A/N For copyright stuff see Chapters 1 and 2.
This is now the full version of the chapter. I've also added the next chapter and I thank you all for your patience while I was away.
Chapter 9: Meeting Team Rocket
"Zubat use Astonish," the trainer yelled out.
"Use Thunder Shock Pikachu," Brett called.
Pikachu squeezed the muscles in its pouch cheeks and unleashed the charge stored there causing a thin bolt of electricity to fly from Pikachu's cheeks towards the oncoming Zubat shocking the bat and halting its attack.
"Come on you stupid bat use Hidden Power," The other trainer called out angrily.
The trainer Brett was battling was an adult male a few years younger than Brett's parents wearing black pants, grey boots and gloves, a black long sleeved shirt with a large red R in the centre. Brett had learnt he was a Team Rocket member, though only a low ranked Grunt. He had also been informed that he and Nurse Joy were correct in their assumption that Team Rocket, the suspicious characters that she had said had been hanging around, were responsible for the female Nidoran he now had getting injured and eventually deciding to come with him. Needless to say learning this had seriously pissed Brett off, hence the Pokémon battle.
Zubat flew higher as a ring of brown balls appeared around it which were then fired at Pikachu.
"Pikachu dodge with Quick Attack," Brett called knowing the colour of the orbs that appeared when Hidden Power was used indicated the type of the Hidden Power and as such the brown colour indicated it was Ground type and thus super effective against Pikachu. Pikachu quickly ran towards Zubat and avoided most of the orbs unluckily one of the orbs managed to brush Pikachu's tail as it bounced due to Pikachu's movement. Ignoring the pain in its tail Pikachu jumped at Zubat and collided with a great deal of force.
"Finish it Pikachu, Double Slap," Brett called.
Pikachu's tail glowed white and Pikachu whacked Zubat with the flat side of its tail five times before resuming its return to the ground. Zubat was knocked into the tunnel wall by the last strike and collapsed to the ground.
The Team Rocket Grunt returned Zubat to its Pokéball and reluctantly allowed Brett to continue further into the mountain and towards more Team Rocket members. After walking a short distance away Brett stopped and set up to have his lunch knowing he needed to calm down from his anger at Team Rocket and their ill treatment of Pokémon. As he ate he switched his tired Pokémon for ones from Oaks Lab knowing that with an unknown number of Team Rocket members in front of him he'd need his Pokémon as rested as possible. Brett's thoughts turned to Team Rocket; he'd known for a long time that each trainer had different views on Pokémon, their uses and training methods but to see trainers who so easily and willingly abuse and mistreat Pokémon had always angered him, now he was faced with an entire criminal organisation full of people like that.
Brett had just made a mental promise to himself that he'd do whatever it took to defeat Team Rocket and force them shut down when a small Pokémon crawled out of a hole in the cave wall. The Pokémon was a small orange insectoid with six legs; the front two of which were adapted into large claws, a pair of red mushrooms with yellow spots stood on its back.
"Paras, the Mushroom Pokémon; a dual Bug and Grass type Pokémon with the ability Effect Spore. It burrows underground to feed on tree roots. The Tochukaso mushrooms that grow on its back absorb most of the nutrients, growing with the bug host. The Effect Spore ability gives the Pokémon a chance to inflict Sleep, Paralysis or Poisoning on the opponent if the opponent makes contact."
Brett shivered slightly at the thought of the fungus that Paras lived with and what it did to the Pokémon when it evolved, even if it was part of its natural lifecycle didn't mean he had to like it.
"Charmander use Ember," Brett called releasing his partner.
Charmander appeared and blew a mouthful of embers towards Paras who raised it claws which glowed gold before wall of gold light materialised in front of it absorbing most of the embers, though a small number still got through and even that small amount dealt serious damage to Paras.
"Whoa, I wasn't expecting it to know Light Screen," Brett said.
Paras shook its mushrooms and large amounts of a yellow powder was scattered into the air and heading towards Charmander. Brett had Charmander use Ember to burn up all the powder which Brett had recognised as Stun Spore which would paralyse Charmander if they hit. In the midst of the flames and powder Brett and Charmander had lost sight of Paras and thus were unable to react in time to dodge the Scratch attack it launched from the shadows at the base of the wall. Charmander cringed in pain but was able to throw out its arm in time to hit Paras with a Metal Claw before it was out of reach. Paras skidded along the ground and was struggling to stand up when it was hit with Brett's Pokéball and was unable to get out resulting in a new catch for Brett.
