The next morning, Ash was back at Ochre Lake with Brock.
"I still don't think there are any Dratini here," sighed Ash as he reeled in his empty hook for the tenth time. "Maybe I should just get Misty something else." Ash turned to his friend. "What are you getting Misty for her birthday, Brock?"
"I got her a copy of Prima's latest book, Going With The Flow. You know what a big fan Misty is of Prima."
"Yeah, bet she'll like that," Ash said as gathered up his fishing equipment. "I think I'm gonna head back on home."
"But we haven't been here that long, Ash," Brock said. "Why don't you stay here a bit longer?"
"Nahh, I've got chores to do at home. Mom wants me to help her put manure on the garden." Ash wrinkled his nose and made a face. "And Professor Oak said that there was plenty of Tauros manure at his place."
"Well, I'll stay here a little bit longer," said Brock as he tossed his line back into the water. "And if I do catch a Dratini, I'll bring it to you."
"So, the twerp is trying to catch a Dratini to give to his twerpy girlfriend," James whispered as he, Meowth, and Jessie watched Ash from behind a clump of bushes. "That's why he and that psychotic professor were at the lake yesterday."
"Yeah, well good thing they were, otherwise you might not be here now," said Meowth.
James shuddered at the recollection of Ash giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation the day before.
"Shut up, you two," Jessie hissed. "I've got a plan."
---
"This has got to be one of your worst ideas yet, Jessie," Meowth complained as he struggled to fit into a hastily-contructed Dratini costume.
"Just shut up and put the costume on!" Jessie ordered as she and James hurriedly put on fishermen's outfits. "He's coming this way!"
As Ash headed down the path to his house, he was surprised to see two white-bearded fishermen, one with bright red hair and the other with blue hair, dressed in bright yellow raincoats and boots.
"Ahoy, matey!" called the blue-haired fisherman cheerfully to Ash. "Come see what we've caught today!"
"It's a rare Pokémon, one of the rarest water-dwelling Pokémon of all!" the red-haired fisherman told Ash as she flicked her fishing pole and hooked Ash by his jacket.
Eyeing the strange-looking fisherman warily, Ash removed the hook from his jacket. "What kind of Pokémon?"
"I'm glad you asked," continued Fisherman James. "Allow me to present a rare and valuable Dratini!"
With a dramatic flourish, James pushed aside the bushes to reveal a squat, chubby-looking Dratini that appeared to be having a problem keeping its head on straight.
"Now isn't that the most magnificent specimen of a Dratini you've ever seen?" smiled Fisherman Jessie.
Ash made a face. "Aren't Dratini usually skinnier than that?"
"Are you callin' me fat?" said Dratini Meowth angrily.
Fisherman Jessie bopped the offended Dratini on the head. "Quiet, you!"
"This is a super-sized Dratini," James informed Ash. "And for no extra charge!"
"Now if you're interested in this handsome specimen, we'd be willing to trade for it," Jessie smiled as she eyed Pikachu evilly.
Ash thought about it for a moment. Even though he really did want to get Misty a Dratini for her birthday – although the dazed one standing before him did look pretty ragged – he wasn't interested in trading any of his Pokémon for it.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested," Ash said as he started down the path again.
"Wait!" said James as he jumped in front of him to block Ash's way. "Are you sure you wouldn't be interested in trading that cute little Pikachu of yours for a rare jumbo Dratini?"
"No way! I'd never trade my Pikachu for anything!" Ash exclaimed.
"But we would," Jessie said as she reached behind Ash and plucked Pikachu from his shoulders.
"Hey! Give me back my Pikachu!" Ash yelled as Team Rocket started running in the opposite direction.
"Sorry, twerp," Jessie called back. "But we've caught ourselves a Pikachu and we're not throwing it back!"
"That's what you think," Ash said as he reached for one of his Poké balls. "Totodile, I choose you!"
The small blue crocodile Pokémon appeared with a happy cry.
"Totodile, use your Hydro Pump to send those phony fishermen back to the sea!"
A torrent of water shot out of Totodile's mouth and sent Jessie, James, and Meowth reeling. As Pikachu flew out of Jessie's arms, Ash leapt forward and caught his Pokémon before it hit the ground.
