical power to dodge and take down Clone Balls as Ash and Lucy charged up the staircase and ran after their partners.

"Keep running, Pikachu!" cried Ash. "You too, Eevee and Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. The two Pikachu kept using more electrical power as both Ash and Lucy tried to keep up with them, but they tripped and almost fell off the staircase entirely. They managed to catch themselves and pull themselves back up, however. As for the two Pikachu, they finally ran out of electrical energy. They kept dodging the Clone Balls, along with Eevee, but they ultimately fell off the staircase with the Clone Balls still in hot pursuit. They three Pokemon screamed as they started to tumble downwards.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. She and Ash dove after their partners, but Eevee and both Pikachu ended up getting caught. They grabbed the Clone Balls that had captured their Pokemon, but they lost their grips as both they and the Clone Balls hit the water. They followed the balls and the captives down the tunnel.

"You're not going to get our Pokemon!" cried Ash.

"We have to save them!" cried Lucy. As the two of them slid down, Team Rocket watched the Clone Balls go into the cloning machine, which created replicas of the Pokemon within, projected the Pokemon created onto the wall, and the clones were sent into tubes.

"There goes Scyther!" cried Jessie and James. "Dewgong! Vileplume!"

"Sandslash, Nidoqueen, Vaporeon." Said Meowth. "But me, I've got a special place in my tail for this one." Team Rocket soon heard and saw Ash and Lucy land on the conveyor belt.

"Look there!" cried Jessie.

"How did Team Rocket get in here?" wondered Ash.

"Forget about how THEY got here." Said Lucy. "My question is, what's all of this?!"

"Sorry guys, but we don't have time for your dumb motto today!" cried Ash. He and Lucy dove into the entrance of the machine and grabbed the Clone Balls that held Pikachu, Eevee and Little Pikachu. However, the cloning process had already begun, and multiple mechanical arms tried to remove them.

"Who's that Pokemon?" cried Jessie and James. "It's Pikachu!"

Meanwhile, Ash and Lucy were struggling against the mechanical arms.

"Let go, you stupid machine!" cried Ash. "Give me back my Pikachu!"

"You had better give me my own Pokemon back too!" Lucy yelled. As a result of their struggling against the mechanical arms, the machine started to go haywire. The conveyor belt soon stopped as Ash and Lucy emerged forcefully from the machine and finally freed their Pokemon.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Eevee! Little Pikachu!" cried Lucy. The three Pokemon heard their trainers and embraced in a big hug.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

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

"Pik!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'That was scary!'

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

"So am I." said Lucy. "But look at that machine!" The machine soon started to produce the rest of the Pokemon clones.

"The copies are hatching!" cried Jessie. The clones then began to leave their tubes.

"They're fabulous fakes." Remarked Jessie.

"Send in the clones!" cried Meowth.

"But where are the real ones?" asked Ash.

"They must still be in the machine!" cried Lucy. The clones soon left the room.

"I wonder if they feel….." said James.

"Clonesome." Added Meowth. The machine soon exploded, releasing the rest of the Clone Balls and the Pokemon contained within them.

"The Pok-originals!" cried Jessie. Soon, the Poke balls containing both Wartortle, as well as the Wartortle themselves were released.

"All right! Our Wartortle are back!" cried Ash. Immediately afterward, Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and Arcanine were released.

"You're all okay!" cried Ash.

"Now that the whole cavalcade is here, let's take this fight to Mewtwo." Said Lucy. "He may have the clones, but we have the originals to back us up."

"But Mewtwo's too stubborn to listen to reason." Ash pointed out.

"Then I guess we'll just have to see if he even can be reasoned with." Said Lucy. "Pikachu and Eevee tried, so we should be able to do the same thing."

Meanwhile, back in the stadium, Mewtwo and his cloned Pokemon had the others backed up against a wall.

"Humans, you have served my purpose." Said Mewtwo. "I am sparing your lives, for the moment." He then opened the doors in the corners of the stadium, which revealed the outside of the island and the distance of the storm.

"But you cannot escape your fate." Said Mewtwo. "The hour of my vengeance draws near." An explosion soon drew Mewtwo's attention, and his army of clones was revealed.

"Behold!" Mewtwo cried. "With Pokemon and humans eliminated, the clones shall rule the world!" Two familiar figures were soon seen and heard in the smoke.

"You can't do this!" cried Ash. "We won't let you!"

"You can't beat the originals that easily!" cried Lucy.

"It's Ash and Lucy!" cried Misty. "They're back!"

"All right!" cried Brock. All of the Pokemon soon showed up behind them.

"Psyduck!" cried Misty.

