The evening finally turned into morning, a cheerful sun shining down upon us.

I'd slept on the stump all night, and, with a start, awoke to Misty screaming.

What this time!

Ash looked like he expected a nuclear warhead coming towards us. "Wha-what's wrong? What's happening! Wha! Wha!"

"What is this thing doing sleeping near me?" Misty squealed.

Ash laughed, "Caterpie just wants to be your friend!"

Yeah, give him a chance!

"If that thing wants to be my friend, it can stop bugging me, already!" She bent down to glare at Caterpie, "If you're a Pokémon, get out of my face and into that Pokéball!"

Caterpie whimpered, and his eyes started filling with tears.

I sent a mental apology to him for Misty's actions. Why couldn't she be just a little bit sensitive!

"Oh, Misty! You are so unbelievable! Caterpie means no harm! Why it likes you I'll never know!" Ash's voice had an annoyed tone to it. He was not only angry at Misty but also at Caterpie liking her more than him, I figured.

Caterpie scuttled slowly away, depressed at the lack of attention he was receiving.

Ash tried slithering in his sleeping bag beside him, "Caterpie, what's the matter?"

Caterpie used his suction cups to climb up the stump, and I watched him.

He went back into his Pokéball.

I could feel his misery emanating from his place of solitude.

"Hey! Hold on Caterpie!" Ash exclaimed.

"Pi!" I knocked on the ball. Come out! "Chu!"

"All right, Misty. You owe Caterpie an apology. Pokémon have feelings too, you know."

Misty looked like she was almost ready to, but she sniffled and jerked her head aside defiantly.

"Come on, Caterpie. Don't you worry! Someday we'll show her!"

We heard a scuffling above us, and a bird came swooping down to land in the grass.

"Pi?" I asked curiously. It started eating worms. Yuck!

"Wow! A Pidgeotto!" Ash held out Dexter and opened it.

It beeped. "Pidgeotto, an evolved form of the Pidgey. It is armed with sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be dangerous. Approach with extreme caution."

"All right, Pidgeotto." Ash dug into his pocket for a Pokéball. "I'll show you who's the dangerous one around here!" He enlarged it.

"Pokéball, go!" He threw it.

Unconcerned, the Pidgeotto knocked it aside with one wing.

Ash looked on in embarrassment.

"You don't get it, do you?" Misty's tone was condescending. "You don't just throw a Pokéball and capture a Pokémon. You have to make it battle and weaken it first. The only reason you got to catch Caterpie was because it's already a weakling."

That was the wrong thing to say. "I know what I'm doing. And you'd just better quit picking on Caterpie, okay?" He got up in her face, "And now, if you'll kindly keep your big mouth shut, you'll see how it's done."

He threw a Pokéball, "Gooo, Caterpie!"

"Err?" he looked confused at being summoned.

"Ah!" Misty exclaimed.

"Pika!" I was horrified. No!

Not a bug against a bird! Ash, you imbecile!

Misty had a good reason to be mean to him now.

"Ha! I told you I knew what I was doing."

Ash had no clue what he had just done.

"You don't have any idea the mistake you just made, do you?"

Ash's confidence disappeared, "Did I do something wrong?"

Pidgeotto started chasing and trying to peck the poor Caterpie screaming and scuttling away from it.

"Caterpie!" Ash yelled.

Pidgeotto flew up into the air and then swooped back down.

Thankfully, it missed.

With horror, I watched as it zoomed back up and then down.

"Caterpie! Counter attack!" Ash ordered.

Caterpie stopped and attempted to attack, but he was knocked backwards into a tree, with the bird coming straight towards him.

"Caterpie!"

"Quick! Call it back!" Misty instructed Ash.

He looked slightly bewildered, but he held up the ball, "Caterpie, return!"

Caterpie did just that, and Pidgeotto slammed into the tree.

Ash pointed, "Pikachu, go!"

It's about time!

Hadn't he learned by now that I could do wonders with birds?

I scrambled off towards it determinedly. "Pi!"

It managed to get its beak loose, and it shot into the air.

"Pikachu! Thundershock! Now!" Ash told me.

I complied, glowing and shouting, "Chuu!" and letting loose an electric attack that struck the bird mid-flight.

"Pokéball, go!" Ash threw it up at Pidgeotto.

The bird went inside, and the ball fell to the ground.

The ball rocked from side to side a few times while we all held our breath.

He caught it.

"Yes!" Ash pumped his fist. "We got Pidgeotto!" he held up two fingers.

I copied him, "Pikachu!" My grin was almost as wide as his.

More Pokémon friends!