"Looks like Team Rocket's sailing away again!"
---
"And be sure to tell your mother that there's plenty more where that came from," Professor Oak smiled as he watched Ash shovel the last scoop of Tauros manure into a wheelbarrow.
Ash grumbled under his breath as he wiped the sweat out of his eyes. "I didn't think there was this much Tauros poop in the whole world," he said as he attempted to lift the wheelbarrow that was piled high with the pungent brown muck.
"Well, it's from your herd of Tauros," Professor Oak said as he helped Ash lift the wheelbarrow's handles. "Got it?"
"Yeah, I think I can make it home now," Ash grunted as he tried to direct the heavy load in the direction of his house.
As Ash struggled down the hill, Team Rocket watched from behind a large rock in the middle of the field where the grass-type Pokémon played.
"There's the twerp," Meowth said, pointing in Ash's direction.
"Let's get him," Jessie said. "I'm going to make him pay for ruining my makeup!"
As Ash attempted to keep the wheelbarrow from tipping over, Jessie, James, and Meowth jumped out from behind a rock.
"Need a hand, twerp?" Jessie sneered as she threw her Poké ball. "Arbok, go!" The huge snake Pokémon appeared with a flash of light. "Arbok, trip up that twerp!"
Arbok wrapped its tail around Ash's legs and sent him crashing to the ground. Ash lost his grip on the wheelbarrow, and it started rolling out of control down the hill. Ash gasped in horror as he saw the wheelbarrow heading straight for his house and quickly reached for a Poké ball. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"
The grass-type Pokémon appeared with a cry. "Bulbasaur!"
"Bulbasaur, use your Vine Whip to grab that wheelbarrow!"
Thick vines shot out from the bulb on the Pokémon's back and wrapped around the handles of the wheelbarrow. The wheelbarrow screeched to a stop and then flipped backwards into the air.
"Oh no," James whimpered as he watched the wheelbarrow and its contents head in his direction. There was a loud "clang" as the wheelbarrow hit Arbok on the head, knocking it out. Then manure rained down on Team Rocket from all directions.
"I've heard of Mud Slap attacks, but this is the first time I've been attacked by a Muck Slap!" Meowth said as he ran for cover.
"Stop!" Jessie screeched as she ran from the flying droppings. Not watching where she was going, she tripped over a protruding tree root and fell face first into a Vileplume's flower.
"Vileplume!" the Pokémon said angrily as it released its Stun Spore, sending a struggling Jessie flying out in a cloud of sparkling dust.
"Oh no," Jessie sighed as she landed on the ground in a large pile of manure and immediately fell over in a dead faint.
"Jessie! What did you do to…" James was interrupted mid-sentence as he was hit in the mouth by a flying Tauros dropping. Sputtering and spitting, James fell to his knees and was then pelted repeatedly by more flying Tauros manure.
Ash, who had managed to dodge most of the wheelbarrow's contents, scrambled to his feet just as Brock appeared over the hill.
"Hey, Ash, you left your tackle…" Brock then was hit in the face by a Tauros dropping and fell over backwards.
"What in the world is going on here?" Professor Oak asked as he came running down the hill and narrowly avoided being hit by the flying contents of the wheelbarrow.
"That's what's going on, Professor!" Ash said, pointing in the direction of the muck-covered Team Rocket. "Team Rocket's up to their old tricks again!"
"What are you doing back here?" Professor Oak demanded.
At the sight of Professor Oak, James scrambled to his feet and threw himself over Jessie's crumpled body. "Not you again! Don't come near me, you crazy old man!"
By now, the group was joined by Tracey and Misty, who had been looking at the baby Bellsprouts nearby and heard the commotion.
"Oh no, not them again," Tracey sighed at the sight of the three manure-covered members of Team Rocket.
Misty wrinkled her nose and then pinched it shut. "Phew! I always said that Team Rocket stinks, but this just proves my point."
Professor Oak, who by now had time to survey the situation, pointed in Arbok's direction. "Tracey, go see if that Pokémon needs some medical attention."
As Tracey bent over Jessie's Pokémon, the dazed purple snake disappeared in a flash of light.
"I won't let you hurt Jessie's Pokémon either," James said as he recalled Arbok into one of his empty Poké balls.
