AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 51 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I decided to base this chapter on my experiences at the Moomoo ranch, where I have to feed Moomoo several berries to help it feel better. I wanted to have Macdonald come into the story as the owner of the Moomoo ranch, hence the name of the song: "Old Macdonald Had a Farm." Plus, I didn't have a name for Macdonald's wife, so I decided to have her be named Frances, and their granddaughter named Marie. And if you're still reading this note, I decided to base Macdonald and Frances based on the late Macdonald Carey and Frances Reid, who were actors on the soap opera Days of our Lives, which I don't watch. Please feel free to read and review responsibly at your leisure.
TEASER: Tristan and Hillary come to the Moomoo ranch, but soon discover that a Miltank named Moomoo needs lots of berries because it's ill. However, Taz is intent on taking the berries and the ranch for himself!
Chapter 51. BERRY BERRY WHO'S GOT THE BERRY?
(Music Cue: Route 29 (as heard in "Forest Grumps"))
Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi were up bright and early the next morning as they prepared to leave Ecruteak City. They all had a good breakfast and stood outside admiring the gorgeous sunrise.
They came to a fork in the road as they prepared to leave.
"Looks like there are two different directions we can go," said Hillary.
Tristan nodded in agreement as he checked the map on his Poké Gear. "The road going west leads to Olivine City while the one going east leads to Mahogany Town."
"Shall we flip a coin to see which way we go?" asked Hillary.
"Okay," agreed Tristan. "Heads, we go west; tails, we go east." He took out a coin from his pocket. It had a Pikachu head on one side for heads and a Pikachu tail emblem on the other for tails. He flipped the coin up into the air and caught it in his hands. He then revealed it.
Sure enough, the Pikachu head was face up.
"Looks like we're going to Olivine City first," said Hillary. "Plus it's got a pretty cool beach."
"Well, I really wanted to see Mahogany Town first," said Tristan, "but I suppose I could use a swim or two."
"That's the spirit," said Hillary. "And besides, Olivine City's got a Gym, so you can plan to earn your next badge there."
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" said Tristan as he got more and more excited. "Are you ready to earn our fifth badge, pal?"
"Pi-Pikachu!" replied Pikachu excitedly. It always enjoyed winning Gym battles and earning badges with Tristan.
(Music Cue: Messenger)
Our heroes decide to make Olivine City their next destination, with a little help from a coin toss. But little do they know that not too far from Ecruteak City, a Pokémon is in need of desperate help.
"Tristan, you've been holding that egg in your hand for an hour," said Hillary as she and Tristan continued on. "Aren't you ever gonna take a break?"
"This egg is very important," replied Tristan. "I promised Ho-Oh that it would be hatched safely, and that's what I'm gonna do."
"Oh, yeah, I remember that fateful encounter!" said Hillary as she thought back to what Ho-Oh had said back at the Bell Tower.
This is your test. You must hatch these special eggs safely in order to pass. Do that, and you'll be able to befriend the Pokémon that hatch. I know you'll succeed.
"Ho-Oh's counting on us," said Tristan.
"And we won't let it down," agreed Hillary as she took out her egg out of her backpack and held it gently in her arms.
Presently, they saw a farm with lots of pink cow-like Pokémon.
"Aren't those Miltank?" asked Hillary.
"They sure are," replied Tristan. "I remember the last time I've seen a place with this many Miltank."
"That was at the Miltank Dairy just outside of Goldenrod City! That milk was delicious. And that yogurt and cheese were really good."
"And I had a battle with Whitney and won the Plain Badge."
"How could I forget that?"
Just then, they heard a voice.
"Moomoo! Moomoo!" A little girl was seen rushing past them in a panic.
"Who's Moomoo?" asked Tristan.
"Beats me," replied Hillary. "But maybe we should check it out."
And they put their eggs back in their backpacks and followed the girl.
(Music Cue: Strange Weather)
They came to another part of the ranch where they saw another Miltank.
"What's going on?" asked Hillary.
"My Moomoo won't do anything!" answered the little girl. "It won't eat, it won't run, and I don't know what to do!" She tried to get Moomoo to move.
But Moomoo just gave a weak reply.
"Something's not right," said Tristan as he checked out Moomoo's forehead.
Sure enough, it was hot to the touch.
"Just as I thought," said Tristan. "It's sick. Real sick."
"But Tristan, won't your first aid kit help Moomoo get better?" asked Hillary.
"It could," replied Tristan. "But I'm afraid that's just a temporary fix."
"I think the best thing to do is to take it back to my grandfather," suggested the girl.
"Who's that?" asked Hillary.
"Oh, he's the farmer of the Moomoo Ranch," explained the girl. "His house is just over there next to Moomoo's stable."
And working together, they carried Moomoo back to the farmhouse.
Inside, the farmer was having a good look at Moomoo. "Yup, something's definitely not right."
"What do you think is wrong, Grandfather?" asked the girl.
"When was the last time you fed Moomoo?" asked the farmer.
"Well, I know I fed it at lunchtime," answered the girl. "I know it loves its favorite Pokémon food. But for some reason, it wouldn't touch it. It just kept walking away."
"Well, that explains it," said the farmer as he pointed to a bowl full of berries. "You forgot to give it those berries."
"But we were running so low on those berries that I just couldn't see Moomoo disappointed," said the girl.
"Well, it looks to me like you disappointed it anyway," replied the farmer. "Now we have a sick Miltank, and it can't give us any milk until it feels better. And the berries that we have left won't help it now either."
"I'm sorry, Grandfather," sighed the girl.
"I think you should be saying sorry to Moomoo," said the farmer.
"I'm sure she didn't mean to disappoint you, sir," said Tristan.
"I know," sighed the farmer. "It's just that Moomoo is the pride and joy of our ranch, and I wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to our Moomoo here."
"So are those berries Miltank's favorite?" asked Hillary.
The farmer nodded. "They sure are, Missy."
"Actually, my name's Hillary," corrected Hillary. "This is my brother Tristan."
"Hi, there," added Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi greeted the farmer warmly.
"My name's Macdonald," said the farmer. "And you've met my granddaughter, Marie. Anyway, those berries you see help Moomoo grow up to be big and strong. But for some reason we seem to keep running low on them."
Presently, a woman came into the house. It was the farmer's wife. "What's going on with Moomoo?"
"Well, she ain't givin' me milk no more," replied Macdonald. He turned to Tristan and Hillary. "This here is my wife, Frances. She helps me run this here ranch."
"Nice to meet you, kids," smiled Frances.
"Likewise," replied Hillary.
"Why is milk so important here at the Moomoo Ranch?" asked Tristan.
"This here farm's got famous milk," answered Macdonald. "Moomoo here has the best milk out of all of our Miltank here on the ranch."
"Our milk even goes out to Kanto," added Frances. "So if our Moomoo won't give us any milk, we're in trouble."
"Why's that?" asked Hillary.
"All the folks who have our milk are so happy with the fresh taste," explained Macdonald. "So if Moomoo doesn't get better soon, we won't have the best milk to sell anymore. And if that happens, we'll be out of business."
"How can we help?" asked Tristan.
"Well, see those berries over there?" said Macdonald as he pointed to the berries. "Those berries are Moomoo's favorite. So if you find some trees that have those berries, pick those. They have to be the ripest and freshest ones on the trees. Be sure to pick lots and lots of fresh berries for Moomoo to eat. Moomoo should get better if we feed it lots of those fresh berries, I reckon."
"Don't worry, Grandfather, leave it to me!" said Marie.
"And us, too!" added Tristan and Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi also agreed to help.
"Thank you," said Macdonald. "You're very kind. Now go and pick as many fresh berries as you can find."
And Tristan, Hillary, and Marie set off.
(Music Cue: We Won't Give Up on Pikachu)
Meanwhile, a bearded man was picking some ripe berries off the trees. Sure enough, it was Taz. "Once I sell enough of these berries, I can finally get out of the poaching business and finally have a long and happy retirement." But just then, a thought crossed his mind. "Hold on. If I steal all the Miltank, then those old coots will have no choice but to sell this ranch to me. Then I will have the sole profit. Heh heh heh heh."
Presently, Tristan, Hillary, and Marie were seen coming.
"It's those stuck-up kids again," grumbled Taz to himself. "Luckily, I know of a good place to hide those berries." And he took the baskets of berries and hid them behind a bush. Then he ducked out of sight just as Tristan and his friends approached.
"We should see some berries here," said Marie. "They can't be too far away."
But to their dismay, no berries could be seen.
"Look! The berries are gone!" exclaimed Hillary.
"Somebody must've picked them all!" added Tristan.
Marie sank to her knees. "Now what'll we do? Moomoo needs those berries!"
"Don't worry, Marie, we won't give up until we find some," said Hillary.
Pikachu nodded in agreement.
"Maybe we'll find some deeper in the orchard," suggested Marie. "Come on, I'll lead the way." And she led Tristan and Hillary deeper into the fields near the ranch.