"I, am the greatest," Ash went over to Misty and gloated.

Misty didn't share his opinion, "You're the worst. You have no idea what you're doing! It'll be a long time till you're a Pokémon Master! Like a million years!"

"I'm trying to—"

"You should try to learn something about Pokémon first. With Pokémon, you've got to use strategy. Pidgeotto is a bird. Caterpie is a worm. Birds eat worms, Mr. Pokémon Master!" Misty was steaming mad.

"Well, if you just try hard enough, things will work out. Won't they?" He didn't seem so sure.

"No, Ash. I'm afraid things won't just work out if you try hard enough! The Pokémon trainer's judgement is more important than anything else." She was really getting in his face. If she weren't scaring me so much with her angry attitude, I might be cheering her on. "And unfortunately for you, the trainer has to have a brain!"

Boy, someone was feeling rather pessimistic.

Not that I blamed her.

An evil female cackle came through their argument, and we turned our heads.

A male voice spoke, "So, we meet again."

"I...know that voice!" Ash seemed to strain his brain to put a face to it.

A gusty breeze swirled the dirt mystically around.

"To protect the world from devastation," said the shadowy female silhouette.

"To unite all peoples within our nation," the male continued.

It switched again, "To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie!" Her face became visible.

"James!" You could see his as well.

"Not this again," Ash complained.

"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light," Jessie spoke.

Or not.

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

Never.

The cat jumped in front of them, "Meowth! Dat's right!"

You wish.

Smoke exploded near them and their big R that had appeared from seemingly nowhere.

Please, spare us!

"Uh. We're kinda busy now. So if you'd—"

"Quiet, little boy," Jessie ordered Ash. "We're not here to listen to you. We're here to get your Pokémon!" Their hands pointed at me.

Me?

What did they want with me?

"Hand over that Pikachu," James demanded.

I looked at them innocently.

"Huh? This is my Pikachu! Go out and find your own!"

"The only Pikachu we want is that one!" Jessie sneered.

"We're only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokémon in the world, kid!" James scoffed.

I'm rare and valuable?

I surveyed myself from the corner of my eyes. I looked like an ordinary Pikachu...

Meowth was on their shoulders, his front paws on their heads. As they spoke he looked from one to the other.

"And that special Pikachu's just the kind we need!" Jessie snobbily informed them.

I smiled minutely when Meowth got tired of their boasting and began slapping them, instructing, "Stop!" along with a few other unintelligible words.

Ash seemed a little surprised, "Is my Pikachu really that special?"

Hey now! I may not be a Dragonite, but I ain't worthless!

But I didn't want to be taken by these crooks, so I guess convincing them I wasn't special was smart...

But still!

Meowth hopped lightly in front of us and crossed his arms, closing his eyes in remembrance. "Your Pikachu's pow-wuhs impress even me. I really got a chah-juh out of its incredible attack the last time we met! Its pow-uhs exceed its evolutionary level. Your Pokémon was a—"

Jessie and James cut him off by stomping angrily on him. He let out a chorus of Ow's while Jessie complained, "Now you're the one giving away all our secrets!"

"Shut up before you tell them everything!" James ordered.

Meowth's head enlarged, "I'm in charge. Cut it oooouttt!"

Jessie and James quit and straightened up smoothly. "Makes things easy and hand over that Pikachu!" Jessie demanded.

Ash closed his eyes and turned his head aside defiantly, "Uh uh. Forget it!"

"Then you leave us no choice," James snarled as he and Jessie held their Pokéballs up, then pulled their arms back and threw them like professional baseball pitchers.

Well.

Maybe what a two-year old human might think a pro-baseball pitcher might look like when trying to strike someone out.

"Pokémon battle. Ekans, go!" Jessie called out.

James encouraged, "Koffing, go get them."

The two Poison-types emerged from their Pokéballs. "Koffing," groaned James' Pokémon.

"Ekans!" the purple snake hissed.

Ash protested, "Hey! Two against one, that's cheating!"

I silently agreed, although I figured they didn't care. I remained still by Ash's side.

"Well, as we say, all's fair in love, war, and Pokémon battles," Jessie smirked.

"I say that saying's rotten, and so are you!" Ash declared.

"Of course we are. We're the bad guys." James made it sound obvious.

Misty interjected with crossed arms, "Well, if they're gonna use two Pokémon, I don't see why we can't use two Pokémon."

Ash disagreed, "The Pokémon League rules say only one at a time."

Misty leaned forward exasperatedly, "Ash, if you follow the rules you're gonna lose all your Pokémon!"

Listen to her! She's got a brain in that thick skull!

