"Hey Pikachu!" Ash giggled. "Pi?"(Huh?) Pikachu stared in confusion as Ash struggled to keep balance on his head as his legs flailed through the air crazily. "Ash what are you doing?" Misty asked as if she had finally given up on Ash. "I heard from someone that you-wooer!" Ash toppled over, barely missing Pikachu. "Pika pika pi?" (What were you thinking Ash?) Pikachu demanded angrily. Pikachu's cheeks flared out wildly with electricity. "What I was trying to say was that someone told me that performing tricks in front of your pokémon encourages them to be more creative in battle!" Ash explained pulling himself up with a loud grunt. "Oh!" Misty sounded almost human. "And what person did you hear this from?" she eyed Brock suspiciously. "Don't look at me!" Brock quickly said before any blame was put on him. "I happened to get it from a very reliable source!" Ash reported. "Oh yeah!" Misty yelled. "And how reliable is this source?" She stood up angrily. "Well uhhh..." Ash was suddenly lost for words. "Ok, ok!" Ash found himself backing off. "The reliable source happens to be from this!" with these words Ash pulled out a rolled magazine. He unrolled it and presented his prize to the gawking pair. "Pokémon Trainer's Gold!" Ash read out the title of the magazine proudly. "Wow!" Brock stood in awe. "That's the exclusive Pokémon magazine which covers Pokémon breeds to Pokémon battles! It helps with techniques and points out the special needs of different Pokémon!" "Pika chu! Pika pi chu pika chu pika!" (Hey Brock! You sound just like a spokesperson for the magazine!) Pikachu joked. "I don't want to know about what it does I want to know how did you get it?" Misty fumed. "If we travel a lot there's no way you could possibly subscribe to that magazine and get it delivered to where we go!" "Well" Ash started as he put the magazine in his pocket. "My mom subscribed me when I wanted to become a Pokémon trainer so I could learn more about it! Now I travel I get my mom to send it to the nearest Pokémon centre so while you guys are arguing I ask if the magazine has come in yet!" "I DON"T ARGUE!" Misty yelled as she loomed above Ash (anime style) "I ALWAYS WORK MY BUTT OFF TRYING TO PULL BROCK OFF THE DESK WHEN HE'S DROOLING OVER NURSE JOY!" Ash shrunk back. "Ok so you don't argue! Hooray for Misty!" "THAT"S BETTER!" Misty screamed. "Pika pi Chu kachu" (Boy she deafens ya) Pikachu complained as he shook his head. "Well you wanted to know!" Ash snapped. "I don't care!" Misty screamed. "That still doesn't give you the right to say that I argue all the time when we ARE at a Pokémon Centre!" "Well that's because you always do!" "Oh yeah?!" Misty yelled "I bet that magazine is the lousiest form of Pokémon information that has ever been created!!" "Oh yeah?! Well then prove it!" Misty challenged. "Just because it is the most recommended doesn't mean it is the most informative!" "Take a look!" Ash reached into his pocket where he put the magazine. "Huh! It's gone, where is it?" Ash jumped in every place frantically (anime style again). "My magazine! It's missing!" Ash whimpered. "Hey guys!" Brock said calmly. Misty and Ash turned. "Look at this!" Brock held up the Magazine (he had taken it while Ash and Misty were fighting) "Hey why did you take my magazine Brock!" Ash yelled. "You could have asked!" "But I was just..." "That's right!" Misty cut in. "Brock! You should have asked! What kind of example are you trying to set for us?" "But I...I...I" Brock stuttered. "Next time you want something from me ask!" Ash yelled clenching his fist. "Piiikaaachuuu!" (Stop arguing!) Pikachu gave all three a sky lighting thunderbolt. After the light had vanished the three stood like statues for a second. Then they all fell in a heap (anime style...again!) "Pikachu why do you have to do that?" Ash managed to squeak out. "Pika Chu pika pi Chu pika!" (Serves you right for acting like a bunch of quarrelling Dodrios!) Pikachu bounced in front of them with his tiny arms crossed in front of him. "I was...just trying...to show you...this!" Brock still had his arms outstretched from holding the magazine, which fell from his hands. "Get off me!" Misty yelped. "Brock your foot is in my face!" "Oh sorry!" Brock moved a little. "Hey!" Misty yelled. "Now your knee is in my ear!" Ash pulled himself from the other two and grabbed the magazine. "Look in the events column!" Brock directed. Ash looked down and smiled when he read the article. It read. "Come one come all to the best of the best Pokémon Trainers Gold Formal Night!" Ash read on. "All Pokémon trainers with at least 4 badges can enter!" "Hey this looks pretty neat!" Ash commented. Misty pulled herself up. "What is it?" she pulled the magazine from Ash's hands. After she had read it she whooped. "It also says Pokémon Gym Leaders can go!" she grabbed Pikachu's little paws and danced around with him. "It says there is going to be food, dancing and a live band!" Brock grinned. "Well where is it?" Ash asked, breaking the happy moment of Brock and Misty. "Well uhhh..." Brock stood stunned. "Hey you wanna know where the Pokémon Trainers Gold Formal night is?" a voice rose above the trio. They spun around in shock. There in front of them in a top hat, black coat and pin stripe shirt was the most formal gentleman they had ever seen. Clinging to his arm was a lady dressed in elegant purple and white, ruffled dress which swirled down to meet her delicately made, golden shoes. "You know where it is?" Ash asked feeling a little small talking to a man who was obviously a very rich man. The man smiled with a wide, friendly grin. "Of course I do! I am the one who was formally invited and I was given the instructions!" The man smile became even wider. "Could you show us where it is?" Misty asked. "Pretty please?" "Of course we can!" the lady replied. "We are on our way there now! Our chauffeur is on vacation so we are walking!" Brock blushed and his tongue crept out from his mouth and dangled down (like he does when he sees girls). "Pika pi!" (Oh brother!) Pikachu whined. "Come one Pikachu!" Ash grinned. "Hop on my shoulder and let's go!" Pikachu crouched down, judging his distance, then leapt barely making it onto Ash's shoulder. As they set off Ash noticed a sign posted on a tree. He stopped to examine it. It was the missing sign. Ash read on. Three Pokémon trainers had gone missing near these parts 3 years ago and there have been traces appearing everywhere. "That's terrible!" Misty chirped. "Imagine how scared the parents of those Pokémon trainers must be!" "It says that they were all on their way to a supposed Pokémon formal and never returned!" Misty shook her head. "So sad!" After a long time of walking they finally came to a large, midnight blue building covered in Pokémon Plaques. By now they has been joined by other large groups of important looking people. "Wow it must be a big event!" Misty whispered to Ash. "Yeah!" Ash agreed. "Looks like Brock is happy!" he pointed to Brock who was mooning over a gaggle of younger girls holding fans and peering at him suspiciously. Misty sighed sadly as she looked at the other girl's attire. She had realised that her clothes weren't very formal and that she would stand out. Pikachu noticed this. "Pikachu! pika pi?" (Hey Ash! Why don't you go and cheer Misty up?) Pikachu suggested tugging on Ash's ear. Ash walked over to Misty. "Hey Misty what's up?" he said casually. "Oh Ash!" she said very quietly. "I want so much to have a beautiful dress for this!" Misty closed her eyes. "Well I think you look fine!" Ash insisted. "I do not look fine! You don't even know the meaning of looking great!" Misty bashed Ash over the head with a mallet. "Gee Pikachu I'm glad I'm not a girl!" "Pi-ka!"(Too right!) Pikachu squeaked. Suddenly one of the girls walked over to Misty. "Hi I'm Holly! I couldn't help over-hearing your...uhhh...conversation! And I now what will cheer you up!" Misty looked confused. "Can you accept this?" Holly asked. With that she pulled out a lilac dress out from her bag. It flowed gracefully to a corner and had a halter neck. Misty couldn't believe her eyes. "From one girl to another girl!" Holly said as she handed the dress over to Misty. Brock suddenly floated over and stood glassy eyed over Holly as she stared in amusement. "Wow!" Ash crooned. "Misty, you'll look great in that!" "And for you two boys!" Holly started. "I have just the thing for you!" Holly pulled out 2 matching suits from her bag. "Wow!" Ash stood confused. "How do you keep so many things in a little bag?" Holly winked. "My little secret! Now go get dressed and I'll wait for you inside!" Holly said as she pushed open the door.
"I feel stupid!" Ash moaned. "Pika Chu pi kachu!" (You look stupid!) Pikachu giggled. "Well I feel beautiful for the first time!" Misty swished her hair back and with her nose in the air marched towards the dance floor. "She's daring!" Holly commented. "Oh Misty's always like that!" Ash said miserably. "I heard that you little twerp!" Misty screamed smacking Ash over the head. The room was huge and lit with hundred of crystal chandeliers shining with a blue glow. Behind the dance floor was a small stage with instruments lying in the corners. After they walked around for a bit Ash noticed several strangers enter the room, all clad in black. Among them he noticed a blue haired guy and a pink haired girl. "Boy they look familiar!" Ash said scratching his chin. "Yeah!" Brock said coming up beside Ash. "They kinda look like Team Rocket! Except they don't have that Meowth with them!" As if he spoke too soon a Meowth, also dressed in a black suit, snuck in. "They are probably just stage crew or something!" Holly said, coming into the conversation. "But maybe I should keep an eye on them! If they do anything suspicious I'll just tell my Dad!" "Why would you tell your Dad?" Ash asked in confusion. "Well my Dad is one of the Pokémon officials at the Pokémon League and is a very well respected man!" Holly explained. "If he knew of anything fishy about this he would take it straight to the higher authorities!" Ash looked up to take another look at the group of black-clad people, but they had gone. Ash shrugged and turned to face the stage. Suddenly, without warning the lights blew. The room became pitch black and all Ash could hear were screams and people reassuring others. "Misty! Brock! Holly!" Ash called out. However, all he could hear were people shuffling around. "Pikachu!" Ash realised Pikachu wasn't on his shoulder. "This must be Team Rocket's doing!" Ash thought furiously. "Just like any of their plans! Shut down the lights, and then in the confusion steal all the pokémon from the trainers." Ash pushed through a group of people. Ash then had a thought. "Charizard! I choose you!" Ash threw a pokéball and as expected Charizard spewed out from the ball in a red flash. "Charizard! Light this place up now!" Ash commanded. Charizard moaned. "Roaaarraa!" (No way!) Ash fell down. "Please Charizard! Just this once!" Charizard frowned. Then he zipped himself back into his pokéball. "Pika!" (Ash!) Ash turned and was hit by a furry body. "Pikachu!" He wailed. "You are all right?" "Pi!" (Yep!) Pikachu squealed. As suddenly as the lights had gone out a light above the stage lit up and everyone faced the stage. On the stage stood a tall dark man with heavy eyebrows and a sinister grin. "If I could have your attention please! We are having technical difficulties and can no longer use this room! If you could please forward quietly towards the door on your right our staff will help with any questions you have." "Hey Ash!" A voice called out. Ash spun around to meet Misty, Brock and Holly. "Hey! We musta got separated!" Brock said. "Where does this door lead?" Holly asked a nearby staff member (the one with blue hair) The staff member grinned. "This door leads to another room which we have set up in an emergency!" he replied. "You knew this was going to happen?" Misty asked suspiciously. "Uhhh...no we didn't know..." "Well then what were you going to do with all the food if the room wasn't going to be used if there wasn't an emergency?" Misty asked. "Well...uhhh..." "Look kid! Do we have to tell you everything?" The pink haired staff member suddenly came up from behind Misty and Holly and shoved them forward. "We have done enough and don't need to be asked so many stupid questions!" As they were pushed into the next room Ash surveyed the area. The room they were in was much smaller than the other room and there was no table covered in food. Instead in the centre there were 5 large, dark grey circles. Ash looked up and saw that the walls were covered in black glass. There was several staff members lined up including the pink haired girl, blue haired boy and the Meowth. As soon as the last person had entered the room the door slammed shut. Everyone turned in surprise. Bars banged down across the door making escape impossible. "What is this?" Misty demanded. Without warning (like everything else) 5 large tubes fell over each of the 5 circles with a loud thud. The staff members circled the crowd. "What is this...who are you?" Ash demanded. "Does prepare for trouble give you any hints?" the pink haired girl whispered harshly. "Huh! It's Team Rocket!" Ash yelled out. That made the crowd gasp. "Prepare for trouble!" "Make it double" "To protect the world from devastation!" "To unit all people within our nation!" "To denounce the evils of truth and love!" "To extend our reach to the stars above!" "Will you fools stop talking and get to work?" a loud angry voice bursted from the speaker. The two staff members fell (anime style) then revealed themselves. "Jesse!" "James!" "I demand you tell me what is going on now!" Ash yelled. "Be quiet twerp!" Jesse snarled holding her clenched fist up to Ash's face menacingly. By now people were shuffling nervously. "Hahahaha!" A loud frightening laugh broke out from the speakers. "Don't be afraid!" a booming voice erupted from the speakers. "These are my mere servants! You may have heard of them! Team Rocket?" at that everyone in the room gasped in unison. "It is hopeless to escape! The walls are stronger than the strongest Pokémon!" he chuckled. "You have nothing else to do but submit to Team Rocket! You are defenceless!" "Giovanni!" a tall, white haired man yelled. "That name! It sounds so familiar!" Ash thought. "What is the meaning of this? You said this was a public affair!" "Shut up you old fool!" Giovanni growled. "Don't you see? Never trust the leader of Team Rocket!" "What you're doing is wrong!" Misty yelled clutching the sides of her dress furiously. "Relax!" Giovanni reassured. "If you follow my acolytes orders I'm sure you will have a party you won't forget." "And we are those acolytes!" James cheered. "You may be his acolytes but Meowth works on his own!" Meowth leapt between Jesse and James and slashed their faces. "So stop wasting time and get back to work!" "Whatever you say I'm not going to do it!" Ash said stubbornly crossing his arms. "You can't do this!" Brock yelled finally speaking out. "Just what are you planning?" Holly asked. Jesse smirked. "None of your little business!" "It is our business! We're the ones being trapped in here!" Misty screamed. Suddenly a commotion in the far corner caused everyone to turn. A man, wearing a pale blue shirt and red trousers, which had been cornered, was holding up his Poké Ball threateningly. "I am NOT going to be caged like this! If you don't let me go I'll call on my Pokémon to knock you criminals out!" The man held out the Poké Ball further. Two TR members were surrounding him making sure they weren't in reach of his Pokéball. "Come any closer I will let my strongest Pokémon!" "Quick grab him!" The two TR members leapt but the man skilfully jumped in time for them to crash into each other and fall in a heap. "Go Onix!" the man tossed the Poké Ball out and the red flash spewed from the opening. The great rock serpent rose high and let out a roar. The man jumped onto the back and steered it towards the glass where he thought Giovanni was sitting. "Onix! Smash that!" He ordered his giant. Onix obeyed and flew towards the glass. Onix lurched closer and shoved guests over each other. With a flick Onix's tail propelled him forward. James looked up to spectate but soon found himself involved as Onix's tail hit him and knocked him down. "Looks like he made a break for it!" James said dazidly. "Get up now! Stop acting stupid!" Jesse screamed. "He doesn't need to act stupid!" Meowth corrected. Jesse lugged James to his feet violently. A loud crash echoed around the room. The Onix has collided with the glass and hadn't even dented it. Onix rose up dumbfounded and shook its massive head. "HA! Fools! Always testing and experimenting with things you clearly know how they will turn out!" Giovanni roared with laughter. "Because of your foolish actions! You can be the one to demonstrate what is going to happen to everyone!" The man stood shocked. Three TR members saw their chance and tackled the man from behind. "Why are you doing this?" the man groaned as the Team Rocket members struggled to keep him still. "Take him to one of the circles and I'll tell our guests what we have planned for them!" Giovanni snickered. "If you direct your eyes to our volunteer you can see he is about to be placed onto one of those circles." Giovanni hissed. The crowd watched as the man was forcefully pushed onto the circle nearest to Ash. "Our Team Rocket Scientists have been working on this project for years! Now we are sure that it's been perfected to the very last detail!" "Very last detail of what?" Misty asked in concern. Giovanni ignored her or couldn't hear her. Suddenly a light somewhere behind the glass blinked on revealing Giovanni sitting in a great red, velvet covered chair. Beside him a gloating Persian rubbed itself against his leg. A door opened from the glass and the chair moved slowly forward making a humming sound that echoed against the walls of the room. The chair stopped and a glass shield made a box around him. The Persian glared over the crowd fiercely. "Dat coulda been me up der!" Meowth said gloomily. "Been with da boss! Eatin' all the food I could handle!" Meowth fantasised. "Cut it out Meowth!" Jesse yelled slapping Meowth across the face. "Yeah Meowth! I'm starting to wonder about you!" James agreed with mocking concern. Giovanni frowned darkly. "As I was saying these "circles have a mechanical mechanism which gives them the ability to descend or ascend." Giovanni nodded and the Team Rocket members pulled a lever. The man looked down. The circle began to fall quickly. "What is this some kinda joke?" the man yelled just before his head disappeared beneath the floor. "In other words! Goes up and down!" Giovanni nodded his head again. This time Jesse pulled out a remote from her pocket. The remote had two buttons on it. A red one and a blue one. Jesse smiled evilly and pushed the blue button. To give you a better view on what's going on I installed a TV to show you what this man will go through as well as the rest of you!" Immediately a Television was lowered from the roof. It showed the room filling up with smoke. The man soon became visible. "In that room our scientists created what will revolutionise Pokémon breeding! I like to call it the atomiser (original name? I don't think so). "So how does this "Atomiser work?" Brock said in keen interest. "We have devised a system that cost millions! You see we select a Pokémon from our computers, then we get the genes from that Pokémon and replace the humans' genes with it. Thus making a new Pokémon ready to battle." On the screen the man looked like he was starting to panic. "Nothing's happening!" Holly pointed out. "Oh yes there is!" Giovanni assured. Ash rubbed his eyes. The man appeared to be getting blurred and his shape was distorting. Ash blinked and soon realised that his eyes were fine. The man looked down and gasped. His hand was shortening into a stumpy kind of foot and his legs were shortening. His back arched as a hump started to grow outwards. The crowd gasped. The man's head started to move closer to his body until it looked as though he didn't have a neck. Next his skin started to change colour. His pale skin seeped into a pale green. Then darker green spots appeared here and there. "It's a Bulbasaur!" Ash watched in awe. Giovanni grinned evilly. Indeed the man was now a healthy looking Bulbasaur. "Bulba?" It looked around quickly. "Then we take the best ones! And destroy the weaker ones!" Giovanni laughed grimly. "This is wrong!" Brock yelled. "And ingenious! This plan worked out so well for the first few guinea pigs that in a few hours I can have all the Pokémon in the world!" "The missing trainers!" Ash whispered to himself in shock "That's the cheaters way out!" Holly fumed. "No!" Giovanni stomped his foot making the Persian jump. "This is Team Rocket's way! And no-one can stop us!" Giovanni threw his head back and laughed loudly. "I still don't get it" Ash started. "Does that mean you could turn me into the rarest Pokémon in the world?" "Ash what kind of question is that! That will happen soon if you don't shut up!" Misty screamed. Giovanni grimaced, his eyes narrowed down to where Ash was standing then spoke very, very calmly. "Ahhhh! The curious type! I know what Pokémon I look forward to turning you into!" Giovanni laughed out loud again. He turned his head sharply and snapped his fingers. From behind Ash two TR members seized him by the shoulders and pushed him forward. "Grab some others too!" Giovanni watched in amusement as Ash struggled to be released from TR's grip. "Why are you taking Ash?" Misty asked angrily. "He is perfect to start my new collection of rare and elusive Pokémon!" Giovanni stroked the Persian as it gloated. "Take his Poké Balls!" Giovanni instructed. "No! Why?" Ash exclaimed but the TR members yanked the Poké Balls from Ash's belt. "Pika pikachu!" (Stop this immediately!) Pikachu squeaked jumping in front of Giovanni. Giovanni looked furiously down at Pikachu. "Piikaachuu!!" (You asked for it!!) Pikachu exploded in a mass of light and electricity. The bolt hit the glass where Giovanni sat gaping. "Good job Pikachu!" Ash commented. The light faded and everyone stared in disbelief. The glass still stood with Giovanni sniggering behind it. "And restrain his Pikachu!" Giovanni waved his hand and James giggled. "Finally!" James pulled on a pair of Yellow rubber gloves and grabbed Pikachu by the waist. Pikachu shot bolts in every direction but James merely slipped a rubber suit over Pikachu's tiny body. Giovanni smiled with content "At last I have that Pikachu! Now you are defenceless!" Ash looked over to the other captives and watched as they were stripped of their Poké Balls. "Place them on the circles!" Giovanni commanded. "Come on kid!" a TR member shoved Ash savagely into the centre of a circle. "I'm not going to do this!" Ash said stubbornly. "You can't make me wha!!" Ash stepped back as a TR member held a gun to his face. "Get back on the circle!" he hissed. "I didn't mean any trouble." A sweat drop seeped down the side of Ash's face as he stepped back onto the circle. "Why don't you catch Pokémon the right way?" Holly gritted her teeth. "Why young lady! If I did that none of you would be here! This is a great opportunity for you to learn more about Pokémon. You can now gain that knowledge!" "He's right!" Brock mumbled. "It is proven by the famous Pokémon Prof. Bill that trainers can learn more about their Pokémon's personality and habits if they become that Pokémon" "But instead of just experimenting here you become that Pokémon forever! And for Team Rocket!" Giovanni raised his voice higher and higher. "There's no way I'm going to be Team Rocket's Pokémon!" Misty growled. Holly's face grew beet-red. She opened and closed her fist. Then without warning Holly lunged forward and grabbed James by the neck. She savagely pulled his head down and seized the gun off the stunned TR member. "Ow lemme go now!" James demanded. "Unhand me you, you" "Shut up!" Holly snarled. "If you don't let these people go I'm going to blow this guy's head off!" "Don't you dare you twerp!" Jesse drew closer but backed off when she saw Holly wasn't joking. "You wouldn't would you?" James whispered quietly to Holly as she jerked him over near Ash. "What? You think I would do that to you?" Holly muttered. "I don't even know how to use a gun!" "Oh that's very reassuring!" James said glumly. Holly stepped backwards onto the circle trying to avoid TR's grasp. "I don't care!" Giovanni muttered as he rolled his eyes in annoyance. "What!" James yelled out in surprise. "Do what you will with him! It's not as if he was a son to me!" "What! How could you?" James asked. "Just think! You'll be going down for Team Rocket!" Holly stared in horror or mostly shock. Giovanni saw is chance and his nodded. That was the cue to lower the circles. As they reached the lever Jesse ran over and whacked them over the head. "No-one turns my partner into a Pokémon!" she screamed. "Oh Jesse!" James sobbed. "That's so touching!" "He's the only one in our group who knows how to cook!" Jesse added. "Hey!" James exclaimed loudly. "Enough!" Giovanni roared! The lever was pulled and the circles, instead of slowly falling, plummeted down into the darkness.
TO BE CONTINUED...
