After a few more hours of journeying, the group stopped to eat. After the rough start to their day, they deserved it. Furthermore, it was a good time to try out the delicacies they'd brought from the big city of Celadon, as well as a few of the snacks Rebecca had sent them off with.
"I've heard of Kanto brewed teas being really good before, but this is really something," Dawn went on, setting her cup back down on the large, flat rock they'd decided to take over for lunch. "I think you could bribe someone with it!" she joked.
"Yeah, Kanto may not be as great as Sinnoh is with sweets, but there's a lot of good cooking around here! That's one thing I definitely miss when I leave home!" As much as that sounded like a joke, it really wasn't.
The mood was positively pastoral, though! She'd missed this, she admitted to herself. "Can't get this in town, though," she countered to his compliments of the cooking. She reached down, scratching Houndour behind his ear as the puppy let out a happy yip.
"You know, Mommy Magnezone aside, it's a really nice day!" she chirped, looking over to Ash. She was personally looking forward to the "dessert" she'd nabbed back when they were in civilization. Strawberries and a dash of sugar; simple, delicious, and relatively healthy.
Ash took a big bite into his sandwich, nearly choking when he was nudged by the long neck of his Meganium. Squirming a bit before swallowing his share whole, Ash let out a sigh of relief.
"Mega, Meganium!" The Pokémon's happy demeanor turned to worry, and then to shame. She uttered her frenzied apologies, using her vines to fix his hat properly atop his head.
"Hey, I'm fine, Meganium! Don't worry about it…!" Ash assured the herb-bearing Pokémon, reaching to pat her head. "Just don't sneak up on me like that! Especially when I'm eating."
The bluenette let out a giggle at Meganium's antics. She really was a sweetheart; lovestruck and thus often a bit unpredictable because of it, but a sweetie all the same.
While their methods for meals on the road had gotten a bit more humble since Brock was no longer with them, it was still very relaxing. While the grass type opted to stay close to Ash now that she had the opportunity, Glalie hovered near the icy nest of sorts that Empoleon had crafted, admiring the craftsmanship as the partial water type cooled himself. Typhlosion watched over Quilava as she dug shallow holes to hide in. In the distance, Togekiss perched on a low tree with Clefairy at her side, the two fairies chattering amongst themselves.
Back with the trainers, Pikachu and Rosa sat at Ash's side. Pikachu briefed Rosa on the colorful adventures he and Ash went through on their first trip through Kanto. Buneary sat at Dawn's side, gracefully nibbling on Pokéchow. Houndour sat at Dawn's feet, whining and begging for scraps as he'd already finished his portion. Dawn obliged him, of course, pulling out the lunch meat from her sandwich for him.
That left only one Pokémon unaccounted for. Primeape sat on his own, downing his chow in a hungry frenzy. As much energy as he spent, plenty of fuel was necessary, after all! In his haste, he'd finished his meal with time to spare. Everyone else seemed busy! What was a restless Pig Monkey to do?
Letting out a bored huff, the fighting type scanned the small clearing. As much as he wanted to spar with the newcomer Riolu, she seemed content talking to Pikachu. Now what else was there… Oh, lo and behold! The cap atop Ash's head stood out, like a brilliant red gem just begging to be taken.
No more than seconds later, Ash found his face smashed into his meal atop the rock, a hefty weight atop his back that left his head feeling all too bare. "Agh…! What the? Primeape!?" By time he'd sat up, the punchy Pokémon was dancing about with the red cap atop its head, chanting in grunts and cries. Teasing Ash, most likely.
"Hey! C'mon, gimme back my hat!" Wiping the mushed food from his face, Ash jumped after Primeape, aiming to secure his prized possession. Why did this always have to happen to him?
"Aw, come on, guys! You've gotta take it easy on Ash some!" Dawn called out once the peace was abruptly broken by Primeape's playfulness. A part of her was genuinely worried, but another part couldn't help but sit on the rock and chuckle. He'd get his hat back when Primeape was ready to stop playing, she figured. No need to be a party pooper.
… Especially not when Houndour was all over excited thanks to the noise. "Houndour! Buddy, there's no need to go barking like that!" she chided.
The sense of chaos seemed to spread throughout the group.
Buneary continued to eat quietly, though she scooted nearer Pikachu and Rosa.
Empoleon rolled his eyes from within icy domain, too "mature" for all of this. Glalie simply let out a chuckle. Little had changed since its capture in Hoenn, really. Ash's Pokémon were still mischievous and he was still hot-headed. Silly as it was, things never got dull. Though, Empoleon gave him a look as if to say "can you believe this?"
Togekiss and Clefairy watched on quietly, neither too inclined to get between the boys.
Quilava, however, was shaking what passed for her tail, yipping up at Typhlosion, asking him the way a younger sister might ask her brother for permission if it would be okay to get in on the madness. Typhlosion looked between his younger counterpart and the two involved in the chase, quiet for a moment before giving her a little nudge. She could follow, but she'd be better off showing caution and keeping her distance! Who knew what would end up happening with these two.
Leaping forward after being nudged, the little fire type waddled after Ash and Primeape, adding another element of chaos to the fiasco.
In the distance, Dawn couldn't help but burst out laughing. Quilava's fat little back was rolling as she ran!
Yet, Spearows still flew overhead and the sun shone down lazily upon the group. Surely it was just harmless play.
"Ga! Ganium!" Meganium cried, her vines shooting out in an attempt to retrieve the cap. Unfortunately, Primeape's movements were too wild and erratic to match.
"If Primeape makes it to those trees first, Ash can kiss his hat goodbye for a while," Dawn muttered to the trio of Pokémon still on the rock with her.
"Pikachu…" The mouse sighed. Indeed, the more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
The Pig Monkey took its business into the dirt path ahead, scurrying about before quickly scaling a tree, standing atop a branch. "Pri! Pri!" It hopped atop the sturdy growth, playfully mocking his trainer. Could one blame him, though? They hadn't been together in ages!
"Aw, c'mon… Well, fine! That's not gonna stop me!" Ash shouted, brows furrowing as he jumped to latch onto the tree. Scaling the bark with all four limbs, he did his best to climb after the mischievous fighting type Pokémon.
"He's really going up the tree," Dawn giggled. Oh, what she wouldn't give for a camera right now. "Hey, Togekiss, maybe fly over, it'd be good to have a safety net, you know?"
The white fairy type nodded, momentarily leaving Clefairy's side to fly over to the grove of trees Ash and Primeape played in. She rested on a nearby branch, looking mildly concerned but aware it was all in good fun. Mostly. Okay, for everyone but the boy being teased.
Occasionally, her eyes flicked to the Spearows nearby. What did they keep circling for?
Persistence proved to be key as Ash threw a leg over the branch that Primeape stood upon, followed by an arm. Soon enough, the boy was hugging onto the limb, more than ready to reclaim his possession. "Alright… I've got ya now, Primeape!"
Sadly, by time Ash had begun to gain balance, Primeape was already raring to continue the chase. Dropping to grab the branch with one of his gloved fists, the primate let out another snort before swinging to a nearby branch. He was standing again soon enough, once again staying ahead of his stubborn trainer.
"Ah…! Gimme a break!" Ash whined, crouching upon the branch before leaping to grab the one Primeape had perched upon. Now, the two were engaged in a tree-borne game of keep-away.
"It's times like these it's good he wears gloves," the bluenette muttered, breaking out the strawberries. "You guys want some?" she offered the Pokémon. "Oh, he stuck the landing!" Was she keeping score or something?
Glalie floated over to accept Dawn's offering. It wasn't as if he could be any help in this situation anyway, right?
At least Glalie was relaxing with her. And, Buneary, surprisingly. She mostly looked forlorn, though.
Meanwhile, Pikachu and Rosa had given chase to their trainer.
Togekiss was clearly fretting, hopping beneath the branches where Ash and Primeape played. Her cries of "Toge toge ki!" only added to the chaos.
Quilava hadn't stopped yipping, either, trying in vain to pull herself up the tree trunk. She was just small enough that her claws made a decent support in climbing the barky trunk, but just heavy enough that she was ripping off chunks of wood rather than hauling herself up too well.
Typhlosion had his careful eye on Quilava from where he lounged in the distance.
"Ga, Ganium!" Meganium cried, circling the base of the trees.
Ash, meanwhile, swung around on the branch he'd caught before scrambling on top of it. Teeth bared in frustration as Primeape made yet another jump, he continued. "You're not gonna throw me off that easy!" Yet another jump was made as Primeape moved onward, and this continued through several more trees, despite Togekiss' pleas. At this point, Ash could swear he was closing the gap.
"Ah-ha!" Finally, he'd gotten close enough to reach for the red cap, grabbing the red brim just as Primeape moved on once more. "You're pretty fast on your feet, Primeape! But, I've gotten pretty quick, too!" Says the trainer recklessly hanging onto the edge of a branch.
"Clefaaa!" Clefairy called out, clapping her hands. There was the savior the clan had spoken of! He'd kept up with a Primeape and reclaiming what was his.
Suddenly, Houndour began barking in a frenzy. Empoleon sat up, checking the skies. What had the little dog heard? He was going nuts, trying to warn them of something.
That's when three Spearows flew past, knocking Togekiss, who had just settled on a branch, off balance. The lead's aim was to startle Ash; the second and third were to squabble over his hat, one of them hopefully snatching it out of his grip.
"Wah! Hey! What's the big idea!?" Ash scrambled to avoid the angry Pokémon, swatting at them with his hat - probably not the wisest decision. While the first had been repelled, the following Spearow snagged the prized head wear out of his hand.
"Whoa! Hey, hold on!" Dawn cried out, dropping the food on the rock without hesitation. The rest of her team followed in short order. What just happened?!
Having stolen Ash's hat, the Spearows begin a hasty retreat through the tree grove, hoping to use the trees as a means of defense against any potential attacks but to also take advantage of their aerial superiority to outwit their newfound enemies.
"Pika… Chu!" Ash's best friend shrieked from the ground below, unleashing a hasty Thunderbolt towards the offending group of Spearow. He wasn't going to just let them get away with that!
Synchronized, shrill cries of pain were wrought from the flying types, prompting a quick retreat. The one flying off with the cap let out a squawk as it escaped, dropping Ash's hat not far from where it had been taken.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the only thing about to drop. Losing balance quickly after the squabble, Ash let out a yell before falling towards the ground below.
"Ganium!" Finally, Meganium had her chance! Dual vines shot out from the petals surrounding her neck, quickly entangling Ash in their grip just above ground. He was pulled up to eye level with the Pokémon, greeted with an affectionate nuzzle from the Pokémon. "Meganium!" She was just glad he was alright!
"Ah, man… That was a close call. Thanks a lot, Meganium! You too, Pikachu!"
Everyone crowded around Meganium and Ash. Empoleon was particularly worried, though he occasionally cast glares in the direction of the retreating Spearows.
"Hey, give 'em some room!" Dawn commanded. "Togekiss, do me a favor and go see where the hat went. Buneary, go with her—if those Spearows are still around, scare 'em off." As the Buneary hopped on Togekiss's back and the two flew off, Dawn let out a relieved sigh, crossing her arms. "Well, I think we've had about enough excitement for the day. You alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Dawn." The boy let out an exasperated sigh as he was let down.
Primeape, meanwhile, had hopped down from the next tree, snorting out an apology of some sort. He hadn't expected things to get that extreme! Not unless it was his doing.
Once Ash was settled, though, the issue of his cap came to mind. "Hey, I wonder what's taking them so long?" With that, he set off to pursue the duo, and his team came with him.
Meanwhile, in a different but not too distant part of the grove, Togekiss and Buneary found Ash's hat—but it'd already been claimed by another!
"—very good shape! Excellent find, Noctowl, good eyes!" an old man chimed, laughing haughtily as he inspected the red cap. "There were only so many of these given away, you know!"
"Towl," the bird responded.
"Toge," Togekiss muttered.
Buneary furrowed her brows. "Neary."
"Toge toge?!"
"Neary!"
"TOGE!"
"Bun-neary!"
With that, Togekiss begrudgingly flew lower, the two of them landing before the man and his Noctowl. As Buneary stepped forward, she pointed at the hat the man held.
In a few minutes, when the group headed in the direction Togekiss had flown off, they'd see the Noctowl attacking Buneary, and the rabbit ferociously fighting off the big flying type while Togekiss did her best to balance between helping her team mate and keeping the old man from running off.
"Hey! What's going on here!?" Ash gawked at the scene before him, watching Buneary and Togekiss fight with a stranger, who seemed to be holding his prized cap.
Buneary at once pointed to the Noctowl, chattering loudly. "Neary neary neary bun!" she shouted, clearly blaming the old man and his Pokémon for the trouble they were in. With her attention turned to the suddenly arriving reinforcements, her back was exposed to the Noctowl. Needless to say, the bird took advantage of this.
Or, at least, he tried.
"Neary!"
Empoleon winced. She'd gone straight for the Noctowl's breastbone, what she always did whenever she was fighting him.
"Noct!"
"Call off your little ruffians!" the gentleman demanded. "I demand it, or else I shall call the authorities!"
"Hey, he's got your hat," Dawn pointed out. All the same, in an attempt to calm the situation, she returned her entire team save Empoleon. Judging by the look of betrayal Buneary shot Dawn, she'd definitely wanted to finish scrapping with that Noctowl. "Sorry about that… I'm sure there must've been a misunderstanding. But, could you please give us his hat back?" Dawn gestured with her thumb towards her hatless companion.
She hoped that'd be the end of it. However…
"His hat?" the gentleman asked. "… impossible! A hat this valuable can't possibly belong to such a…" He eyed Ash. The untamed hair, the shabby clothes, the mischievous aura about him! Impossible. "… well, it definitely doesn't belong to such a scrappy looking fellow."
"What do you mean, 'scrappy?'" Ash frowned, clearly taking offense to this. "That is my hat. I won it years ago in a sweepstakes I entered. It's kinda really important to me, so could you please give it back?"
Chatters of agreement and pleas to the man could be heard from Ash's team. Particularly Primeape, who was none too happy that his little prank had landed Ash's valuable cap in the wrong hands.
"My boy, I would regretfully find it most unbecoming to truly go in depth with the reasons I have called you that which you are," the man drawled on, tone becoming stuffier and stuffier. "But! Know that I doubt you. The chances of that are… in the thousands! In the hundreds of thousands! Besides, what sort of child would just waltz around with this thing? It needs to be preserved in a museum, you know!" the old man barked. "If it's so important you should have held on to it!"
He inspected the cap before letting out an insulted snort.
"And, taken care of it! This thing looks as if it's seen hell!"
He looked at Dawn.
"Pardon my language, young lady."
"I wear it because it's my favorite hat! And I was holding onto it, but some stuff happened and it slipped away for a minute." The last thing Ash would do is blame his Pokémon, even if Primeape had started this whole mess. "It has been through a lot. That's one of the reasons it matters so much to me! I've had it since the beginning of my Pokémon journey, years ago."
"… You're good? For the cussing, anyway," the coordinator retorted, growing indignant a bit. She turned to Ash. "He's not giving the hat back. … we can't fight an old guy, can we?"
Looking to Dawn, Ash placed a hand on his hip. That wouldn't be the best move to make. "But that's my hat and he's taking it! He can't just get away with that, right?" And, heck if Ash was going to let it sit in some dumb museum.
"No… but we either do this now or it'll be a while before you see your hat."
Meanwhile, the gentleman was shaking his head. "It'll be a while more before you see it again! This hat is simply too valuable to be left with you. Tell you what, I'll leave my card," he explained, pulling out a slip of paper and flicking it in their direction. "I'm putting this on display for the world, where it will be appreciated properly. If it truly was yours, bring me some evidence, hm? I'll be glad to compensate you."
With that, he turned on his heel, headed off. His Noctowl followed after, lazily flapping its wings.
"Who gave you the right to decide that, huh?" This was starting to make Ash's blood boil. He didn't even know this guy and he thought he could just take something of his and walk away!?
"Pika-Pika! Pikachu!" In Ash's stead, his most reliable partner had hopped in the elder man's way, brows furrowed. Shrieking in defiance of the man's presumptuous attitude, he refused to move. He wouldn't just let someone steal his best friend's favorite hat!
The old man stopped, frowning. He flicked his wrist towards the mouse. "Go on, move along. Can't have you holding me up."
The Noctowl let out his own screech, landing before the Pikachu.
"You there, lad, collect your Pokémon! You're impeding my most important and sacred duty, and I am unafraid to use the full extent of my legal power and battle you for it!" he warned.
"Oh, now we're in for it," Dawn muttered, hanging back with Empoleon. One needn't wonder how Ash would respond to that request.
"It's not my fault you're taking something that's not yours." Quickly, though, Ash's tune changed when a battle was mentioned. A smirk building on his lips, Ash reached for what should be his cap, only to grasp at thin air. This was annoying him already! "A battle? That's fine by me! You want it, you've got it."
Ash was joined by several enthusiastic cries from his team on the sidelines. They were eager for Ash to get his possession back, and even more eager to have the chance to fight for it!
The old man frowned. "Fine, then. Arcanine, let's bring a little finesse onto the field!" If the little pup wanted a battle, he'd give the boy a battle!
"Nine!"
Ever so slightly grayed around the muzzle but still thick with muscle, the big fire type leered down at Pikachu and Ash. He let out a single breath, smoke curling over his teeth and fading into the air from his maw. His massive, luxuriously groomed maned glistened and his dander raised. Old but not obsolete, the fire type was clearly raring to go.
"You can still walk away," the gentleman offered.
"An Arcanine, huh?" Ash looked to the seasoned Legendary Pokémon. It looked like it'd seen its fair share of battles, to say the least. Maybe this'll end up being fun. "Not a chance! Typhlosion, I choose you!" Ash pointed forward, looking to the Volcano Pokémon.
"Ty!" The fire-type roared, dashing over to stand before Ash, soon eyeing Arcanine heavily. Just like any of Ash's Pokémon, it would fight its hardest for his sake.
"Alright! Let's start this battle, with Flamethrower!"
The fire type obliged, parting its mouth before spewing forward a stream of roaring flames.
The gentleman lowered his own hat a bit, chuckling. "All these young bucks—so brazen, so bold, so buffoonish!"
The Arcanine stood, Typhlosion's fire washing over his fur. As the Flamethrower faded, the old dog stood, still bristling, still snarling. Its Flash Fire ability had been activated.
"Now, let's see some good old fashioned fireworks! Arcanine, use Fire Fang!"
Running forward, the Arcanine's aim would be to avoid a full frontal engagement. It merely aimed to snatch at the skin along the sides of the brute, do damage but avoid chances for its age to be used against it.
"He seems like the type of guy to go on and on about the good old days," Dawn muttered as the battle began, crossing her arms.
Soon enough, Arcanine's fire-bathed fangs sunk into Typhlosion's side, earning a cry of pain from the Volcano Pokémon. Fangs were bared, a fierce gaze glued to its opponent.
"You can take it, Typhlosion! Hit it back hard, with Thunderpunch!"
A loud roar was heard as Typhlosion raised one of its fists, charging it with a glaring current of golden electricity. A punch was thrown with vigor, aiming to return the damage and then some.
Meanwhile, not far away from the action, it seemed Ash and friends weren't alone. Three pairs of eyes lay glued to the battle unfolding, snide smiles curving onto the corner of each pair of lips. They belonged to none other than Team Rocket. Jessie, James, and Meowth were hidden behind a nearby tree, observing the action taking place in the clearing.
"Oh, what luck. The twerp's fallen right into our laps, and he was gracious enough to not make us do any work!" Jessie quietly applauded their fortune, followed by James.
"And, he's lost his precious head wear. Someone still has some growing up to do."
"Meowth! And, he's gonna beat duh pants off dat old-timer to get it back! What won't the kid do to keep a hold of dat thing?" Meowth's question, however rhetorical, caused the three to meet eyes, a known thought of mischief coursing among the group.
"We do have plenty of time before the big catch," James added. Their luck was finally turning up.
The big brute let out a yelp, giving the Typhlosion some room after the hit. Arcanine was quick to retreat, kneeling into a cautious, battle-ready posture. He wasn't giving up easily.
All focus from Dawn and Empoleon was upon this, eyes shifting between the would-be veteran, his well-groomed guard dog, their traveling companion, and finally their favored for the match.
"Give them Thunder Fang, then!" The man cried. He was a bit nervous, actually. He kept forgetting there were still youth who took training seriously. So many washed out, it was rare to find anyone so young that actually had any skill… especially enough that one of their Pokémon could take a blow from his Arcanine and keep going like nothing had happened!
"Look out, Typhlosion! Move aside with Flame Wheel!
As speedy as the fire type was, a large quadruped like Arcanine lunging for a bite was quite the difficult assault to dodge. Fortunately, however, Ash had thought on his feet. Typhlosion quickly curled into a ball, the fires on his back igniting as he spun clean out of Arcanine's range. But, were they really going to attack with another fire move?
They missed. However, Arcanine reflexively stilled. While the impact of Flame Wheel might hurt, if that fire type move landed, it'd do next to no good. The gentleman let out an arrogant chuckle, amused by what he assumed was his opponent's foolishness.
Soon after, however, he was to be proven wrong.
"Now, come back in and use Focus Blast!"
Typhlosion was already clean on its path back to Arcanine. Soon before getting too close, however, the roll turned into a jump, the mammal's body uncurling to raise both paws above its head. A shining orb of energy was formed, promptly lobbed down at Arcanine.
Arcanine let out a yelp, the close range Focus Blast injuring the veteran. It had a bit more left in it, but that Focus Blast had been quite devastating.
Realizing this, the gentleman knew just the remedy. "Morning Sun!" he called out.
The canine seemed to almost smirk as its body glimmered. While not back at full power, the damage done by the focus blast was negated.
"Extreme Speed!"
"Man… Now we're gonna have to do more damage." Ash's teeth were bared, eyes glued to the healing Legendary Pokémon. Before they had the chance, however, a speedy assault occurred, coming in before Ash had proper chance to respond.
While the younger and thus livelier Typhlosion had previously outmaneuvered the aging canine, he broke into an easy stride, headed straight for his short distanced opponent to run right over him! The aim was to trample, you see, for Arcanine still could not overcome its frailty in age.
Typhlosion was struck by the rushed assault, letting out a cry as he skidded across the battlefield.
"Hang in there! And hit it with Thunderpunch!"
Once more, Typhlosion charged in, wielding a crackling fist before throwing the punch.
"Not so fast!" the gentleman called. "Catch it with a Thunder Fang!"
The Arcanine obeyed. As his crackling fangs laid into the charged fist of his opponent, the old fire type snarled. It would seem they were at a stalemate, wouldn't it?
Typhlosion's fist was caught in the crackling maw of Arcanine, making the Pokémon wince in pain. The charge from each cancelled the other out, but that didn't nullify the pain of fangs sinking into the Pokémon's paw.
Checkmate. A glimmer appeared in Ash's eye as he spotted an opening. "Use Focus Blast!"
Catching onto his trainer's plan, Typhlosion raised his free arm high above his head, letting out a cry as an orb of energy formed in his paw. With a roar, the blast was slammed into Arcanine.
It was too late to dodge it. The Arcanine's eyes widened just in time for its expression and yelp of pain to be obscured by the explosion of the Focus Blast. When the dust settled, however, the hind quarters of the dog were limp. Its mouth only remained reflexively attached to Typhlosion's own paw–there was no more bite force to it.
"Oh, bother… return, Arcanine. Good show, old sport." Gesturing to the Noctowl, he nodded. "You're on now." While Thunder Punch might prove a hassle, he didn't know if the youngster would return his current Pokémon or not. Best see what would happen before running in blind.
"Good job, Typhlosion!" Ash praised, just now noticing that the Volcano Pokémon was huffing, somewhat winded and injured after the intense match. Even with his superiority, he'd taken quite a bit of damage.
"Looks like you could use a rest… Return!" Ash recalled the Pokémon to his ball.
"Alright! If you're using Noctowl, then I'll choose… Glalie! You're up!"
"Glalie!" The Face Pokémon bounced over to the battlefield from behind Ash, raring to go.
"Now, use Ice Beam!"
Glalie did just as told, conjuring freezing energy between its horns before firing at Noctowl.
"Dodge!"
Well. Noctowl got A for effort, but Noctowls were not exactly notorious for being super maneuverable. At least, not at this size. However, the effects of the Ice Beam were limited thanks to the flying type's obedience. Only its tail was effected, but it was frozen solid. It would be much more difficult to fly with any degree of accuracy, now.
"Hmph. We'll need to buy time for that to thaw out… use Hypnosis!" The gentleman instructed.
The big bird of prey's eyes turned pink, focusing upon Glalie. If the move was successful, the ice type would be down for a nap in a second.
"Hypnosis? That's gonna be a problem." It was a good thing, though, that Ash had planned a counter-measure against that move quite a while back. "Make a Counter Shield, with Icy Wind!"
The floating sphere of ice began to spin, picking up momentum before spitting out a freezing gale of wind, twisting with Glalie as it went. A twister of cold air circled the Face Pokémon, repelling the psychic waves sent out by Hypnosis.
The gentleman frowned. "How peculiar… that's not the move's intention at all! The boy is quite the non-traditionalist," he mused. "All the same! Noctowl, use Sky Attack!"
The flying type spread its wings, body taking on a brilliant light. After a moment of delay, the move was executed. The emanating light had even begun to melt the frost on its tail feathers.
With Glalie busy protecting itself from Hypnosis, it was left unable to protect it from Sky Attack. It let out a grunt of pain as the powerful flying type move slammed into its body, rattling its form.
"Hang in there, Glalie! Use Crunch!"
Still rather close to Noctowl, it would attempt to sink its teeth into its opponent.
Hopefully Glalie liked the taste of feet and the rush of a critical hit. Flapping its wings furiously, the Noctowl unsuccessfully tried to flap away from the ice type, feet trapped and loud screeches of pain.
It was a bit comical, honestly.
"Echoed Voice, Echoed Voice, old sport!" the gentleman called.
Channeling its pain in a useful manner, the Noctowl essentially screamed directly at Glalie. It wasn't much like singing. At all.
Glalie's eyes shut tight, pain running through its head from the shrill cries of Noctowl.
"Man, that's loud!" Ash cringed, covering both of his ears to block out the irritating, high-pitched sound. "Try and shake it free, Glalie! Spin it around, using Gyro Ball!"
The Face Pokémon did just that, beginning to spin like a top with Noctowl still in its grip. Rather than shooting forward to tackle its opponent, Glalie simply released Noctowl from its maw, aiming to send the Pokémon flying.
It was somewhat of a miracle that the Noctowl wasn't knocked unconscious the moment after being thrown around and around like that. However, upon release, the bird was too disoriented to right itself; besides, even if it had been, its tail feathers hadn't completely thawed yet. Flapping blindly, it succeeded in only landing upside down and with its back to a tree.
It was unconscious by the time it slid to the bottom.
"Merciful crystal spires above," the old man groaned, clutching his chest. He wasn't hurt, just… nervous. Still, his spare hand hung stubbornly onto the cap. "I, Az Heauxl, Co-Chair of the Esteem Gentlemen's Club for the Appreciation and Protection of Rare and Valuable Hats and Head Gear, will have this hat if it is the last thing I do!" Dramatic much? All the same, he returned his Noctowl and released a Persian. This Pokémon seemed younger than the rest.
"Wait, your name is Az…" Ash trailed off, eyes going wide before realization struck. The not-so-mature teen cupped a hand over his mouth, doing his best to suppress a fit of laughter.
What was Ash laughing about? Dawn furrowed her brows before realization struck her. "Oh, man, is that the name his mama gave him!?" she snickered quietly to Empoleon.
Too busy with his amusement, Ash had failed to make a selection for the next round of the battle. Someone else, however, made their opinion known. "Prime!" Primeape cried, hopping over in front of his trainer. A gesture and a few grunts were given to Glalie, making sure the Face Pokémon understood his motives. After all, he was the one who'd lost the hat to begin with. He'd finish this.
"Glalie!" Ash's other Pokémon answered, floating back towards the rest of Ash's team.
"Ah, right…! On with the battle! I'll use Primeape, next!" Maybe now he wouldn't have to answer for his near-outburst. "Primeape, use Mega Kick!"
It didn't need to be told twice. Within an instant it had launched at Persian, one foot forward.
Az frowned. "Children these days," he gruffed. "Persian, use Fake Out!"
The cat considered its options before rushing at Pimeape, jaws wide open. It would appear at first as if it were trying to chomp on to the fighting type's foot. However, at the last minute it would leap over the pig-monkey, hopefully causing the other to flinch. And, it would whirl to try and scratch the other anyway.
Primeape struck at a vanishing target, eyes turning every which way. Bewildered, it was unprepared for the slash that crossed his side. It let out a cry, stumbling backward.
"Alright! Now it's close! Use Close Combat!"
Quickly getting steamed, the fighting type turned to throw a barrages and kicks at Persian.
It went without saying that Close Combat was a nasty move to be used on Persian. Skidding backwards and trying in vain to protect itself, the normal type yowled, hissed, and spat at every blow. By the end of it, it was hunched down, growling.
"Mercy me," Az murmurred. "… Persian, let's try Slash." That was their only hope, he supposed.
Persian needn't be told twice. Leaping forward, the big cat went head on for Primeape, claws out. "Sian!"
Persian was drawing close, and Ash was mere seconds from calling for their next move. However, it didn't seem that a conclusion to the battle was in the cards, as a lone figure swept seemingly out of nowhere, flying straight by Az before he, nor Ash could register what had happened. Joined by the figure were two taller ones, each letting out a cackle from above the battlefield.
"What in the world?" The elder man looked left and right, finally catching on to his unoccupied hand. The hat was gone!
"Hey! My hat!" Ash's face fell at the item's disappearance, and only further when he looked upward. "Oh, great."
"Hahahah! Lookin' for this, twoip?" Meowth cackled from above, hovering on a jetpack with the red cap between tightly between his paws. "Guess ya shoulda looked out for it better!"
"If you want it back, you're in for some trouble!"
"Your heart's in that headgear, so make it double!"
"To protect the world from devastation!"
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
"They could have kept their line about making everything worse… It's not wrong." Dawn put her hands on her hips. "What are you gonna do, sell it?" … Actually, she hoped not. She cast a look over to Az who was still in distress over the fact the hat had been taken from him. His Persian had disengaged from the battle, comforting its trainer quite well.
Nodding to Ash, she assumed everything would go as routine. "I guess we can team up, huh?"
"Oh, please. Do you really think we're that underhanded?" Jessie feigned offense, a hand resting on her hip.
A distinct yes went through Dawn's head; they were that underhanded. All the same, she was already gesturing to Empoleon who flexed the little fingers on his flippers.
Meowth shrugged, playing innocent. "We're feelin' a little generous today! So we're gonna cut you twoips a break and give you a deal instead."
James cut in next. "You can have your precious hat back… Of course, if you give us something else of value. Pikachu would make a pretty good trade, don't you think?"
"I think that's a great idea, James. So, twerp? Are you going to play it smart?" Jessie asked.
"What are you, nuts!? There's no way I'm gonna give you Pikachu!" Turning to Dawn, Ash gave the girl a nod. "You've got it. Let's remind 'em just how tough we are!"
"Ah-ah-ah!" The lavender-haired man wagged a finger, tossing a Pokéball down toward the ground. Out of the sphere popped a Nidoking, who let out a fierce roar.
"Just a lil' insurance…! Ha-hah!" Meowth cackled, tossing the cap down to Nidoking. The latter caught the cap, securing it between its strong claws.
"You might want to watch your temper. Either you back down and hand over Pikachu…"
"…Or, my Nidoking will turn that merchandise of yours into toxic soup!"
Dawn looked over to Ash, feeling a bit useless. His hat, his call. She couldn't help but glare at Az out of the corner of her eye, though. "… I've got your back," she assured.
Ash's teeth grit together, a low growl of frustration leaving him. Damn it… They really had him, now. It was way too close to destroying his cap for Ash to attack it.
"And, just to be sure you don't pull anything funny… Why don't you put Pikachu inside his Pokéball? We're not looking to get humiliated again." Some bitterness lingered in Jessie's voice. They'd been put in their place far too many times. This time, though, they held the cards. Pikachu would surely be theirs.
"Chuuu…" Pikachu growled, electricity dancing along his cheeks. The last thing he wanted to do was get inside that contraption. Let alone, one held by Team Rocket.
"You want Pikachu?" Ash let out a huff, walking over before picking up the mouse. All of Ash's team had their eyes on their trainer, awestruck by his seeming compliance.
"...Ash?" Dawn held a fist to her chest, quite perplexed. He wasn't really handing him over, was he..?
"…You take him, then!" With that, Ash tossed Pikachu straight at James, allowing the mouse to cling to the Rocket's face.
The latter let out a terrified shriek, regressing from his intimidating demeanor from just moments ago. In no time at all, the mouse was being thrown around between the three like a hot potato. That was, one that could unleash thousands of volts at any given time.
Ash wasted no time, taking the moment of confusion to lunge forward. His target being none other than Nidoking, who was then put under the weight of the endlessly daring boy.
"Oh, man," Dawn chuckled, glad that'd had worked out about like she'd expected. "Alright, Empoleon, you go give some support to Ash!" If that Nidoking got too friendly with the poison, the Empoleon's new found immunity might prove useful. "I'll make sure they don't actually run off with Pikachu."
How she'd do that, she wasn't sure, but at least if she was nearby she might be able to offer some support!
The element of surprise had allowed Ash to snag the cap from Nidoking's grip, but unfortunately, he had only thought that far ahead. Now he was wrangling with a Pokémon much heavier and much stronger than him. Beginning to buckle under the Pokémon's strength. The trainer looked every which way before spotting his support.
"Empoleon! Get 'im, now!" With that, Ash slipped under the Nidoking's grip, ready for the prideful Pokémon to intervene.
The minute Ash retreated, Empoleon was already grinning, a Metal Claw waiting for the big poison type. "Pol!" he shouted, giving the Nidoking a sharp slap the minute he came charging after Ash.
The purple Pokémon reeled, stunned.
It only lasted a moment. In short order, the two titans were grappling. Though Nidoking was bulkier than Empoleon, the Empoleon was infinitely more stubborn. Besides, one of them had a nice crest they could use to give the other a good old Headbutt with.
Meanwhile, Pikachu had found his place among the trio, clinging to James' finger with his teeth. Ignoring the feminine shrieks, Pikachu took full advantage of his position to show the trio who really held the edge. A fierce Thunderbolt was unleashed in a golden burst, enveloping all three Rockets in an unprecedented display of power.
Each jetpack exploded in faltering smoke, allowing Jessie, James, and Meowth to fall to the ground below. Each let out a groan of pain, seething as they hopped to their feet.
"Alright. That's it! We tried playing nice, but you asked for it! Nidoqueen, go!" Jessie tossed a Pokéball of her own, letting out the other poison type's female counterpart.
Dawn looked towards Ash. "Finally! What'll it be, Ash?" She looked to Empoleon who had separated from the Nidoking, each awaiting the instructions for what would be a fierce battle. Now, the advantage was in their court, she assumed. From all she remembered, the trio had never been a battle worth sweating over.
Scrambling away the moment he was able, Ash stood and turned towards the trio of crooks, looking none too happy with their attempted scheme. Unlike Dawn, though, he'd seen their more recent endeavors. This time, they'd actually have to take the group seriously. "We'll just do what we always do!"
Relieved to have the familiar cap back upon his head, Ash couldn't help but grin as he reached for its brim, turning it around in one familiar motion. "Primeape, I choose you!"
"Pri! Pri!" It snorted, hopping into the fray. Of course, he was as ready for battle as always.
"You twerps won't win this time! Nidoqueen, Earth Power!" Jessie's Pokémon obliged, slamming a fist into the ground below. The battlefield splintered, letting a bright shine loose that exploded under Primeape. The burst of energy sent the fighting type soaring into the air.
"Nidoking! Double Kick!" Already raring to fight, the poison type lashed out with a brutal kick towards the Emperor Pokémon that would inevitably be followed by a second strike.
Dawn's eyes widened as the earth cracked and split. Empoleon let out a frustrated growl, his steel typing causing him to reel a bit from the move. It seemed the previous attack had been two-pronged, too, a golden light beginning to brim below his feet.
However, a jet of water counteracted the blast of heat that had been intended to be his share. Which was good, because he'd need to be ready to react to Nidoking.
"Empoleon, use Whirlpool!" Since Primeape was already sent flying, maybe he'd stay airborne long enough to get out of the wall of the all-consuming attack…! Dawn could only hope so, anyway. She looked to Ash. They'd been thrown into this really quickly, so they had to pick a strategy on the fly.
It was likely the two poison-types would take advantage of that shared element. Maybe Empoleon could cover Primeape from that! If Primeape could come through and do the heavy hitting, Empoleon could do the opening and clean-up work. "Should we take lead?" she checked, speaking to aloud Ash this time.
At any rate, the Whirlpool had been gathered and unleased towards the two ground types. With any luck, it would begin doing its work hastily. Empoleon didn't want to have to face too many more of those ground rending moves himself.
"Sounds good to me!" Ash gave a nod to the coordinator, more than eager to team up with her.
Primeape landed outside of the range of Whirlpool, free from the water type's wrath. Shaking off the pain of Earth Power, he was raring and ready to continue the fight.
The two poison types were swept up in the current of Whirlpool, thrown about by the powerful water-type attack. It proved painful, to say the least. However, they were far tougher than one would give the Team Rocket trio credit for.
"If dey keep dat up, our Pokémon are gonna end up watahlogged," Meowth sulked.
"Not on my watch," Jessie interrupted. "Nidoqueen! Toxic Spikes!"
Still in the midst of the twister, the Drill Pokémon opened her mouth, spitting out a number of poisonous projectiles. Each fell into the Whirlpool, tainting it with a purple ooze that leaked throughout its entirety. Nidoking and Nidoqueen alike struck out at the current, far more formidable against the familiar element. With their weakness subdued, they were able to successfully break out of the cycle.
"Looks like Nidoqueen's gonna give us some trouble. Primeape, Close Combat!"
Primeape showed no hesitation, leaping into the fray to pummel the larger Pokémon.
Well, that was short lived. Dawn frowned. They'd have to make sure Primeape didn't get ganged up on out there. "Metal Claw! Let's beat back Nidoking!"
Empoleon was clearly ready to tear into what was probably his favored opponent again.
James, meanwhile, let out a tsking noise, wiggling his finger. "Ah-ah-ah. Nidoking, use Double Kick! We'll remind 'em who's boss!"
Needless to say, when Empoleon got close, he was greeted with an ear-ringing kick to the face. Reeling back, the water type would have only seconds to right himself and try to defend against the next kick.
Dawn, realizing their opportunity, smirked. "Hydro Pump."
Stunned, the Empoleon was still half bent over from the blow. Looking up at the two feet of his opponent he tried to aim. Thankfully, the range was minimal and the hit was direct.
The powerful jet sent the burly Pokémon flying back under the super-effective pressure. Empoleon was still knocked silly from the Double Kick, but they'd made their mark as well.
Meanwhile, Primeape was caught up with his own opponent. Relentless as ever, he pummeled the opposing Pokémon with furious punches and kicks, quickly cornering her.
"Don't take that from that furball. Superpower!" Jessie called at once, prompting Nidoqueen to brace herself. A bright blue light surrounded her form, muscles powering up to their peak as she threw herself forward. Primeape was rattled by a brutal clothesline, falling back from his footing with Nidoqueen keeping an iron grip.
"Hang in there! Grab Nidoqueen and use Seismic Toss!"
Digging one foot into the ground, Primeape regained his footing, wrapping its arms around Nidoqueen's much larger limb. Using his spectacular strength, he hoisted the ground type off the ground, swinging it around in circles before throwing it towards Nidoking.
"Empoleon, back up!" Dawn ordered.
Obeying, Empoleon barely missed being sent flying with the duo of poison types. Disoriented, Dawn saw a set up for a finale… if they played their cards right. Looking towards Ash, she grinned. "We'll knock 'em down if you'll clean 'em up!
"Sounds like a plan to me!"
"Empoleon, use Ice Beam to speed up! Then, double Metal Claw!"
Slicking a path for himself on the ground, it'd be a matter of seconds before Empoleon's two-flippered Metal Claw would knock into both Nidos, disorienting them with the back to back collisions.
"Nidoking, Double Kick!"
"Nidoqueen, Superpower!"
While the two poison types did their best to repel Empoleon, the speed gained by slipping along the ice proved to be just too much. The two were clotheslined by several strikes of Empoleon's wings, leaving each dizzy and unaware.
"Now! Let's finish it! Primeape, use Mega Kick!"
More than eager to put this grudge match to an end, the Pig Monkey stampeded towards the two Pokémon, vaulting forward with a leg extended. A dramatic spin rounded off the attack, allowing it to pulverize the duo in one fell swoop.
In quick succession, the Nidoking and then Nidoqueen fell, completely and utterly dominated by the excellent display of team work.
"Are you kidding me?!" Jessie growled out. She snarled, looking through their available Pokémon. Surely something else would be suitable for the job!
James, however, flicked his eyes towards Ash's team, keenly aware that they were all at the ready to fight. That wasn't even covering the twerpette's team. "Uh, Jessie…"
"Shut it, James!"
Meowth spoke up for him. "Jessie! We gots bigger fish t'fry! Let's get back t'work!"
James looked clearly grateful while Jessie looked perturbed. "Just you wait, you little runts! You'll get yours shortly!"
And, as suddenly as they'd arrived, they made their retreat in cloud of thick smoke.
"Should we let them go?" Dawn double checked. They had what they needed—going after Team Rocket right now might not end well.
"Yeah, you better run!" Ash shouted, waving a fist at the trio before they faded into the foliage. Turning to Dawn, he shrugged. "They're not gonna let us blast 'em off this time." In other words, it wasn't really worth the trouble. "They said they're up to something, so I guess we better just keep our eyes open for anything weird."
"But hey, forget that! Thanks a lot for the help, guys! You were great!" He cheered to Empoleon and Primeape, who'd each outdone themselves. Of course, the team's presence definitely helped!
Primeape snorted, bouncing about in triumph.
Empoleon bowed and Dawn giggled at his exaggerated gesture. "Ham it up… no, really. You did great," she praised, reaching up to give her starter a scratch near his crown. He let out a happy caw.
It was just about then that Ash recalled that the elder man was even still present. Turning to Az, he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about our match. Those guys kinda get in our hair a lot."
"It's quite alright," Az muttered, stepping forward. He dusted himself off, his Persian trailing after him. He looked hard at the boy before sighing. "… It's your hat, it seems. You put up quite the effort to retain it, so I suppose it'll do well in your hands." The old man let out a bark of a laugh. "If you ever get tired of it, we'll be happy to give it a forever home, though!"
"I've had it a pretty long time." He couldn't help but smile, turning it back around to its proper position atop his head. "Thanks for understanding!" He let out a chuckle. "Got it." Though, of course, it was doubtful that would ever happen.
"Guess it's time to get going now, huh?" Ash turned to Dawn, and then his team. "You ready, guys?"
Each of Ash's Pokémon answered in a cheer. Fortunately, they'd already had time to eat before the chase began!
"Alright! Fuschia City, here we come!"
As the group set off, Az waved.
It was only after a few minutes that a terrible realization came to Dawn. "My strawberries!" Well, she might have been robbed of a treat, but somewhere, probably where she'd abandoned them, some Spearows were very happy. "Aw… forget it. Let's just get to Fuschia City…"
"Hey, don't worry! I'm sure we'll find something else to eat, once we get there!" Ash said, trying to comfort his companion. There was no more time to cry over spilled milk today; they had their next goal in their sights, after all!
