AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 52 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Johto region. I'm basing Allan and Rex, the two Poké Fans in the Crystal version games and the cute Pokémon they have on Route 6. Also, Butch and Cassidy make appearances in this chapter. Let's imagine them just after they blasted off with Jessie, James, Meowth, Wobbuffet, and their Pokémon. As always, please enjoy, and leave responsible reviews at your leisure.
TEASER: Two Trainers, Rex and Allan have an argument on which of their Pokémon is the cutest. But when Butch and Cassidy steal Rex's Phanpy, it's up to them to work together and foil their plans!
Chapter 52: DISPUTE FOR CUTE
(Music Cue: Opening Title 1999-2001 (as heard at the beginning of "Once in a Blue Moon"))
Today, our heroes are continuing their journey to Olivine City, home of Tristan's fifth Gym battle, but little do they suspect that a huge argument is about to take shape. And no, that huge argument doesn't involve them.
"Olivine City's a lot further away than I thought it's be," said Hillary as she and Tristan walked through a clearing. "Why don't we take a break?"
"But I'm sure Olivine City can't be too much further," protested Tristan.
"Look, we walked past the Moomoo Ranch, saw many Pokémon, but we're not getting any closer to Olivine City," said Hillary. "Besides, my legs are killing me from all that walking."
"Whatever," grumbled Tristan as he sat down on the ground.
Pikachu and Togepi looked on in concern.
"I think everyone's getting a little irritated because of the lack of food we've had today," suggested Hillary. "Why don't we have some lunch? Then we can commence our journey again."
Tristan sighed. "I guess it's worth a try."
Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon enjoyed a delicious meal.
Pikachu, Chikorita, Quilava, Totodile, Larvitar, and Heracross shared food with Tristan while Squirtle, Cyndaquil, Eevee, Pichu, Togepi, and Larpas shared food with Hillary.
Soon, everyone forgot all about being irritable.
"I guess the food really did the trick, huh?" said Tristan.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," agreed Hillary. "Now I'm feeling much more cheerful. Now we can relax before moving on."
"But what about my Gym battle in Olivine City?" protested Tristan.
"The Gym's not going anywhere, so we've got time," replied Hillary as she stretched on the grass.
Just as Tristan was about to join her on the grass, they heard two voices.
"Phanpy's the cutest!"
"No, Teddiursa's the cutest!"
"Phanpy!"
"Teddiursa!"
"What was that?" asked Tristan.
"Sounds like an argument," replied Hillary. "We'd better check it out."
And after recalling their Pokémon, they dashed posthaste to another part of the clearing where the two voices were coming from.
(Music Cue: Goofball Alert (as heard in "The Fortune Hunters"))
Two men were seen butting heads as they continued to argue about which of their Pokémon was the cutest.
One of them had a Pokémon that looked like a teddy bear with a crescent moon shape on its forehead while the other had a small blue elephant-like Pokémon.
Both Pokémon were butting their heads just like their Trainers were.
Presently, Tristan and Hillary arrived on the scene.
"What's going on here?" asked Tristan.
"Oh, Allan and I were just having another argument," replied one of the men. "Everyone knows my Phanpy is one of the cutest Pokémon around."
"You've got it all wrong, Rex!" protested Allan. "My Teddiursa's the cutest thing in these parts. By the way, I'm Allan, and that's Rex. He's the one who started this whole argument."
"I'm Tristan, and this is Pikachu, Togepi, and my sister, Hillary," said Tristan.
"Hello, there," added Hillary.
Pikachu and Togepi greeted Allan and Rex warmly.
"Why did you two start arguing in the first place?" wondered Hillary. "It seems to me that both Pokémon are exceptionally cute."
"But Teddiursa's the one who's the cutest of the two Pokémon," protested Allan. "Isn't that right, my cute widdo Teddiursa?" And he picked up Teddiursa and embraced it.
Teddiursa seemed to like that.
"You've got some nerve hugging that thing in front of me!" fumed Rex.
"Don't you call my Teddiursa a thing!" barked Allan. "That Phanpy of yours is nothing but a sniveling little wannabe!"
"Take that back!" demanded Rex.
"I will not!" shouted Allan.
"Want trouble?"
"Bring it on!"
