Ugh! I would have had this chapter up a lot sooner, but I've been busy working. Anyway, I'll hopefully have this all wrapped up by the next chapter. And from the looks of things, I just might. So R&R!
He listened to the shrill whistle which Officer Jenny blew into as he, his friends, and others ran through the town, the path being cleared by Jenny herself, being that she was in the lead. Within minutes, thanks to people getting out of the way, the gang all exited the town and paused.
"O.K.," Brock said. "So which way to the lake?"
"This way," Jenny said, veering off in a right angle direction.
The others took off after her, entering the forest and began running downhill as the ground beneath them sloped downwards.
"You think Pikachu and Buneary are all right?" Dawn asked.
"I always have hope that they always are," Brock answered her. "Let's just hope they are."
"The lake's coming into view," James said, turning everyone's attention forward.
True to what James said, the lake was coming into view fast, but everyone was surprised at what laid within it.
"What is that ting?" Meowth asked as the neared the bottom.
"It looks like a giant Tentacruel," Dawn spoke out.
"Oh no!" Meowth cried. "Not again!"
"Hold on a minute," Brock said. "It looks like its top is open. And there are people inside."
"Hey guys," Dawn said. "Isn't that Gary down there with Electivire?"
Everyone looked from the giant Tentacruel down to a boy with spiky brown hair standing next to a huge yellow pokemon with black stripes on its back and two long antennas extending downward.
"Gary!?" Ash yelled out in surprise.
The spiky brown hair boy known as Gary turned around to stare in surprise himself as Ash and the others got to he bottom of the slope and ran up to him.
"Ash!?" he said. "What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same question," Ash said. "And what's the deal with those three?"
"Long story short, I heard some noise while I was walking on my way here and barely arrived to see Pikachu and Buneary getting attacked. So I decided to intervene."
"Pikachu and Buneary!?" Ash asked, confused before looking down to see Buneary holding Pikachu who looked like he wasn't moving.
Ash gasped in shock at the scene before him, terror spreading throughout his body.
"Pikachu!" he cried, kneeling forward and scooping him out of Buneary's arms, cradling him.
Buneary remained in the position she was in, still staring in the same spot she held Pikachu.
"Ash, what's wrong?" Brock asked.
"It's Pikachu," Ash sniffled. "He's not moving."
Dawn gasped, shocked herself.
"Hold on," Brock said. "Let me see him."
Ash willingly allowed Brock to take Pikachu from his arms as he placed an ear over Pikachu's mouth. Though hard to feel, he definitely felt a bit of warm air coming from Pikachu himself.
Moving his ear down, Brock listened closely for a heartbeat. At first, nothing was heard. Then, a slow thump made contact, confirming Brock's concern.
"He's still alive," he said. "Just barely."
"How did you know?" Dawn asked.
"As a breeder, we use our eyes for examination," Brock said. "Pikachu's struggling for breath. So he needs to get back to the Pokemon Center right away."
"No one's going any where just yet," Cassidy interrupted before anyone made a move. "That Pikachu is still coming with us."
"Back off, Cassidy!" Jessie yelled up at her angrily. "We've been after Pikachu a lot longer than you."
"And you still haven't managed to capture him yet?" Cassidy asked in a mocking tone. "Oh Jessie, Jessie. What a shame."
Jessie's eye twitched as she growled angrily. Gary on the other hand was looking quite confused, looking from the usual Team Rocket to the new ones he stood before.
"Hold on," he said. "If these three are the main ones who usually go about to capture Pikachu, then who are you three?"
"Looks like it's introduction time," Butch said.
"Indeed it is," Cassidy agreed. "You all better prepare for trouble."
"And you better believe we'll make that double," Butch added.
"To infect the world with devastation."
"To blight all peoples in every nation."
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."
"To extend our wrath to the stars above."
"Cassidy."
"Butch."
"Team Rocket circling Earth all day and night."
"So surrender to us now or you will surely lose the fight."
"Cassidy and Butch!?" Gary blinked in confusion as he turned to Ash. "Who are they?"
"They're another part of Team Rocket that we've ran into several times," Ash explained. "Of course, the bald guy up there we've only seen once back in the Silver Islands."
"Bald!?" Nanba said outraged. "I am not bald! I still have hair!"
"You've met this guy before?" Dawn questioned.
"It's kind of a long story," Brock said. "Right now, we need to get Pikachu back to the Center."
