Part One
~ ~ ~
Ash looked up from the waiting chair in the lobby of the Pokemon center. He thought he heard a noise coming from the counter...Nurse Joy with his Pokemon? No, he thought, not yet. He hadn't been waiting long, anyway, and he wasn't really in any hurry at all.
He didn't know how long he had been away from home. He and his friends were out, seeking new challenges, battles or anything else new...now that the Pokemon leagues were over. And now that they had plenty of free time, Ash and his friends had time to do other stuff besides training his Pokemon. Ash wasn't sure what they would do yet, but his Pokemon had been tired from traveling, and here they were at the Pokemon center. In their travels, the rain had begun to start so suddenly that they had to run to the nearest Pokemon center to rest themselves and their Pokemon. The rain outside even made Ash tired as he watched it trickle down the large windows in the chill dark.
"Ash?" The voice came from behind.
"Huh?" Ash questioned. He looked up at Brock's dark figure. "Oh, hi."
"Are you OK, Ash? You've just been sitting there..."
"I'm just fine. It's just that this rain is making me tired!" Ash admitted. "Oh, man, am I tired!"
"Oh, man, am I hungry! Misty and I were about to get something at the diner across the street. Wanna come, buddy?"
Ash felt strange...tired and cold. Even though he was hungry, he rejected. "I'll just stay here and wait for my Pokemon to be ready."
"Man, you'll miss out. Fine. We'll be back soon."
"See ya!" Ash said as Brock treaded off. Ash looked down again, closing his eyes for just a moment...
* * * * *
"...Yeah, you--get up...Ash! Get up!" It was Nurse Joy, standing up tall in front of Ash. "You must be a very tired boy, huh? You've been sleeping here in this lobby for at least an hour! Anyway, I hate to disturb you, but, well, there's a call for you...from Pallet Town."
Ash shook the tired feeling from his eyes and tried to stand up. What was this all about? He followed Nurse Joy to the nearest phone and sat down.
Looking at the screen, Ash noticed the call was from the Pokemon Lab in Pallet. Without hesitation, Ash took the call.
The screen flashed, and showed the face of the professor from Pallet that Ash knew well: Professor Oak!
"Hello, Ash! Where have you been? What's going on?" Prof. Oak was shuffling through some photos as he spoke.
"Erm...well, me...and Brock and Misty, were...just using up our spare time, I guess. We were trying to find something interesting to do. Why are you calling, professor?" Ash asked, slightly puzzled.
"Well, as you know, there are a lot of Pokemon that have not yet been discovered, and many we are just finding and researching, and well, around the Pokemon Center where you are, there has been a new kind of Pokemon sighted--one only few have ever seen it, just recently. No one knows about it yet except me and a few others, but...no one has been able to capture it yet."
"A new Pokemon?" Ash asked quizzically. "What is it like?"
"Well," Prof. Oak went on, "It's...well...here, let me show you the picture we got of it..." He fingered through the photos in his hands, and soon pulled one from the pile. "Here it is. Have a look." Professor Oak held the photo up to the screen.
It was a strange looking creature--definantly not one Ash had ever seen. To compare it to other Pokemon, it probably most closely resembled a mix of Pikachu, Eevee, and Persian, but still, it was very unique looking. It was a rodent-like creature, more resembling a cat with claws like a Pikachu's, with a very bushy, long, red tail. Its ears were pointy and it sported round markings on it's back and forehead, though Ash could not clearly see them. It's tail seemed to sparkle as it ran through the long grass in the photo. The Pokemon was a reddish color with a violet tint to its fur and redder markings. It's eyes were large and black with a flicker of light.
Professor Oak pulled the picture away from the screen. "So....what do you think of that?"
"Wow, Professor Oak...I've never seen that Pokemon before!" Ash said.
"Well, yes Ash, I told you it was a new Pokemon. Hardly anyone has seen it. It's brand new, you might say. Oh...here, I'll copy and send the picture to you in a jiffy."
"What did you say this Pokemon was called, Professor?" Ash asked.
