Pinky expected to see the trees around him disappearing behind the gas. He shook Abra off when he saw, instead, the white siding of a house. Perry blinked in confusion. How did they get back to Baljeet's front yard?

The door to the house beside them opened and voices foreshadowed the exiting children.

"Is Buford really that tough?" Perry recognized Phineas's voice.

"Yes," Baljeet responded, "But he can be reckless when battling. He gets incompetent when he lands a few good hits. He believes he will win, but most of the time, he does not. Some of his challengers figure this out. Others just get lucky."

"Hey, Perry," Phineas greeted his Poliwag, "Thanks for the advice Baljeet, and for lunch."

Baljeet shrugged with a smile, "I am happy to have assisted you. Allow me to escort you to the Gym as well. Follow me."

Phineas nodded, letting Baljeet take the lead, "Come on, Perry! Our first Gym battle awaits."

Perry ran to the space between Ferb and Phineas, excited for the coming battle. Isabella called Pinky to her side as she followed the boys to the Pewter City Gym.

Norm pulled Heinz, who was still sleeping from the earlier battle, behind him as he entered Pewter City. Norm looked around at the buildings. "It looks like such a dreary place. I wonder what it has in store for us." Norm dropped Heinz legs, sliding his way to the man's head.

"Mr. Doofenshmirtz, sir! We reached Pewter City! It's time to wake up now!"

Heinz opened an eye and stared at Norm with it, "You're an eyesore, you know that?"

"Thank you, sir! I take that as a compliment!" Norm said, keeping optimistic.

Heinz sighed and sat up. He dusted off the dirt on his white trench coat, as his eye caught a glint of sunlight reflecting off of something in the bushes on the side of the road. He looked and saw, hidden behind bushes and trees, a piece of scrap metal. Heinz rose to see it clearer. He pushed some bushes out of his view and grinned.

Not only was their scrap metal there, but wood, screws, nails, hammers, wrenches; just about everything one would need to build something elaborate.

Four children gazed up at the huge representation of the Boulder Badge above the doors of the Pewter City Gym.

"Wow. That's a big badge," Phineas noted, "Why is it called the Boulder Badge if Buford uses Fighting type Pokemon?"

Baljeet sighed in disapproval, "Buford is more of the physical confrontation type. He prefers Fighting types over the usual Rock types Pewter City is famous for."

"Why is he even the Gym leader?" Isabella questioned, "You said you two were friends, right? He can't be old enough to take the responsibility."

"Eh-uh," Baljeet waggled his finger and shook his head, "We are not friends. I will not be friends with a bully."

Phineas tilted his head to the side, confused, "So you're not friends, but you hang out together?"

Baljeet smiled, amused, "Yes, it can be a confusing concept, but Buford and I are the outcasts in town. I know almost everything there is to know about Pokemon. If it's in a textbook, I know it! Buford, on the other hand, has a tendency to use his strength to speak. We stick together because of our differences, even when we can't stand each other. Which, unfortunately for me, is quite often for him."

"You should stand up to him," Isabella told Baljeet, "You shouldn't let him bully you around."

Phineas nodded, "I have to agree with her, Baljeet."

Baljeet rolled his eyes, "Of course you agree! Isabella is naturally headstrong, while you and Ferb are from a very small town. You wouldn't have any trouble with bullies. Pewter City is bigger, it has more people."

Phineas was about to argue when the front door to the Gym opened, revealing a hefty older boy. "Hey, Baljeet! You hadn't seen my dad walkin' into town did'ja?"

Baljeet shook his head, "I'm sorry, Buford, he hasn't come yet."

Buford sighed deeply, "Alright." He turned to Phineas, Ferb, and Isabella, "So, I suppose you're here for a battle arn't ya? Well I ain't taking any more challenges. I ain't the Gym Leader so it ain't my responsibility."

Baljeet stared at Buford, astonished, "Buford!"

"I've had it, man!" Buford shouted furiously, "I'm not doin' this anymore! People will just have to wait for my dad to get back. Whenever that will be. At this point I don't even want him back." He stormed off, hands clenched and back hunched.

Perry and Pinky exchanged a confused glance.

"Maybe we should come back later?" Phineas suggested. Baljeet scratched his head. He sounded distracted, "Uh, yeah. I'll meet up with you guys later, okay?"

Phineas watched him run off after Buford. He exchanged glances with Isabella and Ferb.