"All right, hold it!" commanded Tristan as he raised his right arm in the air. "It seems to me that neither of you is wanting to give up or give in, so there's only one fair way to decide which of your two Pokémon is the cutest."
"A Pokémon battle!" said Rex and Allan together.
Hillary wasn't at all surprised. "Yup, I think we all saw that one coming."
A short time later, Rex and Allan stood and faced each other as Tristan watched.
"I'll be the judge and referee of this battle," said Tristan, "and until a winner is declared, I will also be in charge of you two. The battle will be one-on-one, and the battle will be over when either Pokémon is rendered unable to battle."
"All right, fine," said Rex. "I choose my Phanpy!"
Phanpy flapped its ears up and down.
"And I choose my Teddiursa!" said Allan.
Teddiursa just stood there, licking its paws.
"Let's see what Dexter has to say about those two," said Hillary as she scanned them with her Pokédex.
"Phanpy, the Long Nose Pokémon. Phanpy uses its powerful snout to express affection, not realizing its strength can send you flying.
"Teddiursa, the Little Bear Pokémon. This cute, cuddly Pokémon is easily frightened and frequently licks its paws, which are usually covered with sweet honey."
"Phanpy versus Teddiursa," said Tristan. "Begin!"
(Music Cue: Come Along)
"Teddiursa, Scratch attack!" commanded Allan.
Teddiursa charged forward and proceeded to scratch Phanpy with its claws.
"Phanpy, Defense Curl!" instructed Rex.
Phanpy rolled into a ball and blocked the damage Teddiursa's Scratch would've done to it.
"I just love the way that Teddiursa scratches!" said Allan. "It's so cute I can't get angry about it."
"Well, my Phanpy can roll into a ball," retorted Rex. "I betcha that went higher than your cute meter can handle, didn't it?"
"Yeah, so what if your Phanpy can't register high enough on my cute meter? It's high enough to register in the galaxy!"
"In the galaxy? I'll bet it's in the highest level of cuteness in the universe!"
"My Teddiursa's got the highest cuteness in the universe of universes!"
"My Phanpy has the highest in the universe of universes of universes!"
"My Teddiursa's the cutest everywhere, plus even further than that!"
"My Phanpy's the cutest everywhere you said, plus everywhere else you just said!"
"Um, hello?" interrupted Tristan. "Are you two battling or aren't you?"
"Oh, boy," sighed Hillary. "Those two should have a reality check."
Pikachu and Togepi silently agreed with her.
"Phanpy, use Rollout attack!" commanded Rex.
Phanpy spun around and around, faster and faster, much faster than normal, until it rammed into Teddiursa, scoring a direct hit on it.
"Teddiursa!" cried Allan.
"Wow, what power!" exclaimed Hillary. "That Rollout attack was extra powerful!"
"That's because Phanpy used Defense Curl before using Rollout," explained Tristan. "Doing so doubles Rollout's power as long as the user stays in the battle."
"Ha!" laughed Rex. "I'll betcha that didn't register that in your cute meter did you?"
Teddiursa fell to the ground.
"Get up, Teddiursa!" ordered Allan. "We can't let that loser beat us! Show him how cute you really are!"
Teddiursa struggled to its feet.
"Phanpy, hit it with another Rollout attack!" commanded Rex.
Phanpy rolled faster than it did the first time, and scored another direct hit on Teddiursa, knocking it out on the spot.
"Teddiursa!" cried Allan.
"Teddiursa is unable to battle!" declared Tristan. "Phanpy wins, and the victor is Rex!"
"Yes!" exclaimed Rex as he jumped for joy. "See, Allan? I told you that Phanpy was the cutest of all."
"Teddiursa!" said Allan as he rushed over to it. "Are you gonna be okay?"
Teddiursa gave a weak reply.
"You need a good rest." Wasting no time, Allan recalled his Teddiursa into its Poké Ball. He then turned to Rex. "You may have beaten me this time, but you won't be so lucky next time!"
"Yeah, well, Phanpy won, and that's the only victory it'll need to prove it's the cutest Pokémon of all, so there!"
And the two Trainers turned their backs on each other and walked away in opposite directions.
Hillary and Tristan sighed.
"Yup," said Hillary. "Those two definitely need a reality check."
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Boss Theme)
Elsewhere, two people in black uniforms were hiding in the bushes. They had red letter Rs on their shirts.
