2
"So what are you doing here? What have you been up to? WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WERE COMING?" Dawn wailed. If her temper had gotten any hotter, steam might have billowed from her ears.
"Hah, sorry, I guess I got caught up in the thought of an adventure, and I kind of rushed off and didn't tell anyone!" replied May. Her face was turning a pale rose from the shock of Dawn's outburst.
"Yeah, that's kind of how I was when I heard about this place," chimed Ash.
"Okay, I guess," sighed Dawn in an exasperated tone.
"I guess all those travels with you rubbed off on me, Ash," May teased.
"So, Dawn…May," Ash said with a pause. "Is there a lab here in town?"
"Actually, yeah, Ash." May responded. "Professor Fern's lab isn't far from here."
"Cool! I wonder if he has any cool starter Pokémon to show us!"
May and Dawn quickly looked at each other, sharing an awkward stare.
"Uhm, Ash…" Dawn stammered.
"Professor Fern is…uh…" May continued, fumbling her words.
"She's kind of…a girl," Dawn finished.
"She's a—?" Ash howled, but was interrupted by a tall, slender woman walking up to them.
"Were you looking for the Pokémon lab?" asked the woman jovially.
"Why, yes, Ma'am," replied May. "Are you…?"
"Why, yes, I'm Professor Fern. Pleased to meet you!"
"Pleased to meet you too, Professor. I'm May. This is Dawn, and this is—" May looked over and saw Ash, his face getting beet red as he continued to slouch in embarrassment. "Awkward," she mouthed to herself.
Professor Fern chuckled. "No worries!" she said. "Wouldn't be the first time that's happened!" As she reassured him, Ash started to regain his former composure. "If I'm not mistaken, you're Ash, right?"
"Why, yeah," Ash murmured. "How'd you know?"
"Professor Oak told me you would be coming, so I headed out to see if you all came on the train that just arrived. Feel free to come with me to my lab."
Fern showed them the way to a tall, dated building. The laboratory was lined with bookshelves overstocked with old books. The ceiling was so high that it looked like it might touch the clouds. Clear glass panels made up the ceiling, and the sun was shining through. It felt more like a greenhouse than a laboratory.
"Alright, first things first. I want to show this to you," Fern explained. She unfolded a large piece of paper. "This is a map of the Obella region. As you can see," she continued, pointing to one of the edges of the paper. "The Obella region is not far from the outskirts of the Sinnoh region. As a result, you are going to find a lot of Pokémon with which you may already be familiar."
"Oh, cool!" exclaimed Dawn. "So we'll see a lot of Pokémon that we're already used to?"
"Correct!" replied Fern. "Though, there are a few new species you may not yet know of, the majority of Pokémon you will find, you will have known from your travels in Sinnoh."
"Do you have any starter Pokémon you could show us?" asked Ash eagerly.
"I don't see why not, Ash," Fern answered. "Here are the three starter Pokémon that we use here in Obella." She reached into a nearby desk drawer and pulled out three Pokéballs. "First, Calfern, I choose you!" She tossed one of the balls into the air, and with a bright flash, it burst open to reveal a small cow-like creature with leaves branching from its horns and tail. Upon seeing the crowd around it, its huge eyes glistened as if it was going to cry.
"Awh, you're so cute!" exclaimed Dawn, trying to pick it up. Startled, it jumped behind Fern's feet.
"No offense, this one's kind of shy," explained Fern. "Here, how about the next one? Fleel, come on out!" With a flash identical to the last, out came a snake-like creature with a collar of flames around its neck. Its tail glowed a faint red, giving off a puff of smoke.
"That's a neat one," Ash declared enthusiastically. Fleel stood up a little straighter, giving off a smug expression.
"And now, the last one, come out, Pontode!" Like the other two, this Pokéball revealed a small, warty frog-like creature that stood on two legs. Its black beady eyes glistened in the sunlight.
"It looks kind of like a Poliwag!" shrieked May. "…But uglier."
At that moment, Pontode shot May a toxic stare, launching a ball of mud from its mouth that hit May squarely in the face. May wiped her eyes and noted the three new Pokémon laughing at her.
"Looks like you have a new buddy, May," jested Ash. The room burst into a raucous laughter.
"Well, those are the Pokémon we give to new trainers to start their journey," Fern stated in a matter-of-fact manner. "I see you two have your Pokémon…but May, you already have Pokémon with you, don't you?"
"Yeah, I have a Skitty," May chimed.
"I guess you should be alright, then. One last thing: I have new Pokédexes for everyone!" Fern announced. "May, Dawn, Ash, here you go!"
"Why, thanks, Professor!" said the three in perfect unison.
"Enjoy yourselves out there, and good luck!" called Fern as the three walked out of the lab, ready to hit the trail.
As Ash, Dawn, and May ventured away from the lab and out of the town, three masked figures crept around the side of the lab. Though their faces were completely hidden, one was a tall woman with long red hair, pulled back, that extended all the way to her waist. Another of the figures could not have measured much more than a foot tall. The third was much less distinguishable compared to the other two, but was carrying a large cloth sack that was filled to the brim.
"How much farther to base?" asked the woman.
"Quiet, Jess," replied the figure holding the sack. "Let's keep going."
As they rounded the lab, the shortest figure caught a glimpse of the silhouettes of Dawn, Ash, and May as they passed beyond the town gates. He paused, wiped his eyes to make sure he was not imagining things, and took one last look.
"Psst, guys," whispered the short figure. "You won't believe what I'm seein'."
"What is it, Meowth?" snapped the figure holding the sack.
"Over there!"
The sack-holding figure looked over where Meowth was pointing. Out of a mixture of shock and disbelief, he nearly dropped the sack. He ripped off his mask, revealing a young man with long, lavender hair.
"I don't believe it," said the man with a dropped jaw. "Jessie, look over there."
The woman turned to face the same direction as the other two. She started to shriek, but the man clasped his hand over her mouth.
"This must be our lucky day!" Jessie whispered sharply. "It must be the twerps!"
"How long has it been since we last saw them?" the man inquired.
"Years!" Meowth replied.
"Do you know what I'm thinking, James?" Jessie asked.
"What is it, Jessie?" James asked cautiously.
"During these last few years, we've made quite a name for ourselves stealing Pokémon without twerp interference," Jessie asserted. "Using what we've learned, can you imagine the spoils we would get if we were to actually catch Pikachu this time?"
"Can you imagine how much that Pikachu will spoil our spoils if we get caught by the twerps again? There's a reason we've never succeeded," James snapped.
"You risk big, you win big, I say," Meowth replied confidently. "We're not the same losers we were back then! Besides, it'll do us good to get them goodie-two-shoes out of our way once and for all!"
"For a stupid cat, your logic is impeccable, Meowth! All aboard the catch-a-Pikachu bandwagon!" James exclaimed.
"Catch a Pika, earn our keep-a!" Jessie, James, and Meowth rejoiced in unison.
"—Excuse me, is somebody there?" a distant voice called.
"Oof! We spoke too soon! Let's get out of here!" James shouted. Team Rocket, blast off!
Not a moment later, they bolted away and out of sight.
The several hours that had elapsed since Ash, Dawn, and May left Professor Fern's lab left them wandering a heavily wooded forest. Feeling the effects of the already exhausting journey, Dawn started to slump to her knees.
"Dawn, are you okay?" asked Ash, his voice filled with concern.
"Yeah, no need to worry," answered Dawn weakly. "But is there a Pokémon center nearby? I need a break."
"Let me check," replied May, who was fidgeting with a device she pulled from her pack. "There should be a Pokémon center just beyond these woods. We can rest there."
"Alright." Dawn pulled herself to her feet. "Let's get going."
A few minutes later, the three came to a clearing in the forest. In the horizon, they could see a Pokémon center at the top of a hill.
"It's right there!" May cried.
"Come on, let's get there quick!" Ash shouted. Within a matter of minutes, they arrived at the entry door. Ash firmly seized the handle, and the heavy door creaked open.
Inside the center, Ash gazed around a large room that resembled a hospital lobby. Against the far wall, there was a young lady in a nurse's cap working at a computer stationed at a tall counter. She peered over and saw him approach.
"Hello, and welcome to the Route 301 Pokémon center," the lady cheerfully chimed. "How may I help you?"
"Nurse Joy, is there a chance you have a room available?" asked Ash. "My friend here, Dawn…she's really exhausted and could use some rest," he continued, gesturing towards Dawn, who was standing directly behind him.
"Say, you do look rather tired, Dawn," Nurse Joy replied with a concerned expression on her face. "I'll set you three up with some beds right away," she finished, and walked out of the room. Several minutes later, she returned to the lobby. "Everything's set up, so feel free to check out your rooms. They're the first three down the hall, on the left."
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," all three gleamed in unison, and they bounded down the hall.
Dawn's room was the first room. She swung the door wide open and dove into the bed. "This bed feels so good!" she exclaimed, squeezing the pillow in her arms. "I could go to sleep right now!"
One room over, May paced around her room. "This is really quite nice." She walked over to a desk in the corner and laid her pack out. "Hey, Ash!" she called. "How is your room?"
"Sweet, May," Ash called back. "How's yours?"
"It's great! How about yours, Dawn?"
There was no response. May walked over and peeked into Dawn's room. Dawn was fast asleep.
Ash walked over, stopping just behind May. He glanced over her shoulder at the snoring Dawn. "She sure found her favorite spot, huh?"
"Hah, yeah, no kidding!" May laughed.
Suddenly Nurse Joy entered into the hallway. "Did you find everything alright?"
Both May and Ash turned their heads to face Dawn. Curious, Joy looked in the same direction.
"Well, I guess that answers that!" Joy giggled. "If you need anything, I'll be in the lobby. Feel free to spend the night here." Nurse Joy turned back down the hall and through the doorway.
"Thanks again, Nurse Joy!" May called.
Further down the hall, something caught Ash's attention. "Hey, May," Ash called to her. "Check this out." May wandered over to see the object of Ash's interest. At the very end of the hallway, there was a small poster on the wall.
"A poster?" May said curiously. "For a Pokémon Contest!"
"Where is it?" Ash asked.
"It says in Sungleam Town," May stated. She quickly snuck to her room, grabbing her pack. As she walked back, she dug through her pack and pulled out a small device. "Let's see, according to this map, Sungleam Town is the next town," she said, putting the device back in her pack. "The best part is, it's not far from here!"
"Alright!" Exclaimed Ash. "Your and Dawn's first contest!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Chanted May. "I'm excited already!"
"We'll need to get you some new Pokémon," commented Ash.
"Yeah," acknowledged May. Her excited expression started to wane. "That's true…"
"Why don't we start now, while Dawn's getting some rest?" suggested Ash.
"Great idea! Let's go!"
"Yeah! Come on, Pikachu!" Ash hollered as he ran towards the door.
As the two bolted into the woods next to the center, off in the distance, a shrub started to shake. Out from behind it jumped three figures: Jessie, James, and Meowth.
"It's a twerp, over there!" Shouted Jessie, pointing near the Pokémon center.
"Let's high-tail it after them, pronto!" Meowth barked.
"Aye, aye!" Cried James, quickly running off towards the Pokémon center.
Meanwhile, Ash and May dashed through a lightly wooded area, stopping at a small stream. Out of the corner of her eye, May caught a glimpse of something. Several yards downstream, she spotted a small, black wolf-like creature.
"Over there!" cried May. The creature spun to face her, glaring at her with blood-red eyes. "I wonder what it is?"
Ash quickly whipped out the Pokédex he got from Professor Fern. He stroked several buttons in quick succession, and a small computerized voice started to emanate from the Pokédex.
"Snuppy, the Tinywolf Pokémon. Snuppy tend to travel in packs. When threatened, they will fearlessly hunt down any intruder."
"So that's a Snuppy, eh?" said May quietly. "It's so cute. I'm going to catch it!"
Snuppy took a step back, baring its teeth.
"Uh, May," Ash stuttered hesitantly. "Didn't Dexter say…that it tends to travel in…packs?"
"Uh…yeah," May whimpered fearfully. "That means—"May glanced over to see dozens of Snuppy lining the woods, hundreds of blood-red eyes staring.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, May?" Ash stammered timidly.
"I..uh, I think so."
"RUN!" Ash and May screamed, taking off back through the woods. The pack of Snuppy bolted after them, howling and barking.
Ash and May continued racing through the woods, desperate to make it back to the Pokémon center in one piece. May glanced back to see the pack of feral Snuppy gaining on them.
"Faster, Ash!" May shrieked. "I'm too young to die!"
"Almost…there!" yelled Ash, straining for every bit of speed his legs could muster.
As they burst through the last of the woods, Ash heard a loud crash. Startled, he turned around to see smoke billowing from the path they had just crossed. Suddenly a large hot air balloon rose from the cloude of smoke. Jessie, James and Meowth were all aboard.
"What's going on?" screamed Ash.
"Why bother asking 'who goes there?'" Jessie taunted.
"Just try and find out, if you dare!" James mocked, trading lines with Jessie.
"Presenting an ever imminent threat!"
"I must say this time, your match, you've met!"
"The fairest flame, Jessie!"
"And the cold converse, I am James!"
"Meowth's my name," Meowth teased.
"The baddest bunch under the sun!" Jessie piped.
"We're team Rocket!" James proclaimed.
"Causing trouble..." Meowth interrupted.
"…Three for one!" Jessie, James, and Meowth cackled together.
Ash dropped his jaw in disbelief. "It can't be!" he yelled.
"Oh, why not?" Jessie said mockingly. "We've been gone a while making quite the name for ourselves and Team Rocket, so why not take a break to chase you twerps around and bag us a Pikachu? It'll only earn us even more fame and fortune!"
"Don't you know it's only going to end the same way as the last million or so times you've tried to give us grief?" snapped May angrily.
"But oh, you silly twerps haven't met up with our newest line of gadgets," taunted Meowth. "Feast your eyes on this!" Meowth pulled out a small remote and mashed several buttons. A large net shot from the base of the balloon and started to sweep up the pack of Snuppy that had congregated below it.
"No, Snuppy!" May cried. She reached back and pulled a Pokéball from her belt. "We'll save you! Skitty, come out and use Doubleslap to launch Pikachu onto the net!" As she hurled the capsule into the sky, Pikachu leaped from Ash's shoulder next to the soaring Pokéball. As it exploded, releasing Skitty, Skitty flung its tail in Pikachu's direction, sending it barreling towards the net of Snuppy.
"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash screamed, and as Pikachu neared the net, its tail glowed a hot white.
Pikachu swung its tail in a sweeping arc and sliced the net cleanly open, releasing all of the Snuppy that had been trapped moments before. They scattered in every direction for safety.
"Alright, now, Pikachu, use Electro Ball!" Ash commanded once more. A glowing ball of energy formed at the tip of Pikachu's tail, and with a mighty swing, Pikachu hurled the orb towards the hot air balloon.
Realizing the potential for a powerful combination attack, May jumped back into the fray. "Skitty, use Blizzard now!" Skitty inhaled deeply, and when it exhaled, it launched a fierce beam of snow and ice into the sky. The storm soon matched Pikachu's floating Electro Ball in pace, and the two attacks cleanly collided with the balloon, tearing it to shreds. As the air escaped from the balloon, it flew wildly through the air. From the distance, everyone could hear Team Rocket's frantic crying.
"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" A moment later, there was no sight of the malevolent trio.
May ran over to the crowd of frightened Snuppy, she crouched down to get to the pack of Snuppy's eye level. "Are you all okay?" she asked in a motherly tone. They all looked back at her thankfully and let out a collective howl. Behind them, the door to the Pokémon center flew open, revealing a frantic Dawn sprinting towards the group.
"What was that? Is everyone okay?" Dawn blurted. "I woke up when I heard a huge explosion!"
"We're fine, Dawn," reassured May. "But Team Rocket…they're back, and they came to steal Pikachu and all these Snuppy!"
Dawn let out a shocked gasp. "That's terrible! But it's good to see you're alright."
One of the Snuppy walked out from the crowd and bumped May on the leg. She turned to face it, and at that moment, Snuppy let out a soft whimper.
"Why, you're welcome, Snuppy!" she exclaimed, reaching down and petting it on the head.
"Say, May, isn't that the Snuppy we found at the stream?" asked Ash. Snuppy let out an excited bark.
"Haha, May, I think it wants to battle you!" Dawn asserted.
"Oh, is that true?" asked May, turning to Snuppy. It winked gleefully at her. "If it's a battle you want, it's a battle you'll get!" said May with a determined stare. Within the blink of an eye, Snuppy bolted back several paces and stopped to face her, its eyes locking onto hers.
May reached for her Pokéball, flinging it squarely between Snuppy and herself. "Skitty, come on out!"
Skitty leaped from its Pokéball and landed, locking eyes with the opposing Snuppy before even touching the ground. A tense silence fell over the field before it was abruptly broken when Snuppy charged across the field, gunning straight for Skitty. Skitty gracefully dodged Snuppy's vicious Tackle before turning to launch an assault of its own.
"Skitty, use Doubleslap!" commanded May. With an intense burst of speed, Skitty lunged towards Snuppy, swinging its twin tails in a wild full-circle, landing a clean hit across Snuppy's jaw. It continued its assault, each subsequent hit landing with more and more intensity.
"Alright, follow up with Blizzard!" barked an even more determined May. Immediately after landing its final Doubleslap, Skitty exhaled its trademark gale, catching Snuppy off guard and freezing it in its tracks.
"Alright, since it can't move, finish up with Tackle!" With even more speed than its initial onslaught, Skitty charged at Snuppy, colliding with Snuppy's chest with a deafening crash and sending it flailing back before it smashed into the ground and skidded to a halt. Seizing her opportunity, May reached back for an empty Pokéball and threw it towards the dazed Snuppy.
"Go, Pokéball!" May cried as she hurled the capsule towards Snuppy. With a faint click, it nicked Snuppy on the head, engulfing it in a glowing red light, which promptly whisked into the Pokéball. The capture seemed as inevitable as it did textbook, but May knew she was not out of the woods yet. Slowly, the ball started to vibrate. Then, it started to hum with a faint pulse.
Once. Twice. Three times it moved.
Four times.
Five.
Finally, on the sixth hum, the Pokéball clicked, stopping in its tracks. May ran over and picked up the still Pokéball and raised it high in the air in a triumphant thrust.
"I did it! I caught a Snuppy! My first Pokémon in the Obella region!" May cried.
"Great job, May, that's awesome!" exclaimed the equally excited Dawn.
"That was a great catch, May!" exalted Ash.
"Thank you both!" May gleamed. "Boy, that was exhausting, though. How about we go back to the Pokémon center and call it a day?"
"Yeah, me too. I'm wiped," moaned Ash.
"But I just got up!" Whined Dawn half-jokingly.
"Well, I guess you'll just be extra rested come tomorrow!" teased Ash. "Let's go inside. We'll be in Sungleam Town tomorrow, and after that, your first contest! You gotta be in top form for that, you know!"
"Hmm, alright. Sungleam town, here we come!" Dawn shouted, running through the Pokémon center door.
