Chapter 3: No Muchmoney Down

Ash, Agitha, Brock, Misty and their Pokémon friends stopped by a lake where Brock began cooking and Agitha fed crushed fruit to her golden ants and snails. Misty came to Agitha with a question. "I don't mean to ask but why do you have all of these… bugs with you?" she wondered.

"The golden bugs that were collected were gonna be in a ball," Agitha explained. Misty blinked to her answer. "It's the first way of meeting their lifelong partners." Misty gulped to the answer, not sure how to interpret it. Meanwhile, Pikachu heard a shimmer and turned, catching Ash's attention.

"You hear something, Pikachu?" he asked. Pikachu turned to the shimmer and spotted a small pink bulldog running on its hind legs, chasing a green dayfly. It had ribbons by her ears. Ash blinked to the sighting. "It can't be…" Brock and the girls turned to Ash after his gasp.

"What is it, Ash?" asked Brock.

"I think I just saw Madame Muchmoney's Snubbull," he pointed. "And it was chasing one of Agitha's bugs." Others blinked to the discovery.

"A Snubbull?" repeated Agitha.

"Are you sure?" questioned Misty.

"You probably saw a wild Snubbull," dismissed Brock. Ash didn't agree.

"No, I'm sure of it!" he argued. "Wild Snubbull don't have ribbons on them." He now wondered about its presence. Agitha wondered about the name of the Pokémon.

"Can you show me what it looks like?" she requested.

"Sure," Ash allowed as he brought his hand-held back out, pulling the bulldog's picture onto the screen.

"Snubbull, the Fairy Pokémon," it registered. "Snubbull acts fearsome to find the little courage it has. Normally, it's playful to be around." Agitha blinked to the name of the creature.

"Doesn't look too much like a fairy," she studied. "But if it's chasing one of my golden bugs, I gotta know why." Agitha led the charge, except for a problem. Pikachu squeaked to alert the Hylian about the direction and that she trotted the wrong way.

"Agitha, over here!" corrected Ash. Agitha blinked before correcting her pursuit. The Goddess Butterfly hitched a ride on Brock's hair. The group searched and listened for either the Snubbull or the golden bug. "Keep an eye and ear out. We'll know where to look." Out of nowhere, a yelp. Misty turned to the sound.

"This way!" she alerted. All galloped in the direction. There, they found a man in a ragged uniform gasping and on all fours. The kids knew he needed aid.

"Mister, are you okay?" questioned Brock. Looking up, they saw the man's exasperated face and gawked.

"Thank you so much," he gasped with a slight British accent.

"Jeeves?" identified Ash. The man heard the name and remembered the three.

"It's you children!" he realized. "Am I glad that you came. I believe other trainers would not have been so generous." Agitha came to Misty, wanting to know the connection.

"Do you know him?" she whispered.

"Jeeves is Madame Muchmoney's butler," she explained. Brock wondered the ordeal.

"So, are you looking for her Snubbull?" he guessed.

"I am," Jeeves confirmed. "After the Madame's Snubbull ran away, we split in order to search and forage for food. Unfortunately, my canteen's dried up." Agitha reached into her bag and pulled a bottle of milk.

"Here you go," she offered. "A little milk should revitalize you." Jeeves took the bottle and guzzled it in one gulp. He gasped for breath, but felt refresh.

"That most certainly hit the spot," he hiccuped. "I don't recall seeing you the last time." Ash came to help with the ordeal.

"This is-" he started before a Tarzan yell broke. Swinging from a vine was a large middle-aged woman with curly lavender hair and rectangular glasses. She wore a red dress that's dirty and ragged.

"I'm back, Jeeves!" she announced before seeing the rest of the group. "Oh, it's you again!" The trainers gawked to seeing the woman.

"Madame Muchmoney?!" they shrieked. Muchmoney laughed to the surprised looks.

"Of course, it's me!" she eased. "I'm glad to see you once more… and in time for lunch!" She pulled mushrooms from a basket on her back. To Brock, a lunch with the mushrooms gave him an idea.

"Let me rustle that into stew and we'll eat!" Muchmoney handed Brock the mushrooms and he started his cooking. During that time, Ash introduced Agitha to Jeeves and Muchmoney.

"I must say, it's an honor to meet a princess from afar," Muchmoney praised.

"Thank you," Agitha accepted. Hearing her story, Jeeves recalled a moment.

"Now that you mentioned it, I did hear a shimmering prior but thought nothing of it," he thought. "It wasn't something I'd normally hear anyway." This made Ash think about why Snubbull left her owner.

"So, what happened after you made that nature park for Snubbull?" he asked. Muchmoney became worried in an instant.