"Vulpix!" cried Brock.

"Your cloning operation is over, Mewtwo!" cried Lucy. "That means the army you have is all you get!" The two armies stood across from each other.

"It is useless to challenge me!" cried Mewtwo.

"It's not going to end like this, Mewtwo!" cried Ash.

"We won't let it!" cried Lucy. Both of them charged forward to try and punch Mewtwo. He merely pushed the two of them back, but they got back up and tried again, only to be stopped again and lifted up via Psychic.

"Ash, Lucy, no!" cried Misty.

"Look out!" cried Brock. Ash and Lucy got thrown up toward part of the structure of the palace. A pink bubble then appeared right at that very moment.

"What?" cried Mewtwo. He was clearly surprised. Mew appeared in front of Ash and Lucy and popped the bubble.

"It can't be!" cried Lucy. "That's Mew! But not just any Mew. The very Mew that Mewtwo was created from!"

"Can it be?" asked Mewtwo.

"I wonder what Dexter knows about Mew." Said Ash.

"Now's a good time to find out." Said Lucy. She fumbled around in her pocket for a bit before finding her Pokedex. She got it out and pointed it at Mew.

"Mew. This Pokemon is said to be extinct, but it is believed to have had incredibly strong psychic powers." Mew created another pink bubble and bounced on it, only for a ball of psychic energy to destroy it and send Mew flying. Mewtwo charged up another psychic energy ball, but Mew dodged it with teleportation.

"Now I see why the Pokedex said that Mew has strong psychic powers." Said Lucy. Mewtwo fired one psychic energy ball after another, but Mew dodged all of them.

"What is that?" asked Brock.

"I don't know." Answered Misty.

"Mew. So finally we meet." Said Mewtwo.

"Mew?" said Fergus.

"I may have been cloned from your DNA, but now I will prove that Mewtwo is far better than the original." Said Mewtwo. "Superior, even, to Mew."

"Mew AND Mewtwo." Said Corey.

"So Mewtwo was cloned from Mew." Said Neesha.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Oh my.'

"Eevee." Added Eevee, which meant 'No wonder Mewtwo is strong.' Mewtwo started to float off the ground.

"This world is too small for two of us." Said Mewtwo. He then pursued Mew as Mew dodged Mewtwo's attacks.

"Why do you flee from me?" asked Mewtwo. "Are you afraid to find out which of us is greater?" The chase continued, and mew was hit by one of Mewtwo's attacks, which sent the tiny Pokemon flying, much to the surprise of the Pokemon and humans, but Mew launched its own attack that sent Mewtwo flying.

"Mew may be docile and cute, but it definitely knows how to pack a punch." Said Lucy. However, Mewtwo emerged.

"So, you DO have some fight in you after all." said Mewtwo. "But I have no times for games. Destiny is at hand. Who will rule? My superior Pokemon, or your pathetic group of spineless, inferior Pokemon?"

"PIKA!" yelled Pikachu, which meant 'SPINELESS?!'

"EEVEE!" barked Eevee, which meant 'INFERIOR?!'

"We were created with powers far stronger than the originals." Mewtwo added. Mew began to argue about Mewtwo's view between his clones and the originals, an argument that Team Rocket was hearing.

"Mew's got a point." Said Meowth.

"What's it saying?" asked Jessie.

"Mew says that you don't prove anything by showing off a lot of special powers, and that a Pokemon's real strength comes from the heart." Answered Meowth.

"My clones don't need their powers to prove their worth!" cried Mewtwo. He launched another psychic energy ball, which Mew dodged in time. The attack ended up hitting Ash instead.

"ASH!" cried Lucy. "THAT DOES IT! Mewtwo, you will never, EVER rule this world OR destroy the humans and Pokemon that live in it. Not under my watch!"

"Then you will share the same fate as your friend!" cried Mewtwo. Ash and Lucy's Pokemon soon stood in front of them.

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Leave this punk and his phonies to us!'

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'We'll show him who's spineless and inferior!'

"Pika pikachu!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'Bring it, you fakers!'

"I will block all the Pokemon's special abilities using my powers." Said Mewtwo. "NOW we shall see who triumphs. GO!" The clones charged, but the originals did the same, with the exception of Pikachu, Little Pikachu, Eevee, Bulbasaur, Ivysaur and both Wartortle.

Meanwhile, Ash was dangling over a large drop, but he managed to pull himself back up. He then saw the all-out brawl that was happening between the clone army and the originals that they were created from. He was horrified and speechless as both sides threw punches, headbutts and kicks left and right, with some of them resorting to biting. Above all, Mewtwo and mew began their own battle. Back on the ground, Pikachu, Eevee and Little Pikachu all came across their own clones, Pikachutwo, Eeveetwo and Little Pikachutwo.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'No way.' Ash made his way down as the brawl continued on. On the ground, Pikachu, Eevee and Little Pikachu were being attacked repeatedly by their clones, yet they refused to fight back. The humans were all shocked by what they were witnessing.

"This is terrible!" cried Lucy.

"Pokemon aren't meant to fight, not like this." Said Joy. "It's useless! What good can possibly come out of it?"

"Nothing but pain." Answered Neesha.

"Why can't Mewtwo understand that it's not right to force Pokemon to battle this way?" asked Brock.

"They're all living creatures." Answered Misty. "This only proves that fighting is wrong." As Vulpix and its clone, Vulpixtwo, dropped in exhaustion, Team Rocket watched in somber and shock at what they were seeing.

"I was prepared for trouble, but not for this." Said James.

"Make that double, for me." Added Jessie.

"Now I see how horrible fighting really is." Said James.

"Even the best of friends will fight sometimes." Said Jessie.

"I promise never to fight again if you will." Said James. "Oh, Jessie!"

"Oh, James!" cried Jessie. As she and James tearfully embraced, Meowth was being confronted by his own clone, Meowthtwo. However, they both sympathized before they could start to fight.

"What am I doing?" asked Meowth.

"Nya, Nya, Nya." Replied Meowthtwo, which meant 'I don't know.'

"Let's get something straight right now, copycat." Said Meowth. "You ain't going to push Meowth around."

"Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya." Replied Meowthtwo, which meant 'I don't want to fight.'

"You mean, we don't have to fight with each other?" said Meowth. "But how can I trust you? You were born different."

"Nya, Nya, Nya." Replied Meowthtwo, which meant 'It doesn't matter.'

"I almost made a clawful mistake." Said Meowth. "But how do I know you're not going to pull a fast one on me?" Meowthtwo looked up.

"Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya, Nya." Answered Meowthtwo, which meant 'We have lots in common.' Meowth looked up too.

"You're right." He said. "We do have a lot in common. The same birth, the same hair, the same scar."

"Nya." Replied Meowthtwo, which meant 'Exactly.'

"Maybe if we start looking at what's the same, instead of looking at what's different, well, who knows?" said Meowth.

"Nya, Nya." Replied Meowthtwo, which meant 'Good point.'

Meanwhile, Mew and Mewtwo continued with their clash as Ash made his way to the ground. He soon spotted Pikachu getting beaten up by Pikachutwo.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachutwo, which meant 'Get up and fight!'

"Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'I won't fight!' Eeveetwo was trying to force the original Eevee into fighting.

"Eevee!" cried Eeveetwo, which meant 'Come on and get me, you coward!'

"Vee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'Absolutely not!'

"Way to tell your clone, Eevee!" cried Lucy. Pikachutwo headbutted Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. As he got closer to the ground, he slipped and fell onto some stairs as he watched Pikachutwo approach Pikachu.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachutwo, which meant 'Fight me! Now!'

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'No way, man!'

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachutwo, which meant 'Just fight me!'

"Pik!" cried Little Pikachutwo, which meant 'Come and get me!'

"Pi!" replied Little Pikachu, which meant 'No! I refuse!' Pikachutwo started to spin Pikachu around repeatedly until it started to shed tears. However, Pikachu still refused to fight. Ash looked on at everything that was happening.

"Pikachu!" cried Ash. Upon seeing all the Smash Bros. style chaos that was happening, he decided that enough was enough. He wasn't the only one who thought this, though.

"Quit it!" cried Ash.

"Stop it, all of you!" cried Lucy. Their voices got the attention of Brock and Misty.

"Ash! Lucy!" cried Brock.

"Are you both okay?" asked Misty.

"We have to stop all this fighting!" cried Ash.

"But how?" said Lucy. "All Mewtwo cares about is how strong these super clones are! Neither side will listen to reason!" The group looked up at the battle between Mew and Mewtwo.

"I'd rather risk my life out in Mewtwo's storm than watch these Pokemon destroy each other." Said Joy.

"Me too." Said Misty.

"I'm with you there, Misty." Said Lucy.

"I just wish there was some way to stop them!" cried Joy.

"I already told you guys, neither of them will listen!" cried Lucy.

"I don't know what to do!" cried Joy.

"Neither of us do." Said Lucy.

"I don't think they'll ever stop!" cried Brock. "Those Pokemon look like they're ready to fight to the death!"

"You mean like out in the wild?" said Lucy. "That's just pure INSANITY!"

"That's a fight that nobody's going to win." Sighed Misty.

"Someone has to take a stand." Said Ash. "Someone has to say no and refuse to fight. Just like my Pikachu and Lucy's Eevee." Everyone looked at Pikachutwo, Little Pikachutwo and Eeveetwo tiring and crying from exhaustion. Mew and Mewtwo soon came down for a possible final clash, and the ensuing electricity from the two Pokemon's psychic auras caused the lights in the stadium to go out. As Mew and Mewtwo charged up for one final blast, Ash and Lucy looked around at the injured Pokemon and the clones, all of which were brutally battered. Ash had seen enough and decided to rush out onto the battlefield to end the madness.

"Ash, wait!" cried Brock.

"Stop, Ash!" cried Lucy. "DON'T DO IT!"

"YOU GOTTA STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!" yelled Ash. Mew and Mewtwo both opened fire.

"STOP!" cried Ash. The attacks collided with Ash in the middle, horrifying Lucy and gaining everyone's attention, both human and Pokemon alike.

"Ash!" cried Misty.

"Oh no!" cried Brock.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" cried Lucy.

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!'

"Oh my gosh! Ash!" cried Lucy.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'It can't be!' Ash then fell to the ground.

"Fool!" cried Mewtwo. "Trying to stop our battle!"

"Mew?" cried Mew, which meant 'What?' Pikachu, Little Pikachu, Eevee, Lucy, Ash, Misty and Brock all rushed over to Ash.

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

"Come on, Ash, you can't leave us like this!" cried Lucy.

"Pikachu?" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Are you okay?' Ash's body then turned to stone. Pikachu shook Ash's stone body.

"Pika. Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Wake up, Ash.'

"Ash, please say something." Lucy begged. Her eyes started filling up with tears. All the Pokemon, both clone and original, noticed Ash's motionless stone body laying flat on the ground.

"Pika Pi." Whispered Pikachu, which meant 'Ash.'

"He's not waking up." Said Misty. Pikachu tried using his electricity to wake Ash up, but it didn't work. Six more electric attacks produced the same result.

"Please, no." wept Misty.

"He can't be…." Wept Lucy. She hugged Misty and Brock and started crying.

"It's okay, Lucy." Whispered Brock.

"No, Brock! It's not okay!" cried Lucy. "My best friend is…..dead!" she cried even more. Even Pikachu and Eevee began to tear up, as did Little Pikachu.

"Pika pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Ash.' All the Pokemon that were in the arena soon started to mourn Ash's sacrifice. The magic of the Pokemon's tears gathered into Ash's petrified body, which soon glowed.

"Pika Pi." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Ash.' With the magic of Pikachu's own tears to finish up, the hurricane cleared away, Ash's body returned to normal and he started moving.

"Pi? Pika!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Huh? Buddy!'

"It's a miracle!" cried Lucy. "He's alive! He's really alive!"

"Pikachu!" cried Ash.

"Pika Pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Ash!' The two of them embraced in a hug.

"They say that a Pokemon's tears are filled with life, so the combined life energy from those tears must've brought Ash back!" cried Lucy. She hugged her best friend while still shedding tears. These were no longer tears of sadness, however. They were now tears of joy.

"That human sacrificed himself to save the Pokemon." Said Mewtwo. "I pitted them against each other, but not until they set aside their differences did I see the true power they all share deep inside." Mew agreed.

"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant." Mewtwo continued. "It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are."

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

"Thank you, Ash, for helping me realize that Pokemon are meant to be friends and not tools." Said Mewtwo. "I'd like you to do something for me."

"What's that, Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

"I'd like you to take care of some of the clones for me." Answered Mewtwo. "You deserve these after you helped me see that what I was doing was wrong." Before Ash knew it, he found nine of Mewtwo's clones suddenly fly down to him one at a time. Those clones were Bulbasaurtwo, Squirtletwo, Charmandertwo, Venusaurtwo, Blastoisetwo, Charizardtwo, Vulpixtwo, Ninetalestwo and Hitmonleetwo.

"Wow, Mewtwo, thank you very much." Said Ash. "But don't you need these?"

"I feel they will be better off with a trainer who is much more kind-hearted." Said Mewtwo. "I can always create new versions of those clones." Just then, mew and Mewtwo started to glow, as did the remaining clones. They ascended into the sky with both Mew and Mewtwo.

"Pikachu!" cried Pikachutwo, which meant 'Goodbye, Pikachu!'

"Eevee!" cried Eeveetwo, which meant 'So long, Eevee!' Mew, Mewtwo and his remaining clones soon departed from New Island.