One had short green hair while the other one had gold hair in pigtails and pink triangular earrings. Sure enough, it was Butch and Cassidy from Team Rocket.
"I can't believe those losers Jessie and James caused us to blast off with them when that Lugia was set free and went on a rampage," grumbled Cassidy. "We never EVER blast off!"
"Well, we won't have to deal with them anymore," replied Butch. "They must be miles away by now. At least from us."
"But now we have to find some Pokémon to steal for the Boss," added Cassidy. She then looked through her binoculars and saw Rex approaching. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?"
"What's up, Cassidy?" asked Butch.
"Something that'll give us a head start in making up for our failure in that undersea base," answered Cassidy.
"What do you mean?" asked Butch.
"Just follow my lead," smirked Cassidy. "I have an idea."
And the two hid in the bushes just as Rex approached.
Maybe I was a little too harsh on Allan and his Teddiursa in our battle, thought Rex. Sure, I know it's cute, but my Phanpy's much cuter than that. Maybe the best thing for me to do is to tell them I'm sorry. And he started walking back to find Allan.
But suddenly, a Flamethrower attack was shot out, and headed straight for Rex, who ducked just in the nick of time.
Rex quickly got on his feet. "Hey, where'd that come from?!"
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "Goin' Apricorn!"))
Just then, a quadruped canine Pokémon with short black fur made its appearance. It had a red underbelly and muzzle, and it growled intensely.
Seconds later, Cassidy and Butch made their appearances.
"Who are you guys?!" demanded Rex.
"We're your worst nightmare," smiled Cassidy.
"And you won't wake up from it," added Butch.
"We'll be taking your Pokémon now," smiled Cassidy.
"So hand it over while you can," added Butch.
"No way!" replied Rex. "If you want it, you'll have to take it from me! Phanpy, go!" And he threw his Poké Ball.
Phanpy emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Cassidy laughed. "That's your Pokémon?"
"That should make our job a whole lot easier," agreed Butch.
"My Phanpy may be cute, but it means everything to me!" replied Rex.
"Houndour, Flamethrower!" commanded Cassidy.
Her Pokémon shot a red-hot flame from its mouth right at Phanpy.
"Phanpy, Defense Curl!" shouted Rex.
Phanpy rolled into a ball just as Flamethrower hit it, causing little damage.
"Now, use your Rollout attack!" ordered Rex.
Phanpy spun round and round, faster and faster it went, until it rammed into Houndour, scoring a direct hit on it.
"We can't let you win that easily," said Butch as he took out a Poké Ball and threw it. "Go, Hitmontop!"
A vaguely humanoid Pokémon emerged from the white that shot out of it. It had a primarily blue body with a round brown head with extensions and a spike on top.
Rex became annoyed. "Hey, two against one's no fair!"
"Of course it's no fair," replied Cassidy. "We just pride ourselves in doing whatever it takes to get what we want."
"Hitmontop, Rolling Kick!" commanded Butch.
Hitmontop turned upside down and spun round and round, rolling directly into Phanpy, using its legs to attack it over and over.
"Phanpy, no!" cried Rex.
"Smog attack, Houndour!" ordered Cassidy.
Houndour unleashed a green cloud of smoke from its mouth, enveloping Rex and causing him to cough.
"Now for the Phanpy," said Butch as he launched a mechanical arm, using it to grab Phanpy while Cassidy captured it inside a cage.
"I love it when evil wins!" said Cassidy as she and Butch gleefully fled the scene under the cover of Houndour's Smog.
As the smoke cleared, Rex frantically looked around, but he couldn't find his Phanpy anywhere.
"Phanpy!" shouted Rex. "Where are you? Phanpy!"
Meanwhile, Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, and Togepi were continuing their journey in the clearing.
"I never thought I'd see a couple of die-hard cute fans," said Hillary.
"I just hope that we don't meet anymore Trainers who are like that," agreed Tristan.
Just then, they saw Rex quickly approaching them.
"Look, it's Rex!" gasped Tristan.
"Oh, boy, here we go again," muttered Hillary.
"Guys, you've gotta help me!" panted Rex.
"What's the matter?" asked Tristan.
"Phanpy's gone!" explained Rex. "Those two people I just met stole it from under my nose!"