Holding forward a red rose, James spoke, "Koffing, Sludge attack, now!"

"Koffing!" it spat some dark goop onto my eyes.

Agh! Get it off!

Ash and Misty made stunned sympathetic noises.

I rubbed my eyes in desperation, "Pika!" I continued scrubbing, whimpering, "Pii..." Ash picked me up. I felt like crying in frustration.

I couldn't see!

"If you think you can use your dirty tricks to beat me, you're wrong!" Ash shouted at the two Team Rocket members. He turned to Misty and held me out to her, while I still tried to get the sludge off my eyes. "They might try anything to get what they want. But no matter what happens, don't let them have Pikachu, understand?"

"Pi?"

He sounded concerned.

I still couldn't believe that he cared so much for me.

I certainly was lucky to have him for a trainer.

Misty was speechless for a second, and Ash begged, "Misty, come on!"

Misty took me from Ash gently. The stuff was still irritating my eyes! Get it off! "But what about the other two?"

"So what's your big battle plan?" Jessie leered.

My eyes were still covered, so the next thing I heard was Ash, "Pidgeotto, go!"

"Koffing, its grime time," I heard James tell his Pokémon.

"Koffing," it agreed.

I heard the battling noises of Ash's squawking Pidgeotto and James' grunting Koffing.

Jessie spoke, "Ekans, go get your dinner!"

I heard Ekans hiss evilly and Pidgeotto flap in desperation. Ash ordered, "Pidgeotto, Quick Attack!"

"Ekans, go underground!" Jessie cried out.

Pidgeotto squeaked, "Pidgey-o-Pidgey-o!" while it flapped its wings.

"Pidgeotto! Behind you! Watch out!" Ash warned his bird.

"Koffing!"

"Geo!" I heard a whoosh of air.

Koffing made a weird noises and it sounded like toxic sludge was being spit out by it again.

I could hear Pidgeotto dodging Koffing's strike.

Misty cautioned, "Pidgeotto!"

"Pidgey-o!"

"We're gonna get a Pokémon!" the three Team Rocket members sang. "We're gonna get a Pokémon! We're gonna get a Pokémon!"

Whoosh! "Koffing!"

"Ekans!"

Ash instructed, "Counter attack, now!"

I heard Pidgeotto thud against the others. Ash called out, "Pidgeotto, return!"

I was still blinded and being held by Misty. I sensed Ash rushing towards the others, "I'll show you!"

'Ash,' I wanted to moan to him.

He never gave up.

I suppose that could be good sometimes, but other times it was a very bad habit.

"Ash!" Misty yelled.

"All right! Let's go! Put 'em up!" Ash said.

They were a quite a bit bigger and a few years older than him.

He didn't have a chance in a fist fight.

They knew it, too.

Meowth spoke, "Hah! What a fool! In Pokémon battles only the Pokémon can fight eachudder!"

James ordered, "Buzz off!"

Ash fell rather loudly. "Wah! Uh! Uh! Ow!"

"Are you okay?" Misty inquired.

"Guess you've got no choice," Jessie taunted. "Let Pikachu in, and watch Team Rocket win!"

I squirmed in Misty's arms, trying to hop down. "Pi-kah-chu-ew!" I would fight for Ash! I could do it! I would never let Team Rocket win, even if I had to fight to the death!

Misty started wiping my eyes with a soft cloth, soothing me, "No, Pikachu. You can't battle in this condition."

I sighed in surrender, wilting. "Pi."

I could try...

But I wasn't a fierce opponent in this condition.

Ash was determined not to lose, and Misty questioned him, "Ash what are you—?"

He cut her off, "I know you're still weak from battling Pidgeotto. But now Caterpie, you're my only hope!" There was a quiet moment. "Just give it your very best shot."

I heard Ash reel back and throw it, "Caterpie, go!"

"Cat-er-pie," the pooped Pokémon wheezed out.

The perplexed Team Rocket members were suddenly silent. "What's that?" James asked skeptically.

"Huh?" Jessie muttered.

Meowth spoke, "It's a bug. A measly little bug!"

The trio began laughing teasingly, and Jessie offered, "Hah, let's get the bug-spray!"

Their Poison types attacked, "Koffing!"

"Ekans!"

My acute ears picked up Caterpie shivering in fear as the two Pokémon continued to spit out insults.

Caterpie could do it! I had faith! I shook my arms, yelling at him, "Pi-ka!"

"Hold in there," Misty whispered.

"Koffing!"

Caterpie growled in spite of its fright.

"Caterpie, String Shot, now!" Ash called out to the poor bug.

I could hear Ekans and Koffing attempt an attