"Pikachu! Use Quick attack!" Ash commanded with a point of his finger as he stood confidently. Soon after Dawn stepped by his side.
"Buneary! Use your Ice beam attack!" Dawn commanded. Ash and Dawn watched as their Pokemon took off down the sandy beach of one of the many islands, chained by bridges in the Sinnoh region.
Buneary was behind Pikachu as he activated his quick attack and quickly built up his speed. She knew to perform this technique she only had to stay behind him, although she still feared that she was not fast enough.
Ash saw Dawn take off behind their Pokemon. She tried to run alongside them. Pikachu, being the fastest, was the first to take off into the air.
Dawn slid near Buneary and held out six rubber balls.
"Buneary! You know what to do!" Dawn said to reassure her Pokemon. She then threw all six balls at once. Buneary then used her feet to leap high into the air. She did a mid air twirl as she exhaled an ice beam, directed towards the rubber balls.
"Bun-Nary!"
She felt her icy breath coast out of her mouth as it showered over each of the rubber balls in the midst of her twirl. The rubber balls iced over and transformed into icy crystal balls. She turned over and saw Pikachu was indeed near her.
Pikachu held a confident smile as the two felt gravity resume its role. Buneary held her breath as she let her body flip backwards. Pikachu fell towards her feet and their feet met.
Buneary used all of her strength and she pushed Pikachu with her hindlegs and she managed to send him flying towards one of the crystalized rubber balls.
Ash ran by his friend Dawn and he shoved his fist forward.
"Alright! Pikachu! Make it happen! With Iron Tail!" Ash cheered onward as Pikachu clenched his body. He was ready to show off.
With a confident grin, he spun his body hard. His Iron Tail whipped in front of himself. He felt his spin take control.
"PIIIIIKAAAAAA!" Pikachu cried out as he felt himself take off towards his target.
In a glorified smash, one of the crystal balls shattered into the form of sparkling dust. Ash felt his fist clench in the air with satisfaction.
Pikachu didn't slow his spin, if he did anything, he spun even faster. He took his aim and he perfected his spin.
His attack started to smash and break each other crystal balls one by one. Each one shattered, forming an amazing light show that sparkled in the heat of the sun.
Pikachu ends his spin after he finally takes out the last crystal ball.
Buneary lands in a majestic pose as she holds her arms up high. Pikachu was above her in the midst of the crystalized display.
Ash and Dawn felt themselves walking backwards to enjoy their display of teamwork. The view was amazing.
"Alright!" Ash cheered as he felt his fist pump in the air. Dawn clapped her hands together in much joy.
"Fantastic guys! That was really good!" Dawn was happy to inform them.
Brock, Vulpixs and Piplup were nearby, enjoying the display as well. Brock was standing near the heat of the sun. He had to wipe the sweat off his brow, but he found himself smiling at the results of Ash's and Dawn's short amount of training.
"Hey…. That's not bad…." Brock had to admit.
Dawn was full of laughter as she ran up to Buneary.
"My gosh Buneary! That was fantastic! Great job!" She told her Pokemon as she ran up to her.
Buneary felt herself laugh as well as she threw up a peace sign.
"Buneary~" She cooed as she watched as her trainer came up to her and scooped her up into her arms.
Ash had a large grin as he walked up towards Dawn and Buneary. Ash stopped halfway to look up. He saw his Pokemon descend from high up in the air, performing front flips on his way down.
Ash and Dawn watched as Pikachu landed near them. Pikachu took a second to take in his breath before he shot his own pose, as he threw his paws up, similar to how Buneary did.
"Pikachu~" Pikachu chimed in his little cheer. Ash took a couple of steps towards him before giving him a thumbs up.
"That was a very good job! You'll both win Dawn those Ribbons for sure!" Ash complimented his Pokemon's performance.
"Pika-P!" Pikachu called out as he was happy to hear his trainer's praise. Pikachu then took this moment to happily crawl up Ash's pant leg. Pikachu was quite happy with his results on his training for the contest.
Brock, who had Vulpix's on his shoulder, slowly walked up to his two friends, alongside Piplup who was waddling beside him.
"I see they're really getting into the swing of things!" Brock pointed out, impressed as well. Piplup brought up a fin in agreement.
"Pip-Lup!"
"Vuuul!" Vulpix cooed, agreeing as well.
Ash and Dawn turned to their friend Brock with wide grins. They were feeling quite confident.
"Yeah! I think this is really going to work!" Ash added in his utmost confidence.
Buneary soon adjusted her position from within Dawn's arms. She leaned over and pointed at Ash.
"Bun-... Buneary!" Buneary quietly asked, as she pointed out. Dawn looked up at Ash and saw that Pikachu was shifting his position slightly.
Dawn looked back at Buneary, almost knowing what she wanted.
"Oh- I see…." Dawn told Buneary, he adjusted Buneary's weight in her arms. Buneary looked up and stared at her trainer. "Eheheh… You want to be next to Pikachu, huh…"
Buneary's eyes sparkled as she knew her trainer understood. She nodded quickly.
Ash and Dawn smile at one another as Ash let his forearm come forward. Buneary was all too happy to hop onto Ash's arm and she joined Pikachu on his shoulder.
Ash felt his smile grow even more when he saw how happy Pikachu seemed to be when he was with her.
"Don't you two worry….. Keep on performing like that, and you two will win the contest for sure!" Ash promised them. Pikachu and Buneary felt their confidence grow upon hearing those words. Dawn's smile however felt a little softer.
"Yeah….. We just have to add something to it…." Dawn told Ash, not sounding as excited as she was just a few moments ago.
Ash turned to her confused. He didn't think in the same way.
"Hey…. What do you mean? What was wrong with their performance…?" Ash asked, concerned, and almost frustrated. Dawn gave him a weak smile as she held up her hands to slow down Ash's frustration.
"T-There's nothing wrong with their performance…. believe me…. but…" Dawn tried to quickly reassure Ash. His frustration seemed to linger away, but his confusion still remained.
"Dawn is right, ya know…." Brock felt the need to add in his piece. Dawn, Ash and their Pokemon turned to Brock. All of them were listening intently. "As fantastic as their performance was…. It does feel like it's missing something…."
Ash, Pikachu, and Buneary slowly loosen their smiles. The three of them were trying to think of their missing element. Ash slowly rubbed his chin.
"So….. It really is missing something huh….?" Ash asked, almost feeling disappointed. He wasn't exactly too happy to hear that bit of information. He tried to think hard on what they might have been doing to make their performance better.
Dawn let herself smile towards Ash. She tried to show more confidence towards Ash's feelings.
"Try not to worry too much…." Dawn told him as she tried to support Ash. "We'll have plenty of time to think of how to make their performance better….."
Brock stepped up, causing Ash to turn to him.
"Yeah no doubt! But first…. We should get you ready to take on the Sinnoh Gym! We can worry about the contest after….." Brock explained to Ash. This caught Ash and Pikachu's attention. They seemed to feel surprised by this at first, but their expression soon became much, much more confident. Ash clenched his fist once again.
"Yeah! You're right…! We'll have plenty of time! ….. And you're right! It's about time we earn our second Badge!" Ash seemed to say with great confidence. Pikachu smiled with determination.
"Pika-Pika!" Pikachu stated in confidence. Dawn and Brock both smiled in agreement with their close and energetic friend.
"Yeah! That's the-"
Then suddenly, sand erupted from the beach as they heard an explosive go off. Ash, Brock, and Dawn's head turned quickly. They didn't know what just happened but they saw a sandy dust cloud shield their view of the cause of the disruption of the beach.
"Huh….? What was that?" Ash asked in surprise. The three trainers and their Pokemon silently waited out the cloud of sand that was in their way.
Soon enough, the sand slowly descended from the air and it drifted back to the beach. Ash's eyes grew in surprise when he finally saw who had caused the sand to disburse.
It was his own Pokemon. Bulbasaur and Squirtle were both facing one another in the heat of combat. The two looked very determined.
"Huh? What are those two up to?" Brock asked when he had realized it was them. Dawn blinked a few times, trying to understand.
"Why does it look like they're fighting…?" Dawn asked, feeling shocked by this. Ash slowly felt his belt and he examines his PokeBalls.
"Wait…. How did those two get out of their Pokeballs without me noticing!?" Ash soon realized. Without saying much else, Ash, Brock, and Dawn exchanged a look of concerned determination and the three ran over to investigate this situation.
Bulbasaur was ready to attack. Squirtle was beginning to stepto the side as the two were trying to read each other's movements. They could tell the other was quite eager.
The two were about to move….
But then the two Pokemon heard their trainer call for them.
"Bulbasaur!? Squirtle!? What on earth are you two doing?" Ash asked them as they were in the middle of their approach.
Bulbasaur and Squirtle seemed to relax when they saw that their training was quickly approaching.
Ash, Dawn, and Brock stop near them. Each one of them was out of breath. They tried to kneel down, and they were breathing heavily.
"W-What exactly is the meaning of this, guys….?" Ash was quick to ask them, underneath his heavy panting.
"Y-Yeah! Why are you two attacking each other…?" Dawn asked, very concerned about the fighting.
"Yeah! You're supposed to be friends…" Brock reminded them.
Pikachu eyes widen. He knew what was going on, and he knew the trainers were all misunderstanding Bulbasaur and Squirtle's actions. Pikachu jumped over Ash's head and landed in-between their trainers and Bulbasaur and Squirtle.
Pikachu held his paws, trying to stop them from being concerned. He was even shaking his head.
"Pika-Pika! Pikachu! Pika-Pi!" Pikachu tried to explain frantically. Ash, and his companions were staring at Pikachu as he looked desperate to seize their concern.
Ash was the last to stand. He slowly tucked his fists into his hips. His eyebrow raised a little.
"What are you trying to tell us….? Are you saying the two weren't actually fighting...?" Ash guessed with a questionable glare. Pikachu shook his head, trying to tell them they weren't.
Ash's glare softened. He looked at Dawn and Brock before looking back at his loyal Pikachu.
"Then…. Then what were they doing….? Training without us…?" Ash asked, a bit confused. Pikachu smiled as he quickly started to nod his head.
"Pika!" Pikachu confirmed for him. Squirtle and Bulbasaur slowly nod their own heads, telling them Pikachu's assumption was correct.
"Bulba!"
"Squirtle-Squirt!"
Ash started to form a weak smile. He turned to examine Brock and Dawn who also started to seem relieved. Ash closed his eyes and knelt down once again. He opened his eyes back up slowly.
"Well…. As long as it was just training….Then I suppose you guys didn't actually do anything wrong
…... But right now, it's time for us to get going…" Ash explained to them slowly. Ash started to reach down towards his belt. He took two PokeBalls in hand "I'll make sure to properly train the both of you after we win our next badge!"
Ash slowly held their PokeBalls out towards them.
"Let's get you two back inside, then we'll head to the Sinnoh Gym…." Ash seemed to almost repeat himself in confidence. Ash slowly stood back up. "Alright! Let's head out! Bulbasaur! Squirtle! Return!"
That was when his PokeBalls shot out its usual red flash of electricity. However, his Pokemon saw it coming. Bulbasaur and Squirtle dodged their PokeBall's ray. Dawn and Brock eyes widen when they witnessed this.
Ash was about to speak, but then he saw Bulbasaur shoot out his vine whips.
"Bulbasaur!" He told his trainer as his whips came out and swatted Ash's hand, hard. He felt his PokeBalls shoot upwards, and out of his hand. Ash held onto the pain of his whipped hand.
"Hey! What in the-" Ash cried out in pain. He then saw his Squirtle jump near him. In the middle of the air he used his tiny light blue paws to nab the PokeBalls from Ash.
Ash saw this and he tried to catch his pokemon with both of his arms.
"Hey! What are you-"
"Squirtle!" Squirtle dodged Ash's attempt to catch him. He landed on the sand and he ran off.
Ash turned to his water Pokemon, baffled by their actions.
"Where are you going with those!?" Ash asked in anger. He watched helplessly as he tried to follow Squirtle, but that was when he realized they was now near the water.
Squirtle had this gleemer in his eye. He recoiled his arms into a pitching position.
"W-Wait!"
"Squirtle!" Squirtle grunted as he threw the two PokeBalls into the ocean, one after the other. "Squirt!"
Dawn and Brock had finally caught up with them.
Dawn's and Brock's expression was of shocked.
"W-Why on earth did they just do that!?" Dawn asked loudly in utter shock. She had never seen anything like that.
Ash watched as Squirtle dusted off his paws and walked over to Bulbasaur. They exchanged a high five, proud of themselves.
They wasn't planning to do that, but they were glad they did.
"Squirtle!"
"Bulba!"
Ash slowly held his face with one of his hands, trying to shield his embarrassment.
"Ack! I can't believe they just did that to me!" Ash grumbled in his own predicament.
Brock tried to laugh this off, but he even felt a bit awkward.
"Eheheh…. I did try to tell him that Pikachu…. was teaching our Pokemon, some bad habits…." Brock slowly explained to Dawn. Dawn held a shy, and odd smile as well.
"Is that so….."
Pikachu rubbed the back of his head, unsure of his friends actions. However, to Pikachu, it looked like his friends didn't want to be in those small PokeBas anymore.
Pikachu adjusted his hat a bit, nervously.
"Pika…. Pika….."
[Down the road]
Ash and his friends were finally traveling across the last bridge that lead to the Lily of the Valley Island where they all knew the Gym battle was being held at.
Ash had to deal with the fact that Squirtle and Bulbasaur were always going to be outside their PokeBall's from now on. They were following behind the entire group. They had very glad smiles. Bulbasaur and Squirtle was quite glad to be free of their PokeBall's.
Ash, Pikachu, and Buneary had their glare towards the Conference center that was before them. They could see The Lily of the Valley's Conference just up ahead.
Ash's fists were clenched tight. He knew it was nearly time to take on another battle.
A battle he desperately needed to win.
The three trainer's marched forward towards their next challenge.
…. But unknown to them, there was three pairs of eyes watching their ever move.
The tan cat Pokemon finally leaned out of his hiding place. He was watching Ash's movements with his pair of high tech binoculars.
"Twerp at twelve o clock!" He told his partners. Then it was Jessie and James who appeared from within the tree. The two Team Rocket members peered down the length of the bridge with there own pair of binoculars.
"I knew that Twerp and his Pikachu would show up here….." Jessie reminded them as they were watching him travel across the bridge.
James had a small smile.
"This could finally be our chance….." James couldn't help but to think out loud.
"Gross… He brought some of his old pals with him too…." Jessie pointed out. James was still watching them carefully.
"I see Brock…. but I can't even remember the girls name…." James continues to think out loud. Jessie removed her binoculars from her face.
"Dawn….. She's the one with the penguin and the rabbit…. remember…." Jessie reminded James slowly. James slowly removed his binoculars as well.
"Oh that's right…. She's the one who is from Sinnoh….."
"How odd…." Meowth seemed to mumble out loud. Jessie and James turned to him with an unexcited, but curious glare.
"What is it Meowth?" Jessie quickly asked, not wanting to waste too much time.
"Yeah, whats up Meowth…?"
Meowth fell silent as he kept his gaze into the binoculars. It took a moment, but he finally spoke his mind.
"You said that Buneary belongs to that female twerp right?" Meowth questions slowly. Jessie felt her face shift a little. She wasn't really into questions that felt pointless.
"Yeah? What about it?" Jessie asked further. She wanted him to get to the point. Meowth kept his eyes on Pikachu and Buneary. He saw they was holding each other's paws.
"Then why is that Buneary on Ash's back? And not on Dawns….?"
Jessie and James felt themselves blink. Then the two put back on the binoculars.
"Their both on his back…. Holding paw to paw…. Wearing matching caps….. on the same shoulder, not in PokeBalls…." Meowth started to point out the details of his observation. Jessie and James both took notice of what their Meowth was pointing out.
"Woah…. Did those two actually hook up?" James questioned, sounding a bit surprised.
"Yeah…? So?" Jessie grumbled. She took off the binoculars once again. "What does that have to do with us?"
Meowth took off his binoculars finally and looked up at his two partners with a cunning smile.
"Don't you two realize that if we can get a hold of that Buneary….. Wouldn't her boyfriend would come and try to save her?"
Jessie and James both stare at Meowth, almost surprised that they did not come up with that idea.
"My gosh Meowth….. That's actually a good idea…." James admitted, sounding impressed. Jessie blinked a few times.
"It just might work….." Jessie had to admit. That was when the two looked through their binoculars again. The two looked more confident and determined.
"Now…. When to nab that cute little rabbit…." Jessie silently stated out loud. James was the most eager. He held his binoculars with both hands.
"Let's nab her right now!" James suggesy ignorantly.
"I say we wait…." Meowth calmly suggested. Jessie and James looked at him confused. The two didn't want to wait. The two was eager to take action.
"Wait on what, Meowth?" James asked, with desperation escaping his voice. Jessie gave Meowth an inpatient look.
"Yeah…. Let's grab her while she's in our sights…." Jessie demanded, not wanting to miss their chance.
Meowth gave him a smile, indicating he had a much better idea.
"That Twerp is gonna use that Pikachu in his battle today…. right?" Meowth quizzes them slowly. His two human companions seemed to slowly relax.
"Well….Yeah?" Jessie seemed to begin listening. The two slowly relaxed enough to pay attention to their fellow Meowth.
Meowth seemed to stand on his branch. He held an expression that stated his idea was going to be brilliant.
"Well! I'm sure this Master's League will put even Pikachu through the fight of his life!" Meowth explained in an excited tone. "And after all that battling…"
Jessie and James both grew wicked smiles.
"Then that Pikachu will be too tired to stop us…." James said, finishing Meowth's explanation. Jessie clenched her fists together.
"Yeah…. This could actually work….."
The three of them looked out towards the bridge, to where they knew Pikachu was.
"That Pikachu is going to be good as ours!"