Hillary became annoyed. "Who could've done this?!"
"I'll bet it was Taz!" agreed Tristan.
"But there were two people!" said Rex.
"Did you see them before?" asked Hillary.
"No, never," answered Rex. "One of them had a Houndour while the other had a Hitmontop."
Just then, Allan came along. "What's going on?"
"My Phanpy was stolen from me!" replied Rex. "And they used a Houndour and a Hitmontop to do it."
"Let's split up and look for them," suggested Tristan. "We'll have a better chance of finding Phanpy that way."
"Good idea, Tristan," agreed Hillary. "Let's all meet up back here in half an hour."
And they all split up to search.
Meanwhile, Cassidy and Butch were carrying the cage with Phanpy still inside.
Phanpy looked very miserable.
"Once we give this Phanpy to the Boss, we'll be sure to please him," smiled Cassidy.
"And once we do, we'll be sure to get a bonus," added Butch. "I'm surprised more people don't do it this way."
Presently, Tristan and Pikachu jumped out and stood right in front of them. "Okay, hold it right there!"
"Arrgh! It's that kid again!" grumbled Butch and Cassidy together.
"I should've known it was you all along!" accused Tristan.
"Prepare for trouble, you've got that right," smiled Cassidy.
"And make it double, 'cause you're in for a fight," added Butch.
They both went into their motto.
"To infect the world with devastation."
"To blight all peoples in every nation."
"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."
"To extend our wrath to the stars above."
"Cassidy."
"And Butch, of course."
"We're Team Rocket, circling Earth all day and night."
"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight, fight, fight."
"Raticate!" A Raticate came and appeared between the two villains.
"We're taking the Phanpy with us, kid," smiled Butch as he raised the cage in the air.
"Just give Phanpy back, Buzz!" demanded Tristan.
"The name's not Buzz, it's Butch! Didn't you hear me the first time?!"
Cassidy and Butch each threw a Poké Ball respectively.
(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard the first time in "The Wayward Wobbuffet"))
"Go, Houndour!"
"Go, Hitmontop!"
Both Houndour and Hitmontop emerged from the white lights that shot out of them.
"Who are those Pokémon?" wondered Tristan as he scanned them with his Pokédex.
"Houndour, the Dark Pokémon. Houndour travel in packs and communicate through barks in order to surround their prey.
"Hitmontop, the Handstand Pokémon. Hitmontop's smooth graceful kicks are deceptively powerful. Opponents may be surprised by their force, so beware."
"Chikorita, Totodile, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Friend Ball and Lure Ball.
Chikorita and Totodile emerged from the lights that shot out of both balls.
"Houndour, Flamethrower!" ordered Cassidy.
Houndour shot a red-hot stream of fire from its mouth at Chikorita.
"Quick, Totodile, use your Water Gun attack to protect Chikorita!" instructed Tristan.
Quickly, Totodile jumped in front of Chikorita and unleashed a powerful blast of water at the approaching flame.
Water Gun pushed Flamethrower back and successfully scored a clean hit on Houndour.
"Aargh!" fumed Butch. "Hitmontop, Rolling Kick!"
Hitmontop turned upside down and spun like a top, and unfortunately, it was too fast for poor Chikorita to dodge it, causing it to take a big hit and to be sent flying.
"Oh, no, Chikorita!" cried Tristan.
Chikorita hit the ground hard.
"Now get the Totodile!" instructed Butch.
Hitmontop kept its momentum going and spun directly toward a defenseless Totodile.
"Totodile, watch out!" shouted Tristan.
Suddenly, a barrage of flying stars came out of nowhere and struck Hitmontop, thus stopping its Rolling Kick attack in its tracks.
The interruption of Hitmontop's momentum sent it barreling backward until it fell to the ground.
"No, Hitmontop!" cried Butch.
"Where did that come from?" wondered Tristan.
"We're coming, Tristan!" shouted Hillary as she, Allan, and Rex made their way to the scene.
"Hey, guys!" said Tristan, who was greatly relieved to see them.
"That's my Phanpy, now give it back or else!" demanded Rex.
"Or else what?" retorted Cassidy.
"Or you'll be sorry, that's what!" replied Allan.
"Give back that Phanpy! You know it's not yours!" fumed Hillary.
