Chapter 13: Why is Everyone Going To Valmarian?!
"THERE THEY ARE OVER THERE!!!" said Officer Jenny to the crowd behind her. She was pointing at the garden behind the Pokemon center where Ash was sleeping.
Ash slowly opened his eyelids and yawned out with a smile. He had a nice dream and he felt more revitalized than he was before. He woke his little Pikachu who was sleeping next to his Espeon. Ash then looked around with his eyes still blurry from sleep. There were colors everywhere, different colors each with different shapes and sizes. Ash rubbed the sand out of his eyes until they were focused enough to see what was around him. Ash was shocked on what he saw around him! Pokemons of different species were sleeping around the young trainer. There were about more than a hundred Pokemons laying next to him. They snored peacefully until the shout of officer Jenny woke them up.
"What the? Am I dreaming again?" Ash could barely believe his own eyes. He pinched himself so hard it left a red mark on his cheek. "Ouch! Ok this isn't a dream!... Wait… if this isn't a dream then this must be…"
"Real…?" Misty cut him off with a suspicious glare.
"Mr. Ketchum?" said Nurse Joy, "What's going on here?"
"I wished I knew. Am I still dreaming?"
Pinch
That was the sound of Misty pinching on his red cheek. "No, I don't think so…"
After the Pokemons were taken back into the center and Ash and the others changed into their normal clothing, Officer Jenny came back with an irritated look on her eyes.
"Alright Mr. Ketchum, would you mind explaining on how you got all those Pokemons outside?" said Jenny with a annoyed face. One of her hand was on her hip while the other was holding her police club. "I wish I knew Officer Jenny" the accused boy said plainly, "But the truth is: I don't have a clue" It was then Joy decided to come in and give a report
"I've checked on all the Pokemons and it looks like they're all accounted for" she sighed
May and the other girls sighed as well, "That's a relief, for a minute there I thought the Pokemon thief stole them""
"But why would all the Pokemons would go to Ash? It's not like he attractive or anything… unless… You're using some sort of perfume to attract Pokemons!" said Max pointing at Ash
"I doubt it..." Dawn started, "Ash doesn't use perfume. A quick sniff and he'd go to a sneezing session for an hour at least. I should know, I gave him a dose of my apple scent perfume"
"Wow Ash you must have allergies against perfume!" Richie laughed at him
"Not really, my nose is just sensitive that's all. I've had this for a long time already… Haaa… haaa… haaa!... HATCHOO!!"
"Ga-sun-tyte…" Drew replied
"Well it looks like the bus is here gu… (sniff sniff)" before Brock could finish his sentence, he began sniffing the air like some sort of dog or something. There was something wrong in the air. Annoyed by the boy's strange attempt to sniff the oxygen, Misty decided to ask, "What is it Brock?"
The future breeder simply continued to sniff as he replied, "(Sniff sniff) I know that smell… (sniff sniff) AHA! You're an imposter! (points at Nurse Joy)"
"Brock what are you talking about? That's Nurse Joy!" May stated which her brother agreed, "Yeah, if you've seen one Joy you've seen them all"
"That maybe true for you guys" said Brock "But I know that no Nurse Joy would ever wear a Conier Cologne! That is against the code of the Nurse Joy to never wear such a smell ever!"
Ash waved his hand over to him in defense, "Easy Brock, maybe this Nurse Joy is different"
"Yeah it's like you said before, all Nurse Joys are different right?" said Misty holding her Togepi in her arms
"Hee hee hee, I guess I can't hide anything from you Brock" the whole gang turned their heads to the Nurse Joy who was snickering like an evil villain. She then immediately spins around and quickly her disguise fell off to reveal an emerald haired girl with slightly thicker eye brows. Ash, Misty and Brock shouted her name all together, "Duplica!?" the rest of the gang stood at awe as the Chansey slowly morphed into a Ditto. "Hi guys, long time no see!"
Flannery some how managed to recognize that name some how, "Duplica?... Hmm… Duplica… Oh I remember now! You're that imitator from Johto! Oh my I love your shows! Can you sign my autograph book?"
"Uh… sure no problem"
"So Duplica, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Brock asked their newly founded friend, "Ahee hee hee! I'm going to Patleburg city to catch a boat ride to Valmarian city!" was her reply
"So you're going to watch the tournament?" Ash asked
"Of course not silly" she quickly picked out a letter of recommendation from her pocket and unfolded it with one hand motion, "I'm participating in it!"
"WHAT!!!!" everyone was amazed on this little discovery. Not only have they discovered another one of Ash's friends, but another challenger of the Valmarian league! Ash quickly recovered from his shock and held out his hand in congratulations. "Wow Duplica, congratulation! I guess we'll be fighting each other in the league!"
"You bet we will! And don't even think for a second you're going to win cuz I'm gonna give you everything I've got!"
"HA! I don't expect anything less from a person who knows her Dittos! Oh by the way where are your other Dittos?"
Duplica smiled and pulled out two Pokeballs. Two more Dittos appeared with different shapes. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet Dit, mini Dit, Daddy Dit, Mommy Dit, Uncle Dit, and the newest member of our family, Dit junior. They'll be my Pokemons for the battle!"
Brock stood next to her, "All your Pokemons are going to be Dittos?"
"Yup that's right, and they're all well trained for any kind of situations!"
Max gave a quick thought on what Dittos could do, "Hmm… Dittos are morpher Pokemons that means they can imitate all of their opponents attack!"
"I'm impressed Duplica. I have a feeling that your Dittos would make a great challenge in the Valmarian league!" Duplica blushed brightly at Ash's comment. She felt embarrassed but kept the emotion hidden behind her smile. "Th… thanks Ash!" she forced out the words like they were stuck in her throat.
"Hey since you're going to Valmarian, why don't you come with us? We're heading there ourselves! If we travel together it might be more fun!"
"Really?! Sure I'd love to! Just let me grab my things from my room and we can go!"
Even Duplica had a crush on Ash. Though she had never traveled with him before, she thought of this as her chance to finally get to know the boy a little better
"Well I guess that's more stomachs for Brock to cook for" Misty joked with a giggle
Brock simply let out a soft laugh, "I guess your right, I may as well stock up on supplies before we head out"
"Wait for me Brock I want to get something too!" Max followed the boy out of the place
Pikachu grabbed Ash's face and whispered 'Pikapi pikapichu!' no one could understand it, but by the little mouse's reaction, Ash knew immediately what he wanted. "Oh that's right, I need to get more ketchup for Pikachu. Hey Brock wait up!"
With the three boys gone to fetch food and supplies for their journey Drew and Richie followed out, leaving the girls behind to… well you know… do girl stuff.
Jasmine and Flannery were at it again. Whitney was barely able to hold the two bickering gym leaders from hammering each other with their mallets.
Misty fed her Togepi with little pieces of pokechow. May and Dawn were playing a game of cards while Duplica observed them. So… all in all… it wasn't much fun…
LET'S GO TO THE BOYS!!.
Ash stretched out his arms and legs with his Pikachu as they walked through the Pokemart grocery store. Richie and Max were picking out the best snacks and comics while Brock was looking for ingredients for his recipes. Drew was out buying some hair care products and some breath mints.
The morning nearly passed by until Brock looked at his watch. "Oh no! Come on everyone, the bus's leaving in an hour!" everyone immediately gathered all the groceries and left the store with a huge dash behind them. The traffic was bad but somehow they were able to make it to the bus before it left.