"Oh no you don't," Cassidy said. "Stop them, Houndoom."
Houndoom went and unleashed a stream of fire at Ash and the gang. However, Jessie reacted quickly to the attack.
"Go Wobbufet!" she said. "Mirror Coat!"
Out came Wobbufet in a burst of light as he activated his Mirror Coat upon being released. The Flame Thrower made contact with Wobbufet, but bounced off him, curving right back to Houndoom who stood there and let the attack hit him.
"All right!" Jessie said triumphantly. "A dead hit."
"I wouldn't think so," Cassidy said with a smirk, causing Jessie to frown.
All watched as the fire attack that hit Houndoom was absorbed into his body.
"Wh-What just happened?" Jessie asked.
"Did you forget that fire types can absorb their own attack and increase their power?" Cassidy said.
"Guess I did forget," Jessie said, looking caught off guard.
"Come on," Jenny whispered to Ash, Brock, Dawn, and Gary. "Let's go while they're distracted."
However, Nanba noticed their escape and yelled out, "Stop them!"
"Hitmontop!" Butch yelled.
Hitmontop took chase after them, but was stopped as James threw a pokeball of his own.
"Oh no you don't," he said. "Cacnea, Needle Arm!"
Out came Cacnea in a burst of light himself, readying his attack as his arm glowed. He came down upon Hitmontop's head, bruising it and sending Hitmontop back.
Cassidy growled as Jessie, James, and Meowth blocked their way from chasing down Pikachu.
"If anyone's going to get Pikachu, it's going to be us," Jessie said.
"That's right," Meowth said in agreement.
"And just how long have you been at it trying to retrieve him?" Nanba asked. "You three are buffoons. I don't know why the Boss even keeps you around."
"The only buffoons I see are you three," Jessie retorted. "Why don't you go elsewhere and bug another kid with a Pikachu?"
"Yeah," James said.
"Are you kidding?" Butch asked. "That Pikachu is far more powerful than any other Pikachu in this world. So you should just quit while you're ahead and leave this to the real professionals."
"That's it!" Jessie yelled. "I don't have to take this from you. Dustox, Poison Sting!"
Dustox came out from his ball and instantly fired poisonous darts out at Hitmontop and Houndoom, but were instantly melted by Houndoom's Flame Thrower.
"You guys were always weak," Cassidy said with a laugh. "And you always will be."
Jessie was boiling mad now.
"We'll see who the weak ones are," she yelled. "Dustox, Poison Sting! Seviper, Poison Tail!"
"Carnivine, Bullet Seed!" James yelled, releasing Carnivine. "Cacnea, Pin Missile!"
"Houndoom, Flame Thrower!" Casidy commanded.
"Triple Kick!" Butch said to Hitmontop.
All attacks were released and coming into contact with one another when Wobbufet got into the crossfire once again and activated his Mirror Coat. Everything after that happened way to fast for both Team Rockets to even know what happened.
Apparently, Seviper and Hitmontop knocked each other back to their original owners, though the recoil sent Hitmontop spinning backwards, ending up hitting Houndoom and sending both pokemon into the Tentacruel robot. Seviper knocked Jessie, James, and Meowth over.
As for the attacks, the Flame Thrower curved right off of Wobbufet and went straight for the open head of the robot Tentacruel while the attacks from the other side landed in the ground, causing a big explosion.
The Flame Thrower that was sent back fried the circuitry in the robot, which began exploding before the entire robot blew up altogether.
Up went Cassidy, Butch, and Nanba into the air, soaring into the distance.
"Ooh I so hate Jessie!" Cassidy exclaimed with disgust. "One day, I'll humiliate her and her friends. And hopefully then, I can get them all expelled from Team Rocket."
"You really have an anger issue with her, don't you?" Nanba questioned, receiving a fiery glare from her.
"I'm sure it will happen one day," Butch said. "But for now..."
"It looks like we're blasting off again!" all three yelled as they soared off into the sky, a star twinkling a moment later where they disappeared off into.
--
"How dare that tramp call me weak!" Jessie said angrily. "Next time I run into her, I'll show her who the weak one is."
"Guess we're going to need to start going to a pokemon training area or something then," James sighed.
"Guess we're going to need to sell those bottle caps for money then," Meowth said. "Cause nothing don't come cheap no more."
"Wait," Jessie said. "You have to pay to get into something like that?"
"Well, it doesn't matter right now cause..."
"We're blasting off again!" all three yelled.