"As soon as a Swinub flies!" retorted Butch.
"Teddiursa, Scratch attack!" commanded Allan.
(Music Cue: OK! Orchestra and Guitar (as heard in "Sick Daze"))
Teddiursa charged forward and furiously scratched Butch and Cassidy's faces.
"Chikorita, use Tackle attack!" ordered Tristan.
Chikorita recovered and rammed into Butch and Cassidy, causing them to lose their grip on the cage holding Phanpy, releasing it in the process.
"Phanpy!" cried Rex as he ran and caught it. "Are you okay?"
Phanpy nodded happily. It was glad to be free again.
Rex gently set Phanpy down on the ground. "Ready, Allan? Let's work together and battle them."
"Right, Rex," agreed Allan.
Teddiursa and Phanpy glared at Butch and Cassidy.
"So you wanna play rough now, huh?" fumed Cassidy. "We'll just take both of your Pokémon."
"Hitmontop, Rapid Spin!" ordered Butch.
Hitmontop turned upside down and spun like a top straight towards Phanpy and Teddiursa.
"Phanpy, Rollout attack!" commanded Rex.
Phanpy rolled into a ball and rolled directly toward Hitmontop.
Both attacks collided as they kept spinning.
"Those two attacks are making my head spin!" remarked Hillary. "It's tough to know who'll win."
Eventually, Phanpy successfully pushed Hitmontop backward, causing it to ram into Butch and Raticate.
"Houndour, Flamethrower!" ordered Cassidy.
Houndour shot a powerful hot flame at Teddiursa.
"Teddiursa, DynamicPunch!" shouted Allan.
Teddiursa charged forward as a ball of light formed in its fist. Using that power, it easily went through Houndour's Flamethrower and punch it hard causing a burst of light to form.
"Aah! Houndour!" cried Cassidy.
"What power!" remarked Hillary. "I've never seen a DynamicPunch with so much velocity coming from a cute Pokémon like Teddiursa."
"Now that was awesome," said Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi nodded in agreement.
Thanks to Teddiursa's DynamicPunch, Houndour had been sent skyward, but not for long, for it landed on Cassidy, causing her to fall to the ground also.
"Now let's finish 'em off," said Rex.
"You bet," agreed Allan. "Teddiursa..."
"Phanpy!"
"Send 'em flying!" they shouted together.
Phanpy used Rollout while Teddiursa attacked with another DynamicPunch. Working together, they rammed into Cassidy, Butch, and their Pokémon at the same instant, causing them to be sent flying.
"Looks like we're blasting off again!" yelled Butch and Cassidy as they flew higher and higher into the sky until they eventually disappeared from view.
DING!
"Rex, Allan, you two were amazing together," commended Hillary.
"Yeah," agred Tristan. "Even though you have different cute Pokémon, you set aside your differences and helped each other in the process."
Allan and Rex looked at each other. Then they turned to Tristan and Hillary and said, "Yeah, you're right." Then they shook hands to mark their friendship.
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting)
That evening, Tristan and Hillary were preparing to say their goodbyes to Rex and Allan.
"No way!" gasped Rex. "I had no idea that you were training to be a part of the Johto League."
"My Pokémon and I have been together for a while now," explained Tristan. "And right now, we're on our way to the Gym in Olivine City so that I can get my fifth badge."
"And I'm along for the ride, too," added Hillary, "but I'm still trying to decid what I want to do. So I'm competing in tournaments to see what works best for me."
"You know, it's smart of you to choose a path on your own," said Rex. "You and Tristan'll be great Trainers for sure."
"Thanks," replied Tristan. "We'll do our best."
"Well, we'd better get going, guys," said Hillary. "See you later."
And Hillary and Tristan turned around and started on the road again.
"Bye, guys!" called Rex and Allan. "Good luck on your journey!"
Tristan and Hillary waved back until Allan and Rex were out of sight.
"Who knew that those two could get along in times like that?" said Tristan.
"You certainly have a way with words, Tristan," remarked Hillary.
"It's a gift," replied Tristan.
Pikachu and Togepi agreed.
Rex and Allan settle their differences in time to work together and defeat Butch and Cassidy. Now our heores are working together, too, working on a path that will lead to victory as Tristan looks forward to his next Gym battle in Olivine City.
► TO BE CONTINUED