"Poliwag!" Perry yowled in surprise.

The three children turned to find a robot towering above them. In the head of it, was Heinz. "Prepare to be separated from your Poliwag, boys!" Heinz laughed evilly.

Baljeet ran up behind Buford, "Buford! Wait!" He didn't stop. "Buford, I know this is hard on you, but you made a promise."

Buford turned on Baljeet, "Don't give me that! I'll do what I like, and I DON'T like being the Gym Leader."

"You did at first," Baljeet reminded him, "You were proud to be in your father's place."

"He's not coming back, Baljeet. I've accepted that," he turned and continued to walk away, "He's not even your father, and you can't even do that."

"He's as close to a father as I've ever had," Baljeet admitted. His words made Buford pause. "You know I've never known my own father. Be happy you know your father. You should believe in him. You should believe that he will come back."

"He left of his own accord," Buford argued, "All he left was a note."

Baljeet rolled his eyes and groaned, "How long are you going to dwell on that?"

"That's it, nerd," Buford grabbed Baljeet's underwear and pulled it over his head. "Don't bring it up again."

Baljeet stood alone in the street with his underwear over his head. Sighing, he made his way home, tugging his underwear off of his head and back into his pants.

Buford returned to his home as well. He went straight for the pond in his backyard. He sat beside it, gazing into it, waiting. A giant fish broke out of the water, spraying

Buford with drops. He laughed a little at the Magicarp. "Hey, Biff. How are ya?"

"Magicarp."

Buford smiled for the first time that day. Biff always cheered him up. "Dad still isn't back yet. Do you think he'll come back?"

Biff was silent. It didn't make Buford feel any better about the situation. Buford sighed, resting his chin in his hands. Biff hid in the water once more.

"Buford!"

Buford sighed and turned to see Baljeet with his Abra. He must have used Teleport to get here.

"You know how tolerant I am of you, but this is going too far. I can't allow you to wallow in self pity because your father hasn't returned yet."

Buford narrowed his eyes at Baljeet, "So what do you want me to do? Keep letting Mankey and Machop get beat up by other trainers?"

Baljeet shook his head, sitting down beside Buford, "I think you should go out and find him yourself."

Buford rolled his eyes, "Yeah, 'cause either of us know where he is."

Baljeet shrugged, "It's worth a try."

"And what will you do? Stay here and get bullied by everyone else?" Buford questioned.

"Those trainers that came to challenge you," Baljeet answered, "we could go with them. I've already been asked to join them. I haven't given them an answer yet."

Buford listened, curious where Baljeet was going.

Baljeet continued, "You and I, we stick together because we are better together than alone. Phineas and Ferb are good together because they are close brothers with the same dream. Isabella and Pinky stay together because they have both experienced hardship and overcome it together. People are better off together than alone."

"So you're just going to up and leave your mother alone?" Buford accused.

Baljeet groaned in frustration, "No! My mother actually approves of it. She thinks I need to get out of the city. I study too much apparently."

Buford grinned, "Yeah, you do. But it's not a bad thing. I wouldn't have kept Biff if I you hadn't told me he would eventually evolve into a Gyarados."

Baljeet looked into the pool, "One of the strongest Pokemon in the world."

Silence took over as they watched Biff in the pond swimming back and forth. Buford sighed in defeat, "So, Phineas and Ferb, huh?"

Baljeet smirked at Buford, slightly surprised he had actually convinced the bully.

Meanwhile, back at the Pewter City Gym...

The robot, tall, round, and silver, reached down towards the children and Pokemon. Phineas, Isabella, and Pinky jumped one way, while Ferb and Perry jumped another way. The robot failed to grab Perry, but it changed its direction and headed straight for the Poliwag. Ferb took Perry in his arms, holding him tightly. Heinz cackled inside the robot.

"Not giving it up, huh? Well, I guess I'll just take the both of you! Because, you know, the more the merrier."

"No!" Phineas yelled. The robot reached down, lifting Ferb off the ground. Heinz turned the robot around and sped off out of the city, leaving Phineas, Isabella, and

Pinky racing after it, trailing farther and farther behind. At the edge of town, the three had lost sight of the robot, unsure where it went.

Phineas fell to his knees, "I can't believe it, first Perry, now Ferb, too. What did we ever do to him?"

Isabella rested her hand on Phineas's shoulder. He didn't respond, just stared into the forest.

To Be Continued...