"Hey isn't that Misty's rod?" Cassie asked as they sat down by a small lake.
"Well she did leave it for whoever found it, and if it brought her strong Pokemon, maybe it'll do the same for me." Ash said.
"Because there definitely aren't any strong Pokemon around here." Cassie said, looking at the grasslands of the Safari Zone, many strong and wild Pokémon running about.
"Little Ash, sitting on the ground where he belongs." Gilbert taunted walking up with a laugh.
"What do you want Gilbert?" Ash sighed.
"To prove I'm better than you, what else?!" Gilbert guffawed.
"Not really interested in a battle today." Ash admitted, keeping his eyes on his bobber.
"Why, are you scared to lose?" Gilbert taunted.
"No, we just had a gym battle yesterday and they're resting at the Pokemon Center. Besides we're in the Safari Zone, your Pokeballs won't work here." Ash reminded.
"These ones will." Gilbert taunted, flashing two Pokeballs.
"Again, I don't have any with me right now, if you want to wait until later then we can battle." Ash said calmly.
"Fine, I'll be waiting to show you up again." Gilbert laughed.
"You handled that well." Cassie said.
"What else could I do, everyone is resting at the Pokemon Center still, that poison did a number on Pikachu and Jigglypuff." Ash commented.
"Ash! Look!" Cassie said, seeing the bobber dive under water.
"I've got you now!" Ash said standing up, and pulling back on his fishing line. "Come on!" Ash said pulling on the fishing rod, the hook finally breaking the waters surface, a serpent like Pokémon attached to it.
"What is it?" Cassie asked.
"Something powerful and rare." Ash said.
A pink Pokémon landed on the ground in front of them with a plop.
"Let's see what the Pokédex has to say about it." Ash said. "Dratini, a dragon type, but the photo looks different." Ash said. The Dratini in the Pokédex was purple not pink.
"It might be sick, maybe you should catch it and take it to the Pokemon Center." Cassie said worridley.
"It doesn't seem sick." Ash said.
"Maybe it's like when I got sick, it didn't hurt much at first." Cassie said.
"Right, better safe than sorry." Ash agreed. "Safari Ball, go!"
Later outside the Pokemon Center
"Alright Gilbert, I'm here, how about a five on five?" Ash asked.
"Bring it on." Gilbert said. "Fearow I choose you!"
"Pikachu, you're up." Ash said.
"Fearow use Drill Peck!"
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
Fearow began diving towards in a spinning motion, as Pikachu unleashed a bolt of lightning directly at the flying type, sending it off course.
"Fearow use Fury Attack!"
"Pikachu use Thunder Wave!"
A spiral of electricity shot towards the recovering Fearow as its left wing began to flap slower than its right.
"Now Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
"Fearow dodge it with Agility!"
Fearow began picking up speed as Pikachu unleashed bolt after bolt of electricity, trying to clip the bird pokemons wings.
Angered by his recent losses, and even more by Fearow's constant speed, Pikachu unleashed a ferocious amount of electricity shooting down from the sky and blasting Fearow. When the light cleared away, Fearow was unmoving.
"What in the?" Ash said pulling out his Pokédex. "Pikachu! I didn't know you learned Thunder!"
"Pika." Pikachu said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. Even he didn't know he could do that.
"No matter, it won't work on my next Pokemon, Rhyhorn come on out!" Gilbert said tossing out a Safari Ball.
"Pikachu come back for now." Ash said. "Alright Gloom, you're up."
"Rhyhorn use Stomp!"
"Gloom use Toxic!"
Gloom shot out a blast of purple goop, drenching the rock type in it.
"How'd a nobody like you learn a move like that!" Gilbert asked in shock.
"I told you, we had a gym battle yesterday." Ash said opening his jacket to reveal the now five badges pinned in it.
"Rhyhorn use Rock Blast!"
"Gloom use Mega Drain!"
Gloom began creating of vortex of draining the energy pulling in the rocks before cutting off the flow and leaping from one rock to the next, closing in on Rhyhorn.
"Gloom use Mega Drain!"
"Rhyhorn use Horn Attack!"
Unlike the last time Gloom fought a Rhyhorn, he wasn't small enough to duck under the rock type, but now he was strong enough to drain its energy quick enough, the Rhyhorn falling to the ground in defeat.
"Rhyhorn return, come on out Pinsir!"
"Gloom come back, let's give the new guy a shot." Ash said, grabbing his Safari Ball. "Dratini I choose you!" Ash exclaimed.
A small pink serpent popped out of the Safari Ball with a chirp.
"What's wrong with that thing?!" Gilbert said in disgust.
Flashback into the Pokémon Center
"Nurse Joy, I just caught this Pokemon but something seems wrong with it." Ash said holding his Safari ball.
"What seems to be the issue?" Nurse Joy asked.
"We'll the Pokédex said Dratini looks purplish, but this one is, well it's pink." Ash said, sending out his Dratini.
"Amazing, I've heard reports of this phenomenon, but this is the first I've heard to be found here in Kanto." Nurse Joy said.
"Is he okay?" Ash asked.
"He's just fine, some people have referred to something like this as a shiny variant." Nurse Joy said. "It's incredibly rare to find one."
"That's means he's extra special!" Cassie exclaimed.
Back to the fight
"Dratini use Wrap!"
"Pinsir use Vice Grip!"
Pinsir locked its horns around Dratini, trapping the small dragon in them.
"Dratini use Leer!"
Dratini poked his head down at Pinsir, eyes going in opposite directions, and his tongue sticking out.
"Pinsir use Guillotine!"
Pinsir snapped It's horns together as Dratini's body went limp between them.
"I guess not everything in the Safari Zone is on equal power." Gilbert taunted.
"Yeah yeah." Ash said returning Dratini. "You'll get him next time."
"It's still four to three, you've got this Ash!" Cassie cheered.
"Ponyta come on out!"
"Pinsir use Seismic Toss!"
"Ponyta use Ember!"
Pinsir gripped onto Ponyta's body, tossing her into the air before launching himself after her and crashing both of them down onto the ground.
"Ponyta use Stomp!"
"Pinsir use Vice Grip!"
Pinsir charged forward towards Ponyta, it's horns clanging together as he got closer. Ponyta waited for the right moment before she would be trapped and jammed her hoof into the center of the bug type's head.
"Pinsir switch to Guillotine!" Gilbert commanded.
"Ponyta dodge it!"
Ponyta began to run away from Pinsir picking up more and more speed, to the point where she was able to stop and watch Pinsir attempt to catch up.
"Was that another new move?" Cassie asked.
"I'm not sure." Ash admitted, pulling up his Pokédex. "Apparently it's called Agility."
"Pinsir use Body Slam!"
"Ponyta use Ember!"
Pinsir leapt into the air, aiming for Ponyta as it's hard, armored shell deflected most of the flames before it crashed into the horse.
"Ponyta!" Ash exclaimed, seeing the fire type knocked out.
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed offering to go in.
"Gloom gloom!" Gloom argued, also wanting back in.
"Pikachu go in." Ash said, while recalling Ponyta.
"Pinsir use Vice Grip!"
"Pikachu use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu sped through Pinsir's closing horns, before turning around and launching into Pinsir from the back.
"Pinsir use Seismic Toss!"
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"
A bolt of lightning shot through the horns of Pinsir zapping it in the soft spot from Ponyta's earlier attack, causing the bug type to fall to the ground in defeat.
"Pinsir return!" Gilbert said. "Come on out Weepinbell!"
"Careful Ash." Cassie warned. When it was Bellsprout that Weepinbell was dangerous, there was no telling how tough it was now.
"Pikachu use Thunder!"
"Weepinbell use Razor Leaf!"
Electricity rained down from the sky as Weepinbell launched leaves at high speeds toward Pikachu.
"Pikachu use Quick Attack!"
"Weepinbell use Slam!"
Pikachu and Weepinbell collided with each other in mid air, sending both tumbling back.
"Pikachu switch out, Jigglypuff you're up!" Ash said.
Pikachu ran back to the outside of the field, he wasn't sure of Ash's plan, but trusted his trainer.
"Weepinbell use Stun Spore!"
"Jigglypuff use Sing!"
Jigglypuff's sweet song sent Weepinbell floating to the ground fast asleep.
"Now use Pound!"
Jigglypuff ran forward, slamming her microphone into the side of Weepinbell, launching the grass type.
"Weepinbell wake up and attack her with Slam!" Gilbert shouted.
"Jigglypuff use Pound!" Ash called out.
Jigglypuff launched Weepinbell into the air as it landed with a plop, onto Gilbert's head.
"Ahh, get it off of me!" Gilbert shouted his arms flailing.
"I know I should be enjoying this more, but…". Ash sighed, walking over to Gilbert and helping him free himself from Weepinbell. "Are you alright?"
"Get your hands off of me! I had it perfectly under control!" Gilbert said angrily.
"Sure you did, are you good to keep fighting?" Ash said, rolling his eyes.
"Am I good to keep fighting?" Gilbert mocked. "Of course I am! Wartortle finish them!"
Gilbert's Wartortle landed onto the battlefield, the tide having changed from their last fight.
"Alright Gloom, your turn again." Ash said.
"Gloom!" Gloom exclaimed confidently entering the field.
"Wartortle use Skull Bash!"
"Gloom use Toxic!"
Wartortle launched forward, mostly unfazed by Gloom's attack as it crashed into the grass type.
"Gloom use Mega Drain!"
"Wartortle use Ice Beam!"
A freezing blast shot straight through the draining tunnel turning Gloom into an ice cube instantly.
"Gloom, return!" Ash said. "Alright Pikachu, you're up."
"Pika!" Pikachu said confidently.
"Wartortle use Dig!"
Gilbert's Wartortle dove underground, making it impossible to tell where it was going to pop up.
"Pikachu go into the hole after it and use Quick Attack!"
Pikachu dove into the hole created by Wartortle speeding through the tunnel it had created, only to find Wartortle had already gone up.
"Be careful Pikachu." Ash said from above ground, unsure if his partner could even hear him.
Wartortle was waiting outside the hole with a Water Gun, ready to blast It's foe.
"Pika!" Pikachu said loudly waving from off in the distance.
"What! How did it! Wartortle shoot that Pikachu!" Gilbert shouted.
The water gun blasted outwards only for Pikachu to duck back in underground. Moments later he launched out of the hole right behind Wartortle slamming into the water types shell, and having the turtle land on its back.
"And that's that." Ash said.
"You played dirty, it'll be different next time." Gilbert said.
"Says the guy who used Guillotine." Cassie said sarcastically, watching Gilbert run off.
"Come on let's take everyone back to the center, that wasn't an easy fight for anyone." Ash said.
Ash's team and their moves
Pikachu: Thunderbolt - Quick Attack - Thunder Wave - Thunder
Gloom: Mega Drain - Sleep Powder - Toxic - Acid
Jigglypuff: Sing - Pound - Disable
Ponyta: Ember - Stomp - Agility
Dratini: Wrap - Leer