"What's wrong with Jessie?" Misty asked Ash.
"I'll tell ya' what's wrong," a filthy Meowth said as he appeared from underneath a bush. "That nasty Vileplume over there gave Jessie a snootful of Stun Spore!"
"Stay away from her!" James ordered as Professor Oak took a step in Jessie's direction. "I don't trust you after what you tried to do to me last night!"
Wiping the manure from his face, Brock stood up and then knelt down next to Jessie. "She's burning up," he reported as he felt her forehead.
"Is this the first time she's been exposed to Stun Spore?" Professor Oak asked James.
"No," Misty replied. "She ran into some the same time Ash and Tracey did when we were in the Orange Islands. Although the fever didn't hit them this fast the last time."
"That's because the first exposure to Stun Spore acts as a sensitizing dose," Professor Oak explained. "Subsequent exposures cause more severe symptoms with a faster onset."
"We have some salveo weed in the lab, don't we, Professor?" Tracey asked.
"Yes, but I think some extract would be faster," Professor Oak replied. "Tracey, run back to the lab and draw up one cc of Stun Spore antidote."
"You got it, Professor," Tracey said as he ran back to the laboratory. A minute later he returned with a syringe in his hand.
"Thanks, Tracey," Professor Oak said as he took the syringe from his assistant and knelt next to Jessie. As he reached into the pocket of his lab coat and produced a pair of rubber gloves, James shrieked in terror.
"Not the gloves! Stay away from me!" James ran and cowered behind a nearby tree trunk.
"What's his problem?" a confused Brock asked.
"I'll explain it to you later, Brock," said Ash. "And believe me, it's pretty gross."
"Hold her arm for me, will you, Brock?" Professor Oak asked as he inspected the contents of the syringe.
"Hey, Professor, what are you gonna do with that needle?" Meowth asked nervously. "Aren't you gonna give Jessie some salveo weed tea?"
"Normally I would, but since your friend is unconscious, she can't drink anything. I'm going to have to administer it intravenously."
"Intra-what? What does that mean?" Meowth asked.
"This," Professor Oak said as he stuck the syringe's needle into Jessie's arm and proceeded to inject the antidote.
Meowth screamed. "Yahh! I hate needles!" He then fell over in a dead faint.
"Wha-what's going on?" Jessie asked weakly as her eyelids fluttered open.
"Jess! You're alive!" James exclaimed happily as he emerged from his hiding place behind the tree. "The crazy professor didn't try to kill you, after all!"
Brock gave James a funny look. "Who's calling who crazy?"
"James, what's going on? And why do you smell like a barn?" Jessie asked as her partner knelt down next to her and cradled her in his arms.
"I'll tell you what's going on," Ash said. "You creeps tried to steal my Pikachu earlier and you nearly sent a load of Tauros manure crashing into my house!"
"Well, we wouldn't have had to do those things if you had just given us your Piakchu in the first place," Jessie retorted as she slowly got to her feet with some assistance from James. "You were the one who wanted a Dratini so badly for your twerpy girlfriend."
"Girlfriend? Dratini? What's she talking about, Ash?" Misty asked.
"Uh, she must still be dazed from the Stun Spore," Ash gulped hastily.
"We'll make a deal with you," Jessie said as she tried to brush the manure off of her clothes. "Give us your Pikachu, and we'll give you a Dratini."
"How about we make a deal with you?" Tracey said. "You get out of here, and we'll give you Meowth back?"
Jessie and James turned around and saw that Tracey was holding a semiconscious Meowth in his arms.
"No fair!" James protested. "We're supposed to be the ones doing the dirty dealing, not you!"
"Hmm, Meowth doesn't look too good to me," Professor Oak said as he stood up. "Maybe I ought to examine him."
"YAHHHH!" James screamed, recalling how Professor Oak tried to "examine" him the night before. "You're not coming near Meowth with those gloves on!" James snatched Meowth out of Tracey's arms and took off down the hill with a slightly wobbly Jessie trailing along behind them.
"I don't get it," said Brock as Ash and Tracey started snickering. "What's his problem?"
"Lemme explain it to you Brock," Ash said as they watched Team Rocket disappear over the horizon. "Although you probably really don't wanna know what those rubber gloves are used for."