"Oh...that must have slipped my mind! I forgot to tell you that. It's called a Carefree. Yes, that's what it is. Here comes that photo, Ash."
Ash looked at the printer by the screen, and waited as the picture printed out. He then removed the picture, looked at it once more, and shoved it into his pack.
"Ash, the only place the Carefree has ever been seen is in the lush mountains, in long grass and in a moist climate. You'll find that sort of place not too far away from where you are now, so...get going!" Professor Oak looked serious.
"OK, Professor Oak, you can count on me! We'll find this Carefree, and I'll capture it!!" Ash said.
"That's good. Good luck to you. I really have to be going...my new fruit flavored Tofu is ready--oooh, strawberry-kiwi!..."
The TV screen turned dark.
Ash jumped up immediately and ran to the door of the Pokemon center, straight in the direction of the restaurant. He had such exciting news for Misty and Brock!!!
* * * * *
Over the cool, wet mountains, not too far away, a hot-air balloon hovered majestically through the chill air of the morning. The passengers in the balloon, however, did not have particularly good intentions.
"It's cooold up here!" The whiny voice of James complained to the other two passengers, who were looking down over the mountains.
"Just shut up, James! Your never going to stop complaining about how unfair you think life is, are you?!" Jessie cried out at him.
"Who do you think I am? I would have nothing to say if I never complained." James retorted.
"Then maybe you should stop talking altogether! You know, the only way I got you to get on this balloon and help out on this mission was because I told you there would be food! And you still complained about going on this whole expedition in the first place! " Jessie folded her arms.
James looked over at her. "Well...I don't even remember why we are here, anyway! And there wasn't even any food! You lied about something as important as food!" he groaned.
"*Sigh*...They say the way to a man's brain is through his stomach...or however that goes. Whatever. We came here, for your information, to find a new Pokemon for the Boss. Idiot!" Jessie squealed, shaking her head at James.
"Oh...yeah! Well, that doesn't change the weather!" James complained further, shivering.
"Whatever, James. Why don't you just grow up?!" She sighed again.
"Plus, you always insist on riding in this nerdy balloon. It doesn't make our reputation for messing up look any better. I say we get motorcycles or something..." James began.
"This balloon is our mascot, you idiot! It's Team Rocket's style!" Jessie argued.
"Some style!"
"What?!?"
"I said..."
"Ah, shut up already, you two!" Meowth yelled from the other end of the balloon. "Who cares? Let's just get along like civilized grown-ups and get to where we're going before my eardrums explode! Besides...I kinda like the balloon..."
James promptly gave him a smack across the face.
"Hmph. It's still cold."
* * * * *
The sun was rising over the mountains. Ash, Misty and Brock were just walking out the door of the Pokemon Center into a shower of sunlight.
"Well Ash, I guess we take that trail up there," Misty observed, pointing to where the road turned into a dusty path leading into the mountains.
"Right...wow, I hope we find this thing right away! I'm so excited! I'm gonna catch a new Pokemon! Finally, Professor Oak will see what a great Pokemon master I am!" Ash smiled confidently.
"That's all you care about, Ash!" Misty yelled, "Why don't you just stop thinking about yourself?!"
Brock cut in. "It's OK, as long as we can find it at all."
They began walking up the road. A breeze blew up dust into their faces, and they continued up the path, shielding their faces with their hands. Soon, the breeze was a wind, and the three friends were caught in a whirlwind of dust.
"It looks like gray storm clouds blowing in!" Misty said, looking off into the not so distant skies.
"Well, we're not going to turn back now!" Ash insisted, "We're so close! Oooh!"
Brock looked up ahead. "We're pretty close to the foothills now, anyway. And look...I see something....up...ahead....like shelter!" He strained his eyes. "Yes, there is some kind of a roof. It's really close, too. We can make it."
Brock began to run up the trail, followed by Misty and Ash. The wind blew dust up around them, and soon, small droplets of moisture were sprinkling over them from the dark clouds above. They were into the foothills when fat droplets began to fall.
Soon the dusty trail was behind them, and they were ascending the wet, grassy mountain path. They saw the cover--and old, ruined gazebo nestled near the base of the mountain. Ash wondered why it was there, but didn't judge the shelter it provided.