Taz poked his head out of the bushes. "That was a close one," he said to himself. "Now I'll see about holding this place for ransom in exchange for these berries." And he held up the baskets of the berries that he had picked as he prepared for the next phase of his plan.
Meanwhile, back at the farmhouse, Macdonald and Frances were doing their best to keep Moomoo comfortable.
"Don't you worry, Moomoo," said Macdonald. "Marie'll be back to feed you soon."
Moomoo gave a weak reply as it closed its eyes. It then fell fast asleep.
"Poor Moomoo," said Frances. "It's certainly been through a lot."
"Well, I know Marie was doing her best to help," sighed Macdonald. "But even if we do run low on berries, it's still important to our Moomoo and our business."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Macdonald walked over and answered it.
(Music Cue: Imminent Danger)
There was a bearded man at the door who was dressed as a businessman.
Little did Macdonald and Frances know that it was really Taz in disguise.
"May I help you?" asked Macdonald.
"Hello, I'm Dr, Berryman," said the disguised Taz. "I understand that you have a problem with your berry shortage."
"Yes, we do," replied Frances. "But how did you know about that?"
"Man's intuition, ma'am," said the disguised Taz. He then saw Moomoo, who still didn't look too good. "Aw, what's the matter with that Miltank?"
"Moomoo hasn't been feeling well lately," explained Macdonald. "And unfortunately, the berries on the ranch are the only things that'll help it feel better."
"Oh, that's too bad," said the disguised Taz. "I didn't see any berries out here, but maybe these can help." And he showed Macdonald and Frances the baskets of berries,
"Those look real fresh," said Frances. "Where did you find those?"
"I found them at the Poké Mart in Ecruteak City," answered the disguised Taz.
"Oh, may we have them?" asked Macdonald. "These berries will help Moomoo feel better."
"Of course you can have them," said the disguised Taz. "Under one small condition."
"Condition? What condition?" asked Macdonald.
"That you sign this contract," answered the disguised Taz as he took out a piece of paper, which read that the ownership of the Moomoo ranch and all the Miltank be transferred to him in exchange for all the berries at his disposal.
"There's no way we're gonna do that," said Frances. "Our Miltank are essential to our business!"
"But think about poor little Moomoo," insisted the disguised Taz. "What would it say?"
Sure enough, Moomoo still wasn't doing well as it tried its best to be comfortable.
"What do you think?" asked Macdonald.
"It seems like we have no other choice," Frances relented.
And so they signed the contract. But as soon as they did, the disguised Taz gave an evil smirk.
"Thank you, kind folks," he said. "Now the Miltank and the ranch are all mine."
"Yes, yes, they're yours, but what about the berries?" asked Macdonald, who was starting to get suspicious.
"I'm afraid that they're mine, too," smirked Taz.
"We had a deal!" protested Frances.
(Music Cue: Rocket Powered Disaster)
"Yeah, well, deal with this!" replied Taz as he threw a net over Moomoo, who panicked and squirmed in the net.
"Moomoo!" cried Macdonald and Frances together as they tried to run over to it.
But Taz threw a noose, and in a trice, tied up Macdonald and Frances together.
Macdonald and Frances struggled in vain to break free.
"Why are you doing this?" demanded Macdonald.
"I'd love to stay and answer your question," replied Taz, "but I'm afraid you're tied up at the moment." He cackled as he dragged the berries and the defenseless Moomoo away with him. Then he shoved them into the back of a waiting jeep, started it up, and sped off.
Meanwhile, Tristan, Hillary, and Marie were walking despondently back toward the farmhouse.
"I can't believe we haven't found one berry," groaned Marie.
"Yeah, those trees must've been picked clean," added Hillary.
Presently, they heard an engine roar a short distance away.
"Hey, what's that?" asked Tristan.
Suddenly, Taz's jeep came barreling over the hill.
"Hey, look out!" cried Marie.
Everyone ducked as the jeep flew over them and landed back on the ground, speeding away as it went.
Suddenly, Marie's sharp eyes spotted something in the back.
"Moomoo's in trouble!" gasped Marie.
"And that's not all! Look!" added Hillary.
Sure enough, Moomoo and the berries were seen in the back, and were being taken away.
"Those are the berries that were supposed to be in the orchard!" said Tristan.
"And look who's driving the jeep!" added Hillary.
"It's Taz!" exclaimed Tristan. "i should've known that he was the one who stole all the berries in the first place."
Sure enough, Taz was at the wheel.
Tristan took out his Poké Ball and threw it. "Heracross, I choose you!"