Once Paras had disappeared to Oak's Lab Brett pulled an Oran Berry out of his pocket and fed it to Charmander in order to heal the little damage it had received from Paras' attack.
"Ready to go buddy?" Brett asked once Charmander had finished eating.
Charmander gave a happy nod and reply and the two continued down the cave tunnel.
Shortly Brett and Charmander ran into another Team Rocket Grunt.
"I was wondering when I'd run into the next one of you scumbags," Brett said angrily.
"Now, now little boy didn't anyone ever tell you to respect your elders," The Grunt sneered. "Turn back now while you have the chance."
"Not going to happen," Brett replied. "You and the rest of your scumbag allies are going down."
"Zubat show the kid some manners," The Grunt sneered throwing a Pokéball.
"Beedrill take it down, Swift," Brett called.
Beedrill's needle hands glowed white before a swarm of golden stars flew out of the needles and flew towards Zubat who flew up and to the side to dodge but the stars followed it homing in on the bat Pokémon. Zubat was knocked back by the stars and Brett could see it favouring one of its wings as it flapped to stay in place, clearly one of the stars had damaged one of Zubat's wings.
"Zubat use Double Edge," the Grunt called.
Zubat was surrounded with a golden glow and flew straight at Beedrill heedless of any potential danger to itself. Zubat crashed into Beedrill before recoiling backwards in pain barely managing to remain in the air. Brett knew that Double Edge caused recoil damage to the user and it appeared that the recoil combined with the damage from Beedrill's Swift had left Zubat with very little health left.
"Beedrill finish this with another Swift," Brett called knowing that Swift couldn't be dodged without the use of certain moves, none of which this Zubat was likely to know.
The Rocket Grunt didn't even attempt to have Zubat try to dodge, or even counter simply letting the attack hit causing Zubat to crash to the ground fainted.
"Return weakling," the Grunt said. "Ekans destroy them."
A large purple snake appeared, longer then Brett was tall with a rattle on its tail and a yellow band around its neck it cut an intimidating visage.
"Ekans, the snake Pokémon; a pure Poison type Pokémon with the ability Shad Skin. The older it gets the longer it grows. At night it wraps its ling body around tree branches to rest. Moving silently and stealthily through it eats the eggs of birds such as Pidgey and Spearow whole."
"Beedrill come on back," Brett called returning Beedrill to its Pokéball. "Butterfree finish this quickly with Confusion."
Ekans spasmed as it was hit by the psychic energy and slammed into the wall before the attack ended.
"Ekans use Poison Sting," the Grunt called.
Purple needles spat out of Ekans' mouth and flew towards Butterfree who glowed before flying backwards leaving a transparent copy behind which produced a small explosion when the needles hit it.
"Whoa, nice one Butterfree, but what was it?" Brett said while digging out his Pokédex.
"Substitute, the user siphons off a small amount of its health to form a copy of itself to protect it from attacks."
"Nice one," Brett said impressed. "Hit Ekans with a Confusion attack."
Ekans was surrounded was hit by the rainbow energy that was fired from Butterfree's eyes and spasmed hard and smacked into the wall. When the attack stopped Ekans continued to slither around dazedly in a small circle.
"Use Poison Sting and this time actually hit the damn thing!" the Rocket Grunt yelled.
Ekans opened its mouth again and fired another barrage of needles but rather than firing them at Butterfree it fired them straight up into the air causing them to fall straight back down and hitting Ekans. The needles struck Ekans causing the snake Pokémon to cringe and begin to slump. It was clear to see that the snake Pokémon wouldn't survive another attack.
"Butterfree finish this with tackle," Brett said.
Butterfree slammed into Ekans at high speed knocking the snake Pokémon out.
"Well done Butterfree, take a nice long rest," Brett said before turning to the Grunt. "I suggest you take the rest of your scumbag friends and leave,"
"Fine, but this isn't the last you'll hear of Team Rocket," the Grunt said before returning his Ekans and throwing down a smoke bomb causing Brett to start coughing.
After Brett had had his Pidgey clear away the smoke he noticed a short way up ahead there was someone tied up and ran over to untie him.
"Thanks, those crooks were trying to steal my fossils," the man said. "I'm Miguel by the way."
"Your fossils?" Brett asked looking over Miguel's shoulder and seeing a number of fossils visible on the walls of the cave and some sticking out of a backpack leaning against the wall. "Most seem to still be in the parent rock."
"They're still mine," Miguel exclaimed. "And if you want to get past you'll have to beat me in a battle."
A/N Full version of this chapter now up.