("And so am I,") Wobbufet said before a star twinkled right where they soared off into.
--
Once again everyone was in turmoil as they either sat in a chair or paced back and forth in front of the back doors that Pikachu was beyond once again. And though Gary himself was equally as worried for the rest, he kept his confidence in check and remained upbeat and cool as he possibly could.
Garly glanced down over at Ash who was taking this the hardest most. He knew how much he loved Pikachu. Pikachu wasn't just only his very best friend, but his world as well. Without Pikachu, Ash wouldn't have any strength to continue on battling.
"Why?" Ash asked himself suddenly. "Why is this happening to me? Why does Pikachu keep getting hurt?"
"I'm sure whatever the reason, it's complicated," Gary answered him, getting Ash to look up at him.
"But just what could be so complicated with him?" Ash asked.
Gary swiftly glanced over to the answer who was slumped sadly against the wall away from everyone before returning his attention to Ash.
"I'm sure you'll understand one day," was all Gary said.
"But what if I don't understand?" Ash questioned further. "What if Pikachu doesn't make it in there? What if I lose all my pokemon because of Pikachu? What if-"
"Oh stop it with the ifs," Gary said. "If you don't have faith in Pikachu recovering, then you're sure to lose him. Look, Ash, I may not show it, but I care for Pikachu too. Maybe not the way you feel about him, but I care for him enough to actually show my concerns for him and for you."
At this point, Ash was looking Gary straight in the eye.
"I've known you since you were born," Gary went on. "Long enough to know that you've become a most powerful trainer. And a powerful trainer is only resulted in training very powerful pokemon. You always find the strength to go on, even after a loss. Pikachu feels the same way because you do too. It's the bond of friendship that keeps people going like you and Pikachu."
Suddenly, without warning, Ash busted out laughing, causing Gary to look confused and surprised at this sudden outburst.
"I'm sorry," Ash said after calming himself down. "It's just that you sounded just like your grandfather when you said all that stuff. And you know what, you're right. I am powerful because I've trained my pokemon to become the way they are today. And I do believe that he can make it. I've just been sitting around worrying myself to death. I guess I did turn out to be like my mom."
Gary chuckled, getting Ash to chuckle again. Suddenly, the dinging of the light going off above the doors stopped their chuckling as they both turned their attention to the doors as they opened up, Nurse Joy walking out from behind them.
Brock and Dawn came running over with the rest of the pokemon but Buneary as they all held their breath for her answer. Worry began to clamp Ash's heart once again, hoping that his friend had survived.
"Nurse Joy," he said. "How is he?"
Nurse Joy sighed heavily before answering him.
"All I can say is that I don't know how it happened, but your Pikachu somehow managed to make an unexplainable recovery," Nurse Joy replied.
Everyone let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this news.
"Thank goodness," Brock said. "That's great news, isn't Ash?"
"It sure is," Ash said.
"See?" Gary said. "What did I tell you? If you have faith in your pokemon, they'll come through for you."
"You were right," Ash said. "Thanks, Gary."
"What I do for a rival," Gary smirked.
Ash only smiled before turning to Nurse Joy and asking, "So, can we see him?"
"Not at the moment you can't," Nurse Joy said. "He needs his rest. He's been through a lot. I will allow you in later on."
"And how about we get to know each other while we're waiting?" Brock asked her right before being Poison Jabbed once again. And poor Brock was dragged away once again by Croagunk.
"So Ash," Gary said. "How about a little battle and some lunch while we wait? I've been wanting to battle some of your new pokemon."
"You're on," Ash said.
"Now this I got to see," Dawn said.
"Then let's go," Ash said as he rushed out the door.
"That's Ash for you," Gary said. "Always itching for a battle."
He, Brock, Dawn and the pokemon all followed out, taking off after Ash. However, only one remained behind. Her gaze rather than fixed on watching everyone else run out was fixed upon the doors that led to the back room.
On one hand, she wanted to go in there and see him, but on the other hand, guilt ate away at her and she was afraid of what might happen if she did go. She sighed heavily before getting up.
("I've caused him so much pain,") she thought. ("What would he see in a girl like me? I may not deserve his love after everything I did to him. All I want is for him to know how truly sorry I am.")
Slowly Buneary walked towards the backroom doors. She looked around to see where Nurse Joy was and found the room to be completely empty. Taking in a deep breath, Buneary walked through the doors and straight for the room Pikachu lied in.
Happy Holidays everyone!