The three companions rested on the bench with old, scratchy, chipping paint. Misty leaned her back against the bench and sighed.
"I bet people used this gazebo for sitting and watching this beautiful place," Brock said as he looked out into the rain.
"I bet they had picnics here, too," Misty said longingly, licking her lips.
Ash put his chin in his hands. "Ah, I wish the rain would stop!," he puffed, "We've got to get going!!"
"You know," Brock told him, "the only one here in a big hurry, Ash, is you."
Ash's face turned slightly red. "Err...oh well! We can't just sit here and wait for someone else to find the new Pokemon before me....er, us. I mean, what if someone catches it before we do?"
* * * * *
James opened his eyes. The sky was gray, and rain was pounding mercilessly on the Meowth balloon. He moved up from his place leaning against the basket wall in the balloon.
"James! You...your lazy! Get up and help me land this thing!" It was Jessie.
James was too tired to really complain...plus, he knew he would get it back twice as bad from Jessie. He wondered for a second how they managed to work together all the time when she acted like she absolutely hated him. He stood up. He couldn't believe there would never be sparks between them. He looked at her. He secretly thought that her hair really was sexy, and she didn't look too bad in that Team Rocket uniform...
"James!! Get that dazed expression off your stupid face and watch what your doing!"
"Oh! Yeah!" James said, "And I think I know what I'm doing, Jessie! Hmph."
The balloon landed in the trees below, hidden in the foliage. The Rockets quickly got out and examined their landing spot.
"This is it!" James said. Jessie nodded. "Let's go!"
"We'll find that Pokemon before anyone!" Meowth exclaimed.
Team Rocket began down the mountain, carefully searching...
* * * * *
As the rain slowed and became softer, the three companions still sat, tired, under the gazebo's shelter. Pikachu was the only one awake when the rain stopped completely. He hopped around and jumped up onto Ash's back.
"Pi! Pika Pi Pikachu!!"
"Ahh...huh?" Ash gasped. "Oh, hi Pikachu. What is it? Why aren't you asleep?"
"Pika Pikachu!" Pikachu cried, pointing to the sky.
"Huh? Oh! It stopped! The rain! Yesss! Now we can get going!" Ash beamed.
Ash and Pikachu woke up Misty and Brock from their naps, and they continued up the muddy mountain path. Trees that grew up in the mountain were lush and green, and ferns and grasses lined the trail. The friends were looking for any sign of Pokemon in the grass and trees.
Misty looked up. "The sky is pretty clear now," She said. "The dark clouds are all gone and now there's only cute, puffy clouds!" Misty smiled.
"Duh, Misty! The storm is gone!" Ash said.
"You've been mean to me all day, Ash!" Misty argued, "Why are you always so mean to me?! Why don't you...start picking on him instead?" she finished, shoving Brock in the chest.
"Hey, Misty, what'd I do?"
"Ahem, this is between Ash and me, Brock!"
Ash folded his arms and looked up. "I don't pick on Brock, because I only pick on girls! Annoying girls..."
Misty's face turned bright red. She lunged forward at Ash, knocking him senseless, and rolling with him off the path and into the bushes beneath the trees.
"Why you..."
Ash rolled onto his back, and Misty tried to wrestle him down.
"Urgh...Ahhh! Stop...it...Misty...! Ahhh!"
Brock peeked through the trees and shook his head, sighing.
Pikachu rolled his eyes. "Piiiika."
Ash pushed Misty off of him and tried to sit up.
"Why you, Ash Ketchum, I'll..."
"Shhh!" Ash hushed.
The bushes moved and made a rustling noise, just a few feet away from Misty and Ash. It was definantly a Pokemon in those bushes...maybe it could be...
"It's a Carefree!" Ash said in a hushed tone, "Right in there! Be quiet."
"I'm not the one blabbering on!" Misty hissed.
Ash slowly crept over through the grass, his heart pounding hard against his chest, and readied himself to reveal the Carefree...
To Be Continued in Part 2.....