All the boys panted heavily as the door swooshed closed. May was the first to congratulate them, "Well it looks like you made it in time" they all smiled back at her. Misty didn't even bothered to look at them. She just stared out of the window and gaze into the half destroyed town. But then a single figure caught her eye. It was Ash! He was still running around the corner with three heavy looking plastic bags. "Hey isn't that Ash?!" the rest shouted in unison, "WHAT!"
"Guys! Wait for me!" Ash was running as fast as he could, but with Pikachu on his shoulders and not to mention three bags, it wasn't exactly making him go any faster.
"Brock, tell the driver to stop!" Dawn yelled out to him.
Brock went to the front of the bus to inform the driver of the situation but when he got to the driver's seat… his body froze. Richie ran next to him with Sparky, "Brock, what's wrong you look like you just saw a ghost" and he did! Brock pointed at the driver's seat.
"Th… th… th… th… the driver is…!" Brock was stuttering as the gears, paddle and handle moved on their own. Richie looked in amazement and fear, "There's no driver!" he squealed out in shock. The gang tried to get out but the door bus suddenly locked itself tight! It clearly spelled doom for our heroes!
Ash quickly caught sight of his friends in peril so he immediately dropped his bags and let out Bulbasaur. "Now Bulbasaur, use vine whip to hold the bus!" the bus screeched its tires against the road as it slowly pulled away.
Dawn immediately saw the situation they were in and sent out her Beyleef out the window. "Beyleef, use vine whip and hold the bus as long as you can!" even with a Beyleef and a Bulbasaur holding it… it wasn't enough. Suddenly Duplica called in her Pokemons as well. "Dit, turn into Beyleef, Dit junior, turn into Bulbasaur!" the two Dittos morphed into exact duplicates of Ash and Dawn's Pokemons except that Dit junior turned into a large version of Bulbasaur. "Now you two, use vine whip as well!"
Just as the bus came to a halt with its tires still running, the bus quickly changed into the next gear and moved even faster. "Oh no, we're doomed!" Max was holding himself together as Drew tried to calm him down.
Misty, Brock and the gym leaders tried to break the door with a crow bar but still it wouldn't budge. "This isn't working we need to try something else! Everyone, try climbing out of the windows!" but it was too late. The windows closed by themselves automatically. It felt like someone or something didn't want them to leave this bus alive.
It was then, Ash had a brilliant idea! "This isn't getting us anywhere… Cyndaquil I choose you! Cyndaquil pops out of the Pokeball Cyndaquil use flame thrower on the tires now!" the little mole Pokemon breathed its flame on the bus tires and melted it to tars. The wheels couldn't move and all the grass Pokemons finally released their grip.
Just as soon as the bus came to a halt, everything went back to place. The door suddenly opened, the windows were unlocked and the bus engines shutdown.
"Are you guys alright!?" Ash rushed to his friends with a worried face
Drew was the first who managed to reply with a slight stutter, "I'm f…fine"
"I almost wet… my pants…" said Max as his eye glass was tilted
Brock however was quick to recover from the blast, "That was some quick thinking Ash, you saved us"
Ash simply rubbed the back of his head in embarassment, "Aww it was nothing, you guys would've done the same"
"That's it… that's the last time I'm taking public transportation…" that was May who was nearly as green as a goblin
It wasn't long until the driver of the bus came, "Hey! Is everybody alright?"
"We're fine sir, but I can't say the same for the bus" Richie replied
"Well that's good to hear, but driving my bus is completely out of the order!"
"It wasn't us sir, HONEST! The bus was moving on its own like it had a mind of its own!" Brock protested as he pointed at the bus which was smoking badly.
The others (except Ash) nodded in agreement.
After reconciling with the station manager about what just happened the gang had a feeling that they were going to be in a lot of trouble, but with Ash's fortunate fame and a recommendation from the town's gym leader, Winona, they were able to get out of trouble with ease.
Hoping not to make that sort of mistake ever again, Ash decided that they should travel the old fashion way… hiking! Everyone raised their hands in agreement.
Without taking out more time from their tight schedule the gang decided to split the supplies they bought and make their way through route 119.
click, click
The sound of a single camera taking photos. Everyone turned their heads towards the camera man. The boy chuckled before revealing his face. Ash, Brock and Misty shouted his name together, "Todd!"
"That's right! Todd, ace photographer from Kanto at your service!" he took a few more pictures of Pikachu and Sparky as they drank up their bottles of ketchup. "That's perfect! Smile you two… (pikachu! x 2) That's great!
"So Todd, what are you doing here?" Ash wondered, "Believe it or not, I'm heading to Valmarian city!"
"To participate?!" they all said together
"Of course not, I'm not a trainer! I know that all trainers from around the world are going to Valmarian. And where there's trainers, there's bound to be a rare Pokemon for me to take photos of!" fire began glowing through his eyes with determination.
"Well if that's the case, you can come with us too! We're going to Petalburg city to catch the next boat"
Todd's face sparked out with joy, "Ya mean it?! (they all nodded) Well who could say no to the famous Ash Ketchum?! I'll meet you guys at the exit in ten minutes! I still need a few photos for Hoenn weekly newspaper. That earthquake did more damage than I thought"
"Earthquake? Where did it hit?" May jumped off her seat, hoping that it didn't hit her hometown.
"Well from the latest reports I've heard of was that it started at the city of Rustboro, then it moved on to Fallabor town and after that I heard it stopped here in Fortree town. Luckily, Lavaridge town only got a scratch" May and Flannery exhaled with relief. "Oh and one more thing. I heard that route 111-115 are closed off for repairs"
"That's ok, we're heading through route 119 to Mauville city and… (Pikapi pika!) Huh? Oh yeah, and we need to find Tracey too!"
"Tracey?... Tracey… Tracey… hmm… is he that guy with a strange hairstyle, wears a head band and likes to sketch all the time?" the group nodded dumbly in reply, "I've only heard of him on TV with professor Oak but never really met him in person"
"He was supposed to be in some sort of ruin in the woods between route 111 and 119" said Brock.
"Ruin? This is great! I might get a close look on a very rare and very old Pokemon!"
"So that means you go with us?" Brock smiled evilly
"You bet I will! Forget Hoenn weekly, this might get me a bigger prize!"
"Great! You can help with the bags!" Brock throws a heavy backpack to Todd which weights almost a ton!
"Gwahh!" Todd fell on his back unconscious with swirly eyes
The gang burst out a laugh with Brock's little joke… it was a joke right?
(Somewhere along route 103)
Two white haired figures stood near the river as if they were waiting for something.
"Do you feel it yet?" said the WHB. The boy that looked like Chu simply replied answered him with silence, "I see… then I guess we'll…" just when he was about to head off back into the forest shade, Chu let out a small yell which caught his entire attention.
"Wait!" I can feel something but it's not a Red Gyrados…"
"Then we have no use for it…" he replied
"It's much stronger!" Chu yelled at him as he tried to remain in telepathic communication with the Pokemon in his mind.
"A Whaillord?" WHB asked
"No…" Chu replied back shaking his head, "It's a… a Regirock!"