Heracross emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"Hurry, Heracross!" ordered Tristan. "We can't let him get away with Moomoo and the berries!"
Heracross nodded and flew after the jeep as fast as its wings would carry it.
Tristan and his friends followed.
Taz glanced behind him and saw Herarcoss closing in.
"Grr!" grumbled Taz. "Why can't that thing just buzz off?"
"Heracross, Tackle attack that jeep!" commanded Tristan.
Haracross flew higher into the air; then it flew in and rammed the side of Taz's jeep, causing it to crash on its side, and Moomoo and the baskets of berries to fly out.
"Moomoo!" cried Marie.
"And the berries!" added Hillary.
"Okay, guys, it's time to play some catch!" commanded Tristan.
Fortunately, Heracross was able to catch Moomoo while everyone else caught the berries.
"Moomoo!" said Marie, who sighed with relief. She helped get Moomoo out of the net. "Are you okay?"
Moomoo gave a nod.
Unfortunately for Taz, he fell out of the jeep and fell to the ground. "Blasted kids," he grumbled to himself as Tristan and Hillary came to him.
"That's what you get for not wearing your seatbelt!" said Hillary.
"Hey, youse guys!" shouted Taz. "Give those berries back now!"
"No!" replied Marie. "Moomoo needs those berries, and you're not taking them!"
"All right, youse asked for it!" snarled Taz as he took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Go get 'em, Electabuzz!"
His Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
(Music Cue: OK! Orchestra and Guitar (as heard in "The Little Big Horn"))
But just then, a herd of pink Pokémon arrived and charged right at Taz and Electabuzz as they rolled faster and faster.
"Aah! Look out, Electabuzz!" cried Taz.
But it was too late, for Electabuzz was sent flying and crashed on the ground.
"Whoa, where did those other Miltank come from?" wondered Taz.
"Marie!" shouted a voice.
"Ah! Grandfather!" cried Marie.
Sure enough, it was Macdonald and Frances, who had freed themselves from their bonds and had come to help.
"Are you and Moomoo okay?" asked Frances.
"We are now," answered Marie.
Macdonald glared towards Taz. "All right, you! I think it's time for you to pay for trying to take our ranch away from us!"
"And all the berries you stole as well!" added Marie.
Taz and Electabuzz cringed in fear.
"Miltank, all together, hit 'em with your Rollout attacks!" commanded Macdonald.
All the Miltank rolled into spinning wheels once again and rolled toward Taz and Electabuzz, but this time, they went a whole lot faster.
Taz and Electabuzz got hit by them all and were sent flying into the sky at remarkable speed, screaming as they went.
DING!
"Wow! Those Miltank really are strong!" remarked Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
"What'd you expect?" replied Marie. "My grandfather's Miltank are all first rate.
"Now we can make Moomoo first-rate, too," reminded Frances. "Let's get back to the farmhouse and fix it right up."
That evening, Moomoo was feasting on the berries as it rested comfortably.
The berries helped it feel better in no time.
"Oh, Moomoo, I'm so glad you're okay," said Marie as she embraced it.
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting)
"A good night's sleep should help Moomoo feel as good as new," smiled Frances.
"Well, I'm glad that's over," said Macdonald as he tore up Taz's contract and threw it away.
"Hey, Grandfather, what's that?" asked Marie.
"Oh, just a fake contract that that deal breaker put together to take our ranch away," answered Macdonald. He turned to Tristan and Hillary. "How can I ever thank you for rescuing our precious Moomoo from that nasty guy?"
"We didn't do all that much," said Tristan. "It was a team effort."
"Tristan's right, Grandfather," added Marie. "We all did it together."
"But what about all the berries that were picked from the trees?" asked Hillary. "There aren't any left."
"Oh, don't worry," smiled Frances. "Those berries grow on the trees once a day. That guy just didn't treat them with love and care like we do. So we should have an orchard full of berries by morning."
"And thanks to you...all of you, our ranch will be back to full capacity as our customers feast on our freshest milk we have to offer," added Macdonald.
"We were just glad we could help," replied Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
The next morning, after enjoying a good breakfast full of fresh milk and berries, Macdonald, Frances, and Marie bid Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon friends goodbye.
"Thanks for everything, kids!" called Macdonald.
"Take care!" added Frances.
"Good luck on your journey!" finished Marie as she, Macdonald, and Frances waved to Tristan and Hillary.
"Bye now! Take care!" replied Tristan and Hillary as they waved back.
Having saved a ranch from going out of business at the hands of Taz, our heroes continue on their journey, thinking about the many adventures and people waiting to meet them.
► TO BE CONTINUED