"You see, after I let Snubbull go and play," she began. "I waited weeks on end for my Snubby-Wubby to return… but she never did. I couldn't sleep, couldn't think… couldn't even eat!" Agitha and Misty felt bad for Muchmoney after hearing the news. "I couldn't take it… So, I had Jeeves take me out to find my Snubbull. We climbed the highest of mountains, we swan the deepest of seas and we crossed the driest of deserts." That's when she flexed muscle. "While we haven't found Snubbull, I did find muscles I never knew I had." Jeeves and the girls somewhat freaked out at it.

"That's not right," they shuttered. Ash recalled a sight prior to looking.

"I did see Snubbull with the big ribbons," he added. Muchmoney turned to Ash, hope renewed.

"You did?" she gasped.

"By the riverbank," Ash pointed. "And it was chasing one of Agitha's golden bugs." Muchmoney felt reenergized.

"So, my Snubby-Wubby's here?" she awed.

"I'm sure it is," Ash reassured. Before he could explain further, the Goddess Butterfly flapped to Muchmoney's person, finding another ribbon. "What's up?" Muchmoney pulled the ribbon out with the Goddess Butterfly riding on it.

"It's an extra ribbon my Snubby wears!" she identified. It gave Agitha an idea.

"I think the Goddess Butterfly might know how to help us," she believed. "May I?" Muchmoney offered the ribbon to the blond. Ash figured her plan.

"Pikachu, see if you can get a scent off this," he instructed. Accepting, Pikachu sniffed the ribbon in Agitha's hand. He then sniffed the air to match the odor. Before long, Pikachu made a discovery.

"You found it?" asked Brock. Pikachu led the way where they found Snubbull a short time later by a tree, holding the pair of dayflies.

"Snubbull!" cheered Muchmoney. Snubbull turned to the group with curiosity. "Oh, my precious Snubby-Wubby!" Before Muchmoney could approach, Jeeves spotted the dayflies.

"Madame, wait a minute!" he urged as he grasped Muchmoney's shoulder. "In its paws…" Agitha gasped, realizing her dayflies were safe.

"You found my dayflies!" she cheered. "This is wonderful!" She brought out her cage with the ants and snails. "I need them. Can I?" Snubbull came to the cage where the dayflies flew off from her paws to the cage. "L'il dayfly, l'il dayfly… I want to take your colorful tail and make the loveliest braid ever…" Ash came over to praise Snubbull for making sure Agitha's golden bugs weren't harmed.

"Thanks for making sure nothing happened to those dayflies, Snubbull," he smiled while petting. Snubbull didn't react except for a bark. Suddenly, Brock turned around, finding Misty a few yards away.

"Misty, those bugs are secured, now," he advised.

"I'm not coming!" she nagged. Ash shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. Agitha became amused to Ash's quick thinking with the Goddess Butterfly's help.

"I think I found my Link…" she muttered with blushing cheeks. Muchmoney saw her face, giggling to knowing the ordeal.

"Princess?" she called. Agitha turned to the affluent woman who waived her with a finger. She reached Muchmoney. "You sound like you're in need of a prince." Now Agitha's face burned red blushing. "I do wish that he was my son at times. It doesn't take much money to have someone be in love with you." Hearing Muchmoney pun her name, Jeeves chuckled to the statement. Muchmoney saw the humor. "Maybe that was a little much." Jeeves eased before speaking.

"Many apologies, Madame," he murmured.

"No need," Muchmoney shrugged. "You may need to… bug him before you come out. Who knows, maybe those butterflies had a reason for you to be here." Agitha giggled to the response. That's when Snubbull found a scent and began to give chase. All saw the Fairy Pokémon run out. "Where's my Snubbull going?" Misty returned and began to follow, Togepi held in her arms.

"Let's go!" she ordered. All followed to find a tank with the chassis forged like a white cat with a gold coin on the head and boxing gloves for arms. To the trainers, trouble appeared.

"It's Team Rocket!" he alerted. The tank turned to the group arriving.

"We've aroused this Snubbull so prepare for trouble," a woman spoke from inside.

"We have an arsenal full, so make it double!" a man added.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people's within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above." The hatch opened where a man and woman emerged, both wearing white uniforms with a red "R" emblem on each.

"Jessie!" announced the crimson redhead. Her hair curled at the end of her long hair.

"And James!" claimed the ice-violet-haired. His hair seemed typical of a normal man's cut.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" The group growled to their appearance.

"Somehow, I'm not surprised you'd show up!" snapped Misty.

"Oh, but you should be!" sneered Jessie. "Since we're gonna take the Snubbull and Pikachu!"

"And we know how to do it!" sneered James as he flung out a fishing line. On the end was a white cat like the tank, but it had paws… and fear on its face.

"Dis isn't what I had in mind about dat Snubbull!" it… or he cried out. This left everyone else puzzled, none more than Agitha.

"A talking cat?" she gulped. Ash itched his head.

"I was kinda wondering where Meowth was," he sighed. Jessie decided to give Snubbull a deal.

"Come on, Snubbull," she pleaded. "I know you want this!" Brock knew as well.

"Snubbull likes to bite Meowth's tail," he realized.

"Don't fall for them, Snubby!" pleaded Muchmoney. Snubbull didn't move.

"What's wrong, Snubbull?" wondered Jessie. "Don't you wanna piece of tail?" Snubbull still didn't move, but she did start to glow. Everyone wondered.

"What's going on?" asked Misty. That's when Snubbull morphed. She grew up, increasing in size. Soon enough, Snubbull became a large lavender bulldog with enormous fangs.

"Snubbull evolved!" gawked Brock. Team Rocket balked to the new Pokémon.

"Dat Snubbull's a Granbull!" shrieked Meowth. Ash grabbed his hand-held and pointed to Granbull. It registered.

"Granbull, the Fairy Pokémon," it computed. "Granbull is the evolved form of Snubbull. Its head is tilted down due to the enormous fangs it grew. In turn, it has a powerful Bite." Granbull growled, making Meowth struggle to free himself. He broke out of the line and rejoined the pair of adults.

"Looks like we can get a grand with the Granbull," Jessie sneered. All three retreated to the tank and turned around. Granbull saw the giant tail and lunged for it.

"Snubby!" cried Muchmoney. Granbull bite the steel tail and held on.

"Granbull may have evolved but she still hasn't gotten over her habit," Brock surveyed. Inside, Jessie had glee.

"Oh, wouldn't it be a shame if Granbull flew from a missile," she teased before hitting a button. The tail disconnected from the tank before flying at Agitha, Granbull still riding. Out of nowhere…

"Look out!" shouted Ash before tackling Agitha out of the path. Muchmoney ran at the missile, still seeing her Pokémon.

"I'm coming, Snubby!" she cried out. However, she's clobbered by her flying Granbull but her newfound build caught Granbull enough to cushion the impact. Both flew off the missile that headed away from everything, but they slammed into a tree. They reeled from the impact. "Is my Snubby-Wubby okay? Or should I say my gruff, tough Granbull?" Her Granbull growled, ready to help out. Agitha and Ash started to rise back to their feet.

"You okay, Agitha?" he asked.

"Yes…" the blond replied with rosy cheeks. Muchmoney decided to strike back.

"Shall we go after them?" she suggested with a wink. Granbull saw the trust with Muchmoney and growled. "Let's go, my Granbull!" With a roar, Granbull charged in. The tank also rushed at the Fairy Pokémon.

"We still have a punch in dis!" scowled Meowth. The punching glove rockets began to ignite. "Fire One! Fire Two!" Both rockets shot out.

"Dodge them!" ordered Muchmoney. Granbull evaded the rockets with ease. "Now, Tackle attack!" Granbull slammed her body into the tank's face. This rattled the tank.

"You're doing great, Madame Muchmoney!" cheered Brock. Muchmoney was ready to finish the bad guys off.

"Now, let's hit them with Dynamic Punch!" she commanded. Granbull wound up her arm that began to glow before delivering a devastating punch that destroyed the control panels. The tank began spinning in circles.

"Stop this spin cycle!" cried James.

"I can't!" claimed Meowth. "Da controls are fried!" After a few spins, the tank hit a tree and stopped. Ash decided to end the charade.

"Pikachu, finish it off with Thunderbolt!" he ordered. Pikachu released a massive blast of electricity, scoring the shot into the hole where the missile launched. It destroyed the tank and sent the group flying.

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they cried. They vanished into the sky. Granbull hugged Muchmoney greatly.

"I'm glad we're together again!" happily cried Muchmoney.

"That's great for you," Misty praised.

"And it's thanks to all of you, even the princess," Muchmoney giggled. Jeeves knew what to do next.

"Madame, shall I get the car?" he asked.

"No, no need," Muchmoney denied. "Granbull and I need our exercise. Let's go, Granbull!" Thrilled, Granbull raced after Muchmoney, humoring everyone. Jeeves now turned to Agitha.

"Princess, I'm certain that you'll find your golden bugs with these lads," he promised.

"Thank you, Sir Jeeves," Agitha replied. Jeeves chased after Muchmoney and Granbull, leaving the group to continue with their journey. Agitha now has three sets of her golden bugs, ¼ of her collection. What will she come across next?

TO BE CONTINUED…