I don't own Pokemon or any of the characters in Pokemon. This story is purely for fan enjoyment!

Chapter 1

Girl Saves Boy

The thick smoke spread rapidly and made Ash cough violently.

"Ugh... Not again! Pikachu!" Ash yelled out, reaching for a pokeball on his belt.

"Piika pii!"

His hands hovered on his belt for a moment before he realized that he did not bring any pokemon besides Pikachu with him.

"Crap, I forgot! Everyone's at Professor Oak's lab!"

"That's right, twerp," said a familiar pink haired villainess. "You see, this time we planned our capture scheme. Not only do we have awesome smoke bombs and an electricity-proof cage, we also targeted you when you only brought Pikachu."

"Pretty genius of us, don't you agree?" asked James from behind Jessie.

"Grr... You know you won't get away with this! How many times do you have to lose to accept that?"

But Ash was actually nervous when he said this. Pikachu had been battling less than three hours ago and was in no condition for another battle. The trainer himself was also tired. They were in no mood for a Team Rocket run-in. Besides, Ash was trapped in a hole full of smoke with no pokemon, and his buddy Pikachu was stuck in an uncomfortable cage that looked like a bottle.

Ash began to feel sick. The smoke was filling his lungs rapidly, and he could do nothing because he had run out of breath long before.

Damn this smoke... Shit. I'm gonna black out soon. I gotta do something fast!

"Hahahaha! Admit it you little rascal! We got you this time," teased Jessie.

"Got you real good," James replied.

"Oh, will ya two shut it? Just get Pikachu outta here so we can get the promotion!" Meowth had been waiting in the hot air balloon while his partners had been mouthing off at the young trainer all this time.

"Oh, come on Meowth," said James. "A little victory dance won't hurt! This is our first time beating the twerp. And our plan was absolutely brilliant! Fool-proof!"

"Fine, fine. I guess one litttle dance won't AHHHHH!!!"

"Meowth, what's the matter with you? Don't ruin the festive mood!" yelled a surprised Jessie.

"Staryu, Water Gun!"

A blast of water hit Meowth directly in the face and sent him flying towards Team Rocket.

Ash looked up.

That voice... I know that voice. Am I dreaming? Last time I saw her, she was still at the gym.

The smoke was beginning to clear, and Ash could see what was happening above the hole if he stepped back enough. He saw a slim figure wearing a ... beach towel? Even though it was hard to see, he could tell it was a girl. The figure also had a towel loosely draped on her head, and drops of water dripped down her long orange hair as if she had just come out of the shower.

"Ah, the other twerp! How long has it been since we saw you? I thought you and the twerp in the hole had a lovers' quarrel and broke up! Pity you're back."

The look on Misty's face was that of a cranky lioness rudely woken from her slumber. Her intense teal eyes looked ready to emit heat vision. For a brief moment she looked like she was about to run straight at Jessie and kill her, but she closed her eyes and sighed.

"Oh, shut up, you old hag. I don't have time to deal with your gossip. Just give back Pikachu before I Hydro Pump your fat ass out of here."

"OLD HAG? Why, I'm gonna kill you!"

"Ooh, touchy, touchy!" said an amused James holding Jessie back. "I guess your temper hasn't changed? But it's quite rude to speak to your elders like that."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir," scoffed the girl. "I was just a little bit annoyed when something disturbed the Gyarados I was sitting on and caused me to fall into the water. Should I also add that I was fishing at the time with my new lure, and that I had the cutest water pokemon on hook when that hideously loud blast caused me to fall?"

All three members of Team Rocket blinked.

"You must understand, sir. The cute thing swam away with my best lure, which by the way I spent days to make, and I was left sore and soaking wet in a lake with my Gyarados madly trampling about. I guess, the best way to put it is that I'm . . . FREAKING MAD!"

"Woh. Looks like she's really gone psycho, Jess. Lets get out of here since we have Pikachu already," whispered James nervously.

"Excuse me?! We will NOT leave without teaching that little squeaky-voiced twerp a lesson! She called me an old hag! I am a young, blooming flower. An idol! The quintessence of beauty!"

Misty took another deep breath in attempt to calm down.

"Where is he?" she asked as politely as she could attempt to be in her current mood.

"Where's who?" taunted Jessie.

"Ash! I know he's around here. That's his pikachu!" Misty searched the battle ground for Ash. She gasped as her eyes reached the hole in the ground. Thick, black smoke was pouring out of it.

"NO! Is Ash in there? Ash! ASH!" she screamed frantically.

Misty. It is her. I thought I'd never see her again. Hah. Same old Misty. Same old fiesty girl. I missed you.

"Calm down, dear. And I was talking when you interrupted me!" Jessie said.

"I was being patient," replied Misty, her head bowed down. "I was thinking of letting you guys off easy. But now, I don't think I have a drop of mercy left in me."

"Oh, boo hoo. I'm real scared. Oh Meowth, help me, please!" mocked Jessie.

Misty tightly clenched her fists and told herself to calm down.

Don't lash out. For Ash's sake. Just finish it fast and cleanly. You're good at that.

With a slow exhale, she lifted her head and smiled.

"Come on out cutie! Time for some action!"

Thump.

Thump.

". . . James, is that what I think it is?"

"Sadly, Jessie, I think so . . ." His palms were getting sweaty.

"Uh, oh," was all Meowth could say.

Misty was all smiles as she greeted her pokemon friend.

"There you are, Dragonite!"

"RUN!" yelled all three Rockets at once.

"Hyper Beam, Dragonite," the young trainer ordered serenely.

Dragonite opened his strong jaws and blasted a bright yellow-orange beam straight at his target.

BOOM!

"Team Rocket, blasting off again!"

Misty almost fell. "Even their motto's the same."

Suddenly, a ball of yellow fur was obscuring Misty's vision.

"PIKACHU! You alright? You're as cute as ever! I missed you so much- wait! We have to get Ash out!"

She ran to the still smoking hole with Pikachu in her arms and ordered Dragonite to clear out the smoke with his massive wings. As the smoke dissipated, she could see an unconscious figure leaned against the wall of the deep pit. Misty gasped. Pikachu immediately jumped in to go to his master's side and budged him to wake up.

"Dragonite, can you get him out for me?"