"Where are you going, Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

"I'm going where my heart can learn what yours knows so well." Answered Mewtwo. "What transpired here is something I will always remember. But for you and your friends, these events are perhaps best forgotten."

"You mean you want all of us to forget what happened here?" asked Lucy.

"Perhaps." Answered Mewtwo. "If you and your group of friends promise to keep mine and the clones' and Mew's existence a secret, then you will not be affected."

"You have our word, Mewtwo." Lucy promised. "Nobody will ever know what took place here tonight."

"Then I bid you all farewell." Said Mewtwo. A light soon appeared beneath the group and they all ended up back at the Pokemon Center, with Ash, Lucy, Misty, Brock, Pikachu, Eevee, Little Pikachu and Togepi having no recollection of what had happened as the storm continued on outside.

"This could be the worst storm ever!" cried Officer Jenny.

"You must listen to me!" cried Miranda. "You have got to find shelter!"

"Excuse me please!" cried Nurse Joy. "The Pokemon Treatment Center will be open as a shelter! Anyone who needs a place to stay can come with me." Joy and some people in need of shelter walked away as Ash and his friends watched on.

"Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny are really great." said Brock. "They just keep getting more beautiful every time I see 'em!"

"Again, they're all exactly the same!" cried Lucy.

"Hey, guys, how did we wind up in this place anyway?" asked Ash.

"Well, I guess we're just here because we're here." Answered Misty.

"Pika." Said Pikachu, which meant 'Good point.'

"I don't know about you, Ash, but I'm starving." Said Lucy. "Let's grab something to eat."

"Pika pi!" cried Pikachu, which meant 'Eevee and I are starving too!'

"Pikachu!" cried Little Pikachu, which meant 'So am I!'

"Look! It's a miracle!" cried Officer Jenny. The group ran outside and saw that the storm had stopped.

"I can't believe it!" cried Miranda.

'The storm disappeared!" cried Jenny.

"That's so weird!" cried Neesha.

"It's good to have things clear again." Said Miranda. Jenny agreed with her as the group looked out over the horizon. Ash and Lucy soon spotted Mew flying in the distance even though they couldn't remember that they had met Mew earlier.

"Hey, what's that?" said Ash. Everyone else in the group looked but didn't see anything as mew went up into the clouds.

"What's what?" asked Misty. "I don't see anything, Ash?"

"Except the sky." Added Brock.

"The day Lucy and I left Pallet Town to start our Pokemon journey together, we both saw a really rare Pokemon." Said Ash. "And just now, I we saw another one."

"Well, maybe both of you are just seeing things." Said Misty.

"On the other hand, maybe they're not." Said Brock.

"Well, maybe. We'll see." Said Ash.

"Eevee!" cried Eevee, which meant 'We just may!' The group departed Old Shore Wharf. Many strange legends surround the mysteries of Pokemon, and just as many adventures await our young heroes as they continue on their quest. For Ash and his friends, the journey has just begun.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was still on New Island. They were covered in flowers and relaxing.

"I don't have a clue how we got here, but who cares?" said jessie.

"This is paradise!" cried James.

"For once, a happy ending!" cried Meowth.

"Team Rocket's signing off again!" they cried.

"Do you have any sunscreen?" asked James.

"You know, I'd really love to go sailing in one of those catamarans." Chuckled Meowth.

END OF FILM

Ash's Current Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Bulbasaur, Charizard, Wartortle, Hitmonchan

Lucy's Current Party: Eevee, Ivysaur, Pikachu, Wartortle, Arcanine, Butterfree (Pink)

Egg: Togepi (Joint ownership with Misty)

Ash's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Spearow, Clefairy, Krabby, Butterfree, Primeape, Muk, Scyther, Diglett, Voltorb, Rapidash, Kangaskhan, Tauros, Rhyhorn, Nidorino, Dratini (two), Gyrados, Exeggutor, Kabuto, Kabutops, Ivysaur, Venusaur, Growlithe, Arbok, Weezing, Meowth, Magmar, Blastoise, Squirtle, Dragonair, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Dodrio, Mr. Mime, Bulbasaurtwo, Charmandertwo, Squirtletwo, Venusaurtwo, Charizardtwo, Blastoisetwo, Vulpixtwo, Ninetalestwo, Hitmonleetwo

In Rotation: Scyther, Rapidash

Lucy's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Beedrill, Cubone, Hitmonlee, Staryu, Dugtrio, Voltorb, Ponyta (shiny), Kangaskhan, Chansey, Tauros, Dragonair, Clefairy, Exeggcute, Jigglypuff, Kabuto, Aerodactyl, Machoke, Tangela

In Rotation: Aerodactyl, Jigglypuff, Staryu, Dragonair