"A Regirock you say? Well this might be interesting… call it"
"Yes…" with a simple whistle to the air, the slight sound pierce through the strongest of winds and echoed through the land till it finally reaches its target, "…… it's coming!" Just as the whistle sound echoed through the silent forest, a huge rumble began occur which scared away the nearby Pokemons. Just by the river, a red Regirock appeared with its eyes locked on to the sound of the whistle.
WHB gave out a slight smile on his face. "Ah… Regirock: Soldiers of his majesty" he began observing the Pokemon's body but then he realized that it was still a young and weak one, "We have no need for a weak one like her"
Chu was about to protest but then he realized that he was right, "But she's… I understand… come here rocky" just when Chu was petting the rock Pokemon, a deep voice echoed from behind with a slight hint of sleepiness in the tone.
"Don't play with the beast, boy… a young one can be very dangerous at some point when not tamed"
Another boy, older than Chu but younger than WHB appeared. He was wearing matching outfits with theirs. They do this so when they past by town to town they'd look like regular Ash fans.
"Oh… it's you Chaucer. What have you been doing?" WHB asked
"I've been keeping an eye out for his majesty, but I lost track of him during earth quake"
"What about his condition?"
"(sigh) I'm afraid it continues to worsen as we speak. His body won't last against the power when it arrives" this caught the attention of Chu who stopped playing with the rock Pokemon.
"So… you mean he'll…"
"Yes… he will die"
"NO! We have to help him!"
WHB had to agree with Chu, "The boy is right. We must do something about this… hmm…let me think… hmm… looks at Regirock I think we might have some use for this Regirock after all Hey you! (the Pokemon turn its attention to him) Are you still loyal…?"
The Regirock lowered its head to listen at the plan of the 'white hair'. What are they planning to do? And who is this majesty they keep calling? Find out more after these messages!
(On Route 119)
The gang (now including Todd, Dawn and Duplica) slowly hiked down the road towards Mauville city but before they can get there, they must go to the ruins deep within the forest, where their friend awaits to be rescued.
Brock was now leading the way (with Misty's insistence) through the dirt road. Everyone was still recovering from the mysterious bus accident but after a long walk, it seemed just like a dream to everybody now.
"Hey Brock are we there yet?" Ash complained with a boorish tone. They had been walking for hours without a single break and some were already sweating buckets.
"Hmm… from the map that professor Oak sent us, the ruins that Tracey was exploring on should be right about… here!" he said pointing towards a bunch of trees. May disagreed to this, "Very perceptive Brock, but how exactly are we gonna find this ruin?"
"Well if it's a ruin then it must be pretty old looking…" Max stated out the obvious
"Well it could be a cave, a building covered with vines or old temple or something" said Flannery
"Or it could be a huge damp castle with bugs infesting around its every corner" Todd said with excitement filling his mind.
'bugs' that simple word already froze Misty on her feet. She wasn't gonna take another step unless the place they're going was either a hotel, Pokemon center or a swimming pool. "Umm… why don't I just stay here and you guys can go on ahead" it was already obvious that she was afraid of bugs. It was written all over her face. Ash knew of her phobia against bug types so he let out a small sigh
"Come on Misty, Todd was just joking around. Besides, we're doing this for the professor. The faster we get Tracey out of there, the faster we get to Valmarian city. We might also find a rare Pokemon in there too!"
"I was hoping 'the faster we finish this the faster we can get to a hot spring' (sigh) (everyone was already leaving) Hey… hey guys don't leave me behind!"
As the team journeyed through the forest to find their lost friend, a pair of undeserving villains entered the scene with evil grins on their faces.
"Did you hear that?" that was Butch the partner in crime of the criminal Cassidy
"You bet I did… rare…"
"And old Pokemons"
"Yes! Our boss is going to be so pleased when he sees what we bring him"
"Whatever it must be, it's going to make us rich!" said Butch raising a fist to the air
But Cassidy was having a bigger dream, "Not just rich but filthy rich! Let's go Butch! It's time we… huh?" they were so caught up with their dream of becoming sorrounded by gold that they didnt't even realize that they were standing on top of a simple pot hole trap. "WHAA!!!! Ouch! Who put that pot hole there!?"
"Well well well, what da ya know? That pot hole trap actually worked" that was the voice of none other than Oakley, the famous agent of Team Rocket.
"Oakley! You get us out of here this instant!" Cassidy demanded as she raised herself from the bottom.
"What's the word I'm looking for? Oh that's right… NO! This trap was supposed to be for those kids and their Pokemons but I guess you'll have to suffice. Now tell us where are they heading to?"
"Yeah right, as if we'll tell"
Butch then decided to add, "Yeah, you'll never know that they're going to the ruins to find a rare and ancient Pokemon"
"Sometimes Butch I wonder how you ever became my partner" Cassidy hung her head down below the ground
"Oooooo… did he just say a rare and really old Pokemon?" Annie decided to pop her head out of the bush and faced the two unlucky criminal who were caught in their simple trap.
Oakley let out an evil snicker, "Well well, I just so happen to love antiques and rarities. Let's go Annie!"
"Hey wait! What about us!?" Cassidy pleaded, which was only returned with an empty sound of silence, "Grrrrr! This means war! Come on Butch we need to get to those kids before our chance of fame slips away!"
Back in the forest the gang continues to search for any signs of Tracey and the ruin he was exploring but after a few hours of search there were still no sign of him.
The group decided to take a break and set up camp on a small opening near a giant boulder that seemed to have been there for ages. Brock hoped that Tracey would be drawn to the smell and come to them instead. Everyone did their task to the letter: Jasmine and Whitney would help with the firewoord, Ash, Drew and May set up the sleeping bags, Misty, Dawn, Brock and Todd help set up the campfire and food, while Flannery, Max and Duplica helped gather some natural fruits that were abundant in the area.
Everyone was amazed by Brock's cooking. Some were used to the taste but for those who just had their first sip/bite were instantly asking for seconds. The gang laughed for awhile and before they knew it, Brock's special stew was completely gone! Every last drop of sauce and bits of pieces of meat vanished into their stomachs. The gang sat on their own spot near the fire as it slowly dimmed down. Drew threw in another small piece of wood to keep it burning. It was relatively hard to say anything since none of them ever traveled in such a big group. Brock was still glaring at the gym leaders as he tried to decide which to choose! Gregguru stood by just in case the desperate lover boy would make a stupid move. The Pokemons had their fill of Pokechows and were stuffed already.
The sound of silence would've made Ash bored to death if it could. He decided that his precious time would be a waste without some training. He announced a training session with the gym leaders, coordinators and trainers which they all agreed to go for.
Ash and Drew unleashed their Pokemons (all of them) and begun training with the gym leaders! Whitney was amazed that Ash's Pokemons were still in their first stage of evolution and they were already so strong! Her Miltank was easily taken out by Bulbasaur's razor leaf and tackle attack, Flannery's Magu was exhausted before May's Blaziken could even break a sweat and Jasmine's Magnemite was taken out with one fell swoop of Drew's Roselia's tackle.
The gym leaders were impressed, but also sad to see that the younger generations were now better than them. When Ash came into their gyms they knew he was different from the others. His determination to become the greatest and perhaps youngest Pokemon master in the world was incomparable to any trainers they've met. As they gaze onto him they couldn't help but smile.
Whitney walked on to Ash with a challenge in mind, "Hey Ash, why don't we see how tough you really are!" Ash smiled with excitement as he listens to her challenge offer, "Jasmine, Flannery and me against you!" No one was dumb enough to take on three gym leaders at once, but for Ash, who was known to have never back down on a fight agreed without second thoughts,
"You're on Whitney! Pikachu, let's show them how strong you've grown!" 'Pi-ka-chu!' the little mouse let out a few sparks with a smirk.
The entire field grew silent as they awaited the battle to commence. Brock refereed, "This match will be ah… well… the first three on one match! Flannery from Lavaridge town, Whitney from Goldenrod city and Jasmine from Olivine city versus Ash Ketchum from Pallet town!" They all took battle positions. May, Dawn, Max and Richie watch anxiously as soon as Brock let out the starting signal.
Whitney chose Nidorina, Flannery chose Torkoal while Jasmine summoned out her Steelix.
"Wait a minute, are you guys gonna attack me all at once?" Ash was now having second thoughts on the battle ground.
Jasmine gave out a grin, "If you want to be Pokemon master, then show us what you got Ash Ketchum!" the battle was now getting more tense than ever. There were even some who thought that Ash would back down, but to their surprise, the young trainer stood his ground with Pikachu's assurance. "Alright Pikachu, let's show them one of our new attack moves!" with those words the battle began…
Jasmine shouted, "Steelix, use wrap attack!"
Whitney commanded, "Nidorina, use headbutt!"
Flannery barked, "Torkoal, show him some fire power!"
The three Pokemons put all their efforts into attacking Pikachu, but Ash was confident… no… he believed in Pikachu, he believed that their journey together made them into who they are now and there's no way he would be beaten now! "Pikachu, use boomerang tail!" in an instant the mouse began spinning in mid-air and countered Steelix and Nidorina's attack. Pikachu didn't stop spinning though. He spin right into Torkoal's fire attack but came out unharmed. Everyone stood in shock as they saw how Pikachu easily countered three attack moves all at once.
"It may be strong but let's see how far it can go! Torkoal, use heat wave!" Flannery raised her arm and let out her trade mark shout
"Well it's your choice. Pikachu, let's deal with Torkoal first (Pika!) Ok… one two… NOW dodge it Pikachu!"
Pikachu immediately leaped away from the fire as it slammed again Steelix. Jasmine was once again cursing Flannery "Alright Pikachu now use thunder shock!" immediately the mouse surge up electricity and sent it towards Torkoal, "Torkoal, use iron defense!" the turtle like Pokemon immediately bounce off the attack and remained unharmed.
Jasmine saw an opening and decided to take it, "Alright Steelix let's take him out! Use tackle attack!"
Whitney also saw the exposed area and followed Jasmine, "Nidorina, poison sting attack now!"
"Alright Pikachu, use agility and use thunder bolt while you're at it! (Pikachu!)"
Pikachu evaded each sting with great speed as it shoots out lightning towards Nidorita.
"Flannery, NOW!" Whitney commanded
"I got it! Torkoal, use smoke screen!"
As a thick smoke engulfs the entire battlefield, everyone knew that this was trouble for Ash.
"Alright Nidorina, use your ears and find Pikachu!"
"That won't work against me! Pikachu, lighting burst now!"
After the order was given out, Pikachu immediately let out a strong wave of static electricity which damaged all of the gym trainers Pokemons.
The smoke cleared out and to everyone's surprise, Pikachu was still standing but it also looked exhausted. On the other side, Nidorina, Torkoal and Steelix were tired too but they were still conscious. The gym leaders couldn't believe what was happening. If Ash's Pikachu could hold himself off against the three of them, there was a good chance for him to actually win. Jasmine shook away the thought and continued the fight!
Jasmine saw that Pikachu was getting tired so she decided to give Ash a chance to give up, "You might as well give up Ash. You might be strong but you're still no match for three Pokemons at once"
But the boy wasn't the type of person who would pull out on a match, "Don't count your Goldeen until they hatch Jasmine. I have faith in my Pikachu and I believe that we can win this. Am I right buddy? (Pika!) It's time we take this seriously!"
With a quick move of his hand, Ash flipped his hat backwards and gave out a grin that would've knocked the Pokemons off their feet. Richie and the others watch in amazement. That was Ash's signature move! Every time he did that he would always win! And I mean all the time!
May, Duplica and Hikari were rooting for Ash alright. They were cheering him with all their hearts. As Brock looked at the 'cheer leaders' and was jealous of Ash. "Why don't girls do that for me?!" he thought.
The gym leaders knew of this hat technique as well. They've seen Ash do that on TV and it seemed to have an effect on them and their Pokemons as well.
But wait… where's Misty?
Secretly on the otherside of the camp, Misty wasn't really awed by Ash's new moves. She had already seen those moves a few times during their travels in Kanto Battle Frontier. On her face… she looked like she was bored but in her heart she was rooting for him with everything she's got! She held her Togepi tighter whenever the battle gets too tense. She would begin to sweat every second as the battle wages on. She'd panic whenever Ash loses a round.
"Come on Ash, you can do it! I know you can!" she was mentally cheering inside her head, "Go Ash go! Show them what you're made of!" May squealed out beside Misty. Richie and Drew were already intimidated from Ash's signature move and they weren't even battling him yet! Ash's Espeon purred under Duplica's feet as it watch her new master battles it out.
Todd took a few pictures of Ash's face and the battle itself. He wasted an entire roll of films on that battle since he just couldn't get enough. It wasn't until then… that he realized that his hands were shaking on his camera.
"Let's do it!... Pikachu, absorb!"
Pikachu began draining electricity that was in the air to itself. No one ever knew that Pikachu could do that so they were a bit surprised.
Jasmine saw this as a weakpoint so she considered about exploiting it, "Alright girls, let's finish it before it does anything else!"
The three Pokemons leaped towards Pikachu as it prepares for a blow even Ash would be afraid of. Just before the three Pokemons were mere inches away Ash smiled and gave out the order, "Pikachu, use Lighting Storm!" the electrical Pokemon jumped into the air and gave out a giant flash.
Hundreds, perhaps thousands of lighting bolts slammed on the battlefield. Nidorina was blinded by the light and couldn't see anything. Steelix, though it was made entirely of steel, still fell from the multiple blasts it was given. Torkoal hid inside its shell but a few bolts of electricity snuck its way inside, causing him faint.
The attack went on for a good twenty seconds before finally stopping. Pikachu landed on the ground without a scratch. Even when let out so much energy the little mouse looked like it could still fight. Everyone in the camp had only one expression, "What happened?!"
Brock was awed by this little light show that he couldn't even speak. His jaw would've drop below sea level if it could. He took his time before announcing the battle, "Uh… uh… um… Huh? Oh! Steelix, Nidorina and Torkoal are unable to battle! The match goes to Ash and his Pikachu!"
"Alright, we did it Pikachu, we beat'em!" Ash was jumping with joy with his Pikachu on his shoulder.
The three summoned back their Pokemons to their Pokeball in defeat but were still proud of them. However… even in defeat… the three couldn't help but let out a few tears to fall down their faces. Ash began to wonder if he had hurt their feelings. "Hey… are you three ok?" they all didn't say a word. They were now openly crying in front of Ash. The boy felt guilt piling up on his chest.
Jasmine was the first to recover from the little dramatic emotion, "No Ash… it's just… how can I say this… (sob)" Suddenly, Ash's Pokemons jumped onto his side with smiles on their faces. The three gym leaders burst with pride as they watched the boy react with his Pokemons. Brock was also proud of Ash when he realized how strong he had become. Duplica was happy for Ash but soon felt disappointed with herself as she had no part in his growth. She wished she'd traveled with Ash when she had a chance.
After the three gym leaders wiped their faces from the tears they had let out Whitney walked up to Ash and handed him a small prize for his hard work. It was a small bag of Pokechow. Ash thanked Whitney and gave it to Pikachu for him to eat since he did deserve it.
With his spirit lifted up, Brock decided to cook again for Ash's victory celebration. The tense battle that had just erupted made everyone hungry (heck even I'm hungry!) in fact, they were anxious to see what Brock was gonna cook next!
The gang digs in to their plates without hesitation. The food tasted twice as good after such a wonderful match. Pikachu gobbled down the Pokechow with his friends in almost an instant. As the young trainer looked around the camp fire he thought everything was perfect. His friends were having a blast, he was happy and not a care in the world. Yup… this was indeed the best meal he ever had in his life.
By the next morning, everyone was still asleep since they did stay up all night. Ash, who now seemed to have unusal stamina and strength, was the first to get up. He wasn't that tired at all though. His companions and friends were sleeping like logs while he was fully energized in an instant.
Since there was nothing to do Ash decided to take a little stroll not far from the camp. He walked through small weed covered area and rusty mushroom filled meadows. The boy was now enjoying the scene that he had miss during his entire journey. He watched as the clouds slowly changed shape and how the trees made a beautiful sound that was almost similar to the seas. A quiet hushing sound that comes and goes in an instant. Ash laid on the ground and felt the wind blowing through his hair. It felt great…
After a few minutes of looking around and sight seeing, the boy came upon a somewhat familiar path. It was indeed just like his dream except that it was in the morning not at night.
Standing under a single tree surrounded by a forest. He gazed into the sky but only saw the sun. "There were supposed to be two moons" he muttered out. He pointed out his flashlight even though it was still morning. He followed what he did during that dream he had a few weeks ago.
After a few minutes of walking aimlessly through the empty grass area, Ash found the dirt path that was also in his dreams. "Chu…" he whispered to himself. He began walking slowly through the darkned path. The trees were so close together that not even a spark of sunlight could get through. Ash turned on his flashlight and made his way through the dirt road path. He was getting really excited about this road. If it was just like his dreams, then he would be in an open field with thousands of Pokemons of all species gathered together. The mere image of the dream he had was enough to get his blood pumping. From that point on he began to sprinting and then… just like in his dream, his flashlight ran out of energy. "Yup… this is just exatly how my dream went!" he stated out. At this point he would've been panicking in the dark but this just made him more excited. If all this part came true then the place he was looking for must've been just around the corner.
He sprint soon became like a run for his life! He ran through the darkness for a whole minute before finally seeing light through a small opening. He let out a wide smile. Just when the light smashed upon his face his eyes squinted. After adjusting his eyes to the sun light he quickly opened up his eye lids to see the field of Pokemons. His smile however… soon faded after what he saw.
A lush green open field was gone. All that stood was a desolate place that appeared to have been scorched by fire. The lake that was supposed to be so clean and pure that you could see the bottom was now a murky toxic swamp area. The tree that Chu and him used to sit under was replaced by a strange old crummy building with strange markings on it. This was a complete nightmare…
"This isn't it…" Ash muttered out the words before squeezing his nose. The stench of the swamp was terrible. He walked around the field looking at several land marks in his dream. On the east part of the field stood four giant rocks that the Pichus would hang about. The small packs of apple trees were ruined as if they were burned just yesterday. It was a sight that would really turn anyone down.
"Where are the Pokemons? The meadow… the lake… Chu…" Ash wasn't feeling any better until he heard a soft moan from the old ruin in front of him. It sounded human…
He entered the structure cautiously, hoping not to find any dangerous Pokemons in there. "Hello? Anyone here?" he called out to the hallowed room. He listened for an answer but there was no reply. While scurrying through the room, he was amazed by the tapestries that were carved in on the wall. There were pictures of Pokemons, humans and the world. He couldn't really make any sense out of it but he knew it meant something important.
Just as he took a closer look at the carvings, a hand tap his shoulder with a soft, scary moan. Ash slowly turned his head hoping to find either his friends or his Pokemons. He pointed his flashlight (now with new batteries) towards the face and saw a wrinkled zombie like person!
Ash was pertrified. He couldn't move or speak since his mind was scared to heck! The zombie looked familiar to him, but right now… he didn't really care. Just when he got control over his mouth again, he yelled out to the top of his lunges like there was no tomorrow.
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Back at the camp site, Misty had awoken from a strange feeling. Ash's yell couldn't be heard from her distance but she could feel something wrong. "Ash? Ash!? ASH!!?" she panicked around the camp site. Her Togepi was still lying on the ground sleeping peacefully next to Pikachu. The feeling of uneasiness crawled through her skin like a Caterpie. She had a feeling that Ash was in trouble so she decided to wake the person who would under stand her the most… Brock.
"Brock, wake up!" she yelled at him. The squinty eyed man turned his head to the side with a perverted smile on his face. "Hmm… Nurse Joy… you look so pretty today… heh heh heh" he was drooling over his sleeping bag. Misty couldn't believe this! Even in his sleeps he still thinks of this stuff! "Wake up you idiot!" she used her trusty mallet to wake him up.
"Come on Brock we need to find Ash!" she wasn't even hiding her screams anymore. Brock had little choice since the moment he woke up he was already being dragged by the orange haired girl.
They spent the last few hours searching for the boy. Misty was preparing herself for the worst. She thought that Ash was either lost or being chased by a pack of angry Beedrills. She shook away the thought hoping neither of them were true and hoped that Ash was just sleeping somewhere else.
Back in the ruins, the near zombie like person was gulping down on Ash's water canteen. He practically ate everything he had on him. From the tiniest gum to the biggest chocolate bar, he ate it all. "Ah…" he let out a satisfied sound, "Thank you Ash… you saved my life…" Ash starred at the boy a little older than him and sighed with relief that it was a brain eating zombie, "Geeze… Tracey, you scared the pants off me" "Ahe he he… Sorry, I didn't know that I looked that bad. I haven't really eating anything for the past few days"
"The professor was worried about you Tracey, the least you could do is call once in awhile" said Ash whonearly wet his pants
"Well it's a funny story really… (sigh) How should I start this?"
(Flashback, Tracey's POV)
Right after I got the message from professor Birch, I quickly hop into the next boat leaving for Hoenn and found myself at the professor's lab in three days. He immediately told me that the source of the strange psychic readings came from the nearby woods in this region.
After a quick trip through Littleroot town, I joined the expedition team and made my way here. At first I thought there would be some sort of a new and rare Pokemon here… but all we got was an empty room and a message that I could barely understand. The archeologists that came with me had very little interest in the ruins. They expected something more, but I guess what you see is what you get.
After a few days of decrypting the tapestries on the wall, the acheologists left, leaving me behind to do the rest of the work. I spent three weeks decoding the messages left on the wall and was finally able to get it right! I would've celebrated if I could, but it was then I realized that I was famished. The last of my food supplies were gone and I barely had the energy to even move. I tried to call for help, but then my radio got destroyed when a wild Masquerin thought of it as a toy. I wasn't able to get out of the ruin because I was afraid that a wild Pokemon would attack me if I did.
(End of Flashback, Normal POV)
Just before Tracey could continue his story, a familiar voice rang out from behind. Ash turned around and listened carefully. "Gah! I knew we should've taken the dirt road!" said the first female voice, "Hey it wasn't my idea to chase after the brat in the first place!" said the other female voice. Ash took a peek off the hole on the wall and saw two girls wearing black suits with a big 'R' on it. "It's Team Rockey!" he stated out to Tracey. This wasn't the best timing for them to appear. Annie and Oakley are tougher than the previous Team Rocket.
"Come on Ash we can handle a few Team Rocket on our own!"
"I'm not sure Tracey. Jesse and James were annoying but these two are tougher than they look. They have an Espeon and an Ariados that are tough"
"Then our best hope is for them to leave"
"Hey sis, isn't that like the ruin Butch was talking about?" that was abviously the voice of the older yet snobby sister Annie
"So much for the 'them to leave' plan" Ash muttered under his breath, "Quick Tracey, what Pokemons do you have with you!?"
"Well, I still have my Scyther, Marill and Venonat with me, but that's all I've got. I left the others with professor Oak so he could study them"
It was clearly going to be a losing battle for Ash, but he had determination. "Alright Tracey, I'll lure Team Rocket away while you make a break for it. Misty and Brock should be on the otherside of the forest with the others. If you move fast enough you can get help!" Tracey was surprised by Ash's noble act. "Alright Ash but be careful, who knows what they might do" "Don't worry, I've faced a hundred of them back in Cerulean city, I think I can handle two" Ash gave out a reassuring smile but his mind was saying, "Oh man Ash, you're soooo gonna get it now!"
As the two Team Rocket members slowly approach the ruins, Ash took out an empty Pokeball and whispered Tracey the plan, "Alright, just give me one minute to lure them out then you break for it" Tracey nodded to the plan. He was still hungry and tired from all the work he had done.
In a blink of an eye Ash jumped out of the ruined building and yelled out to the air, "Ha ha! I did it! I caught a Lugia!" Oakley and Annie watched as the boy held out a Pokeball in front of them just beyond their reach. "Huh? Oh no, Team Rockey!" the boy quickly sprints away hoping that they would give chase.
"Did he just say… Lugia?" said Oakley
"I think so Oakley…" replied her sister
They both look at each other in confusion. They were trying to process the information in their heads and then… BOOM! They finally understood.
"Hey! Come back here you little brat!" Oakley quickly jumped out of her calm stance and began chasing the boy through the woods. Her sister Annie wasn't far behind
The two Team Rocket members quickly pick up the pace and chased after the boy who had nothing but empty Pokeballs. With them gone, Tracey decided to take his chance and ran towards the direction Ash gave him.
Ash was running for his life when he saw the two girls chasing him. Brock would've been jealous to see him in this situation. The two teens let out their Pokemons (Ariados and Espeon) and quickly use their attack abilities to stop Ash. Ariados let out a few web to ensnare Ash to the ground but the woods made him a difficult target to hit.
Everytime Ash thought he lost them, Annie's Espeon would use its powers to find him. It was a useless chase until he came upon another group.
"I got to… lose them… fast! (runs onto someone) Ooffff! Ouch… that hurts...!" Ash held his hand onto his head in pain
"My back hurts! Why don't you watch where you're going you little… huh?" it was Butch who Ash ran into. When their eyes made contact, a small silence went through the air before he decided to shout, "Ahh! It's you!"
"Forget about me, it's you!" shouted Ash pointing at him. It wasn't long until Cassidy's face appeared from the side of the tree
"Butch, what's the hold up? If we… huh? Ah! It's you! What are you waiting for Butch? Get HIM now!" she commanded her partner
But before the green haired man could react, Ash collected himself and sprinted away. Just right when the two of them could give chase, Annie and Oakley bumped on to them.
"What's the big idea?! Oh great, not you two again!" Cassidy grunted at the two sister which they met a few hours ago
"Oh great! Not the loser squad again…" Oakley moaned
"Come on Oakley, we need to get him or he'll run off with that Lugia!"
Butch & Cassidy heard that word and said in unison, "Lugia!!!!?"
"Sometimes I even wonder why we're even related Annie…"
Misty and Brock were now searching even harder this time. They left no stone unturned until their friend was found. Misty was getting more and more worried. What if something bad had happen to Ash? What if he was being chased by a Groudon, or maybe a pack of Beedrills or even a heard of Tauros? The thoughts were now forcing their way into her brain. She screamed on the top of her lunges and shouted out his name, "ASH!!" a single tear slipped down her eye.
Brock himself was worried to his gut, he summoned out his Crobat to search the area for Ash but the thick woods prevented much sight. "We'll never find him if we keep this up Misty" he groaned out.
"Don't give up Brock, he might be lost or even hurt somewhere. throws a Pokeball Come out Psyduck! (Psy?) Psyduck, I need you to help me look for Ash!" Misty walked around for a few more minutes until she heard a voice. "Hey, I hear someone! Brock over there!"
Brock leaped out onto the dirt road that was camouflaged by vines he looked at the figure that ran towards him but was unable to stop until he slammed onto him, "WHOA! Look out!" the man shouted.
"Ooohhh… my back"
"Brock, are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine… hey is that Tracey?"
"Brock? Misty?" the Pokemon watcher gasped, "Yougottohelpme! AshisbeingchasedbyTeamRocketandheneedshelp! Follow me!"
Brock waved his hand to stop the boy from speaking any further, "Whoa! Easy Tracey, tell us slowly. What's going one?"
Tracey calmed himself down after a drink of water. He explained the situation to them like he rehearsed the sentence in his mind. Misty took a quick note and faced Brock. "Brock, go get the others and tell them what's happening. Tracey, show me where Ash went!" the two of them followed her orders without question. Both of them were worried and nervous about the whole thing themselves. "Hold on Ash, we're coming!" Misty returned her Psyduck and followed Tracey towards the open field.
Ash continued to sprint along the woods going deeper and deeper into the forest. He took a break under a small patch of bushes to hide from his persuers. "Man… I think I lost them!" he took a breather as he walked around the forest. "Now I'm really lost this time. Well at least I lost Team Roc…" his sentence was cut off when he heard a blast from a nearby tree. A giant net hovered around him, but since he had received quick reflexes from his body training, he was able to avoid the net before it got him.
"Dang it! I was so close!" said the girl carrying a rocket launcher.
Ash looked at the girl and recognized her immediately. It was Wendy, the Team Rocket communications and weapons expert. "Oh no, not her too!"
Wendy took off her cool techno glasses and starred at the boy with a deathly glare. "Well it looks like I found you ya little brat!" "Hey who are you calling little?!" Ash countered, "Be quiet! You're gonna pay for destroying my submarine! Do you know how much it cost me just to get paint on it?! You're so gonna pay!"
Ash began to think that she must've mistaken him for another person, "Submarine? What are you talking about?!" "Don't play dumb! Once I get you and that Lugia, the boss will give me all the money I need to build a bigger one! So get ready Ash Ketchum!"
"How did you know about Lugia?" Ash wasn't able to get a reply from her. Wendy was already shooting nets from her bazooka before she could even think of a reply. "Come back here, how can I be rich if you keep moving?!" "No way! I'm not giving you this Pokeball!" Ash's little lie was getting a little out of hand. He even began to think he really had a Lugia in his Pokeball.
Just as he got a good distance from the crazed girl, he bumped into the last person he wanted to. Butch… "Ahh!!! Not you again!" he turned around and once again sprints towards the deeper parts of the woods.
"Don't just stand there, get him!" Cassidy yelled again at her partner which was really getting inritating
"Come on Annie! Ariados, after him!" Oakley let out her Pokemon and chase the boy
While Ash ran through the forest chased by a large group of Team Rocket, it was now safe to say, "This just isn't my day!"
Wendy aimed her bazooka like weapon and gazed onto the scope, "Hee hee hee… I got you now ya little… (Raticate knocks her down) (shoots the rocket into the air) (the net covers her) Hey this isn't part of my plan!"
"Good work Raticate! (Ratica!)" said Butch to his mascot like Pokemon
"Get me out of here this instance! I'm a professional weapons designer, let me out now! Hey Oakley, Annie! We're partners right? You gotta help me!"
"Should we help her Oakley?" said Annie sarcastically
"And split the prize with another? I don't think so… bah bye Wendy… dearest… hehehehe"
Abandoned and humiliated by every famous Team Rocket member, Wendy's temper was just about to reach beyond her boiling point, "Grrrrr!!! Alright, no more nice Wendy! (picks up her radio)"
Ash was once again chased around by three… no… four members of Team Rocket. He couldn't believe this! All his Pokemons were back at the camp. If he had just one of them he would've blasted these guys away in a second by now!
He was panting heavily under pressure of exhaustion. He's been running and dodging from spider webs, psychic attacks and net traps for an hour already and he knew if he stop to take just one little breath, he'd be good as caught. As he felt his persuers drifting away behind, he came upon a corner of a very steep hill. "Oh great, I'll have to double back…" but before he knew it, he was trapped.
"Aha! We (pant) got you now (pant) you little twerp!" Oakley gloated as she breathes tirelessly along with her sister and the other Team Rocket. Cassidy then had a brilliant idea, "Hey Oakley, why don't we have a truce for now and we'll split the money fifty-fifty?" "But Cassidy, I thought we were going to use that money for retirement!" Butch finally caught up to them sweating like a hayena. Cassidy ignored him and awaited the other two's reply. The two sisters nodded in agreement. "Ok Cassidy, we'll take you on that offer!"
Ash was backed into a corner as Team Rocket began closing in, his memory cells then kicked in at the right time, "Stay back, or I'll bring out Lugia to blast you away!" he yelled out with a smirk. The four Team Rocket members took a step back since they know how powerful a Lugia can be. Ash tried to buy his time hoping that his friends would quickly come to save him. Just when he was about to make a break for it, his sweaty hand dropped the Pokeball but it didn't open. The Team Rockets leaped onto it the moment they had a chance, but Ash's quick thinking surely gave him room. He threw away all of his empty Pokeballs and messed up the whole place. As the bad guys/girls searched the Pokeballs one by one, Ash just randomly picked one of his Pokeballs and ran off.
The Butch and Cassidy moved out to go after Ash but before they could even move, their bodies felt stiff. They were paralyzed by something. "Cassidy… I… I can't move" "Shut up you idiot! I can't move either!"
"Well this is a surprise, two rats paralyzed by sting needles. Hahahahahaha! I guess we'll have to get that boy without you" the two sisters laughed at them and began leaving the area
"Wait! What about our fifty-fifty, deal!?" Cassidy pathetically attempted to get them into a small deal
Oakley simply let out a short chuckle, "Palease, like I would ever want to share my money with you losers (zap) Uh…" just then... a strange stiffness came to her shoulders. Before the two sisters even realized it, they were completely paralyzed by sting needles
"Hey… Oakley… I can't… I can't feel my legs!" Annie tried to move her feet and hand but they wouldn't comply. She then tried even harder but the attempt only rendered her to fall to the ground with face hitting the dirt first.
"Well well, thanks for the help you guys, I knew putting a tracker on your purse was a good idea… hehehehehe" everyone turned their attention to the source of the voice. At the top of the small hill was a blonde haired girl with a smaller R on her chest. She looked younger than all of them but her skills were way beyond theirs.
"Domino!?" Cassidy quickly recognized the girl as one of Giovanni's elite agents, "What are you doing here?! I thought the boss was taking a vacation"
The girl now known as Domino simply shrugged and laughed, "I got bored so I decided to catch up with you guys. After I heard that the boy has a Lugia, I thought it might be a good present for the boss. (radio static) Yeah? (radio chatter) Yeah, I got them. You can pick them up later. (radio chatter) So you found him? Good, I'll be right there! Later losers!"
"Wait Domino come back here!" Oakley tried to stop the so called top agent of Team Rocket but she simply fell to the ground next to butch and Cassidy, who were starring at her with an expression that clearly stated, 'When I can feel my legs again, you're so getting it! "Ahehe you know… I was only kidding what I said earlier… hehehehehe"
Ash was once again running off to… well… anywhere. He wouldn't stop he couldn't stop! He could only hear his heartbeat and the sound of his breath. He went a good distance between him and Team Rocket... until.
'Whoose!'
Ash dodged two rocket nets that nearly got to him. "Dang it! I nearly had him!" Wendy cursed her misfortune, "Oh, it doesn't matter… GET HIM!" five Team Rocket goons rushed out and persued Ash. He felt like the whole world was after him. "How many of you are there?!" he yelled out in panic. His feet were getting sore and the only he had in his arsenal was an empty Pokeball that was supposed to have a Lugia. As the thugs got closer, he forced whatever energy he had left and made his way towards the curve point of the plains. Since he couldn't stop he tumbled down the slopes hurting every second of the way. He reached the bottom of the hill with every part of his body in deep pain. He heard foot steps behind him. "Oh great, this is it for you Ash Ketchum!" he yelled out in his mind as he tried to crawl away. "Ash are you alright?!" yelled the feminine voice.
Ash turned around and was happy to see a friendly face. "Mis…ty?" Misty came up to him with her canteen and let the tired boy take a few 'gluck'. Ash was a mess. There were cuts and bruises all over him, he breathing was unatually fast and his eye lids were on the verge of closing. "Ash don't you dare sleep on a time like this!" Misty yelled out holding her tears back. Tracey took out his first aid kit but before he could do anything to help his friend, another group of Team Rocket goons (now wearing white with a red 'R') appeared from behind. "Let's get out of here!" Tracey put Ash on his back and carried him away.
Domino saw this as an opportunity to catch three with one Pokeball. She immediately gave chase with her band of thugs.
Tracey and Misty ran as far as they could towards the place where all this mess started. The ruins…
Just when Domino thought he had them cornered for the taking, Wendy appeared with her goons, followed by Butch and Cassidy along with Annie and Oakley. "Grrrr! I should've knocked you guys out when I had the chance!" Domino was grtting her teeth as she prepared to clean house. However, Ash wasn't going down without a fight! He asked one of Tracey's Pokemon (Venonat) and planned to stage a battle!
"Alright Team Rocket, if it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get! Venonat I choose you! (a furry bug like Pokemon appears)"
"Alright then Staryu, I choose you!" Misty called out her younger star Pokemon
"Go Scyther!" even Tracey wasn't going down without a battle. He called out an insect Pokemon who was famed for its razor sharp claws
Domino was glad that they were gonna battle, "Well well, at least this pray knows how to fight when in a corner…"
"Let's get him Cassidy! That Lugia is as good as ours!" Butch reminded
Wendy huffed at them, "You idiot, he doesn't have a Lugia! It's just a bluff to scare us!"
"Really?" Annie asked hoping that it was just a lie-lie
"If he had a Lugia, don't you think he would've used it to fly away by now?!"
"Oh… she had a point there…" Cassidy pointed out
Oakley hung her head down in disappointment, "Oh I was so hoping to get a rare Pokemon today!"
"Who care?" Domino yelled out, "This kid's Pikachu is probably worth as much anyway! Minions, attack!"
Wendy followed not far behind, "Go everyone! Get those Pokemons!"
As the two groups of thugs charged in with nothing but their fists, they were easily knocked out by Venonat's stun spore attack. Oakley, Annie, Butch and Cassidy summoned out their Pokemons and began to battle.
It was a six on three battle with no sides backing down!
"Venonat, use tackle attack!"
"Staryu, use your watergun attack!"
"Scyther, use quick attack!"
The three Pokemons engaged Butch's Raticate and Cassidy's Houndour which knocked them out instantly. They both recalled their Pokemons and summoned out new ones (Sableye and Mightyena)
"That does it, Sableye use scary face!" Cassidy commanded her Pokemon
"That's not going to work on me. Staryu, use watergun again!"
While Sableye did its scary face on Staryu with its mouth wide open he began to take in water by force! It was knocked back pretty good but it wasn't out yet.
"My turn, Mightyena, use crushing bite on Scyther!"
"Dodge it Scyther!" Tracey ordered
Scyther tried to dodge its attacks but the canine like Pokemon bit its wings pretty hard. Scyther fell down but quickly regained balance and attacked Mightyena with its razor sharp arms.
While the other two were battling, Ash on the other hand was at a big disadvantage. He wasn't only facing two Pokemons, but he has no clue on what Venonat's attacks are. An Ariados and and Espeon against a Venonat… who will win?
"Well since those two are busy with your friends we might as well take you head on! Ariados, use life drain!"
"Espeon, use psychic attack!"
"This isn't good! Venonat, try to dodge them and use stun spores!"
The little furry bug dodged the attacks but was quickly caught off guard by a psychic wave of Espeon. "Vanonat, quickly… attack Espeon before it gets another chance to use its powers!" Just when Venonat was about to move in to strike, Ariados moved in to block the way. However, this was what Ash was hoping for. "Now Venonat, use stun spore!" Venonat let out its spores on Espeon and Ariados which made them drowsy for a little while, "It's now or never! Venonat, tackle Ariados onto Espeon!" with that small hit, Ash was victorious over the two mengling girls. Ash gave out his victory pose but it soon faded when he saw Misty and Tracey lost.
Sableye and Mightyena glared at Venonat evilly as they approached it. Ash knew he didn't stand a chance. Venonat just knocked out two strong Pokemons and now two more were on its way.
The battle went on for a few minutes, but Ash believed in Venonat. He even praised it and gave it hope. Ash soon felt a strange chill on his right arm, but he was too distracted by the battle to notice it. The mysterious aura that surrounded him during many tough battles once again returned. Venonat began to feel more powerful and let out an angry shreek that would engraved the word FEAR in the bravest of hearts.
In mere moments, Venonat used its powers to fight against Butch and Cassidy's Pokemons… and by some luck… it won. Domino and Wendy observed carefully at the battle and came to a conclusion. If a Venonat can take out four Pokemons on its own… then it must be really powerful… and if it's really powerful than the happier the boss would be!
As Ash hugged Venonat for its great victory it was cut short when another presence came to him.
"Very impressive Ash, I never imagined that a weak Pokemon like Venonat could actually take on four of our finest Pokemons" it was Domino, and she still had that evil smile on her face
"Then I guess you'll be leaving now… right?" Ash hoped that they would
"Oh on the contrare brat" said Wendy, "Domino and I had made a little agreement and we've decided to capture that Venonat!"
"Forget it! You're not getting your dirty hands on Venonat!"
Domino slapped her head for his stupidity, "DUH!! Does it look like we're asking? We're taking it weither you like it or not! (snaps her fingers) (a small group of Team Rocket trainers appears) Alright boys, get'em!"
The group unleashed all their Pokemons out on the battlefield. This time Ash was certain he couldn't win. Venonat was exhausted and Tracey didn't have enough Pokemons to even make a stand. Misty stood beside Ash as he cuddled the little bug like Pokemon. Just when Team Rocket was about to move in for the taking… a spark came down from the sky, "PI---KA---CHU!!!!!!" then a huge lighting bolt severed the ground, making a small dent on the ground.
"There they are! We found them!" Richie ran out with Sparky and Pikachu towards his friends. Drew, May, Dawn, Duplica. The gym leaders and all the other trainers rushed to Ash's side and let out their Pokemons for a fight that would've shake the very fabric of the world.
"Looks like we made it just in time!" Drew immediately took up a battle stance
"Grrrr… more annoyances!" Wendy gritted her teeth in anger, but Domino calmed her down
"Well… it certainly looks like an even fight… you know what this means Wendy!"
"Alright... plan B!"
The entire gang braced themselves for whatever to come. There was a long pause. No one said a word for a full minute until Wendy broke the silence. "RETREAT!!!!!!" she yeeled out as the entire Team Rocket ran away.
"Come back and face us you coward!" May yelled at them
"Yeah, it was a fair fight!" Max added but it was only replied with a 'bleh' from Domino
"Team Rocket never fights a fair fight! Later twerps! whistles (a helicopter appears) jumps on the ladder and stick out her tongue at the gang I'll be seeing you guys… very soon!"
"A dramatic exit… I'm impressed…" Drew complimented even the bad guys for their escape
Dawn immediately rushed to Ash and checked his wounds, "Ash, are you ok?!"
"Yeah, I'm fine… great work Vanonat! Return!"
"That was some fight. If we didn't get here in time you would've been in big trouble Ash" Dawn continued as she picked out her bandages from her bag
"Actually… a few minutes earlier would've been nice" said Misty who was exhausted
Brock yawned and streched his arms into the air, "Man, what a morning wake up call (Pikapi!)"
"Hey buddy, thanks for the help. I thought I was done for, hehehehe"
The entire group smiled with relief to see their friends safe and sound but with Team Rocket attacking them in such large numbers… they could only let them believe that they were gonna see them again… very soon.
"So… you're Tracey Sketchit?" Jasmine asked the starving Pokemon watcher
"Yes ma'am and you are?"
"My name is Jasmine. These are my friends Whitney and Flannery. We're gym leaders hired by Dr. Birch to look for you. He was worried that something bad happened"
"Well hehehehe it's a long story really"
"Well we might as well start breakfast. I vote for ham and egg sandwich!" Duplica yelled out to the gang
"I want jelly sandwich please!" Max asked with his hand raised up in the air
Brock calmed the hungry group down with a small laugh, "Alright everyone, but you all gotta help!"
And so another exciting week had finally come to a dramatic end. With only two more months to go before the Valmarian league, our heroes will have to keep up their steady pace or they might not make it in time for the competition. Only the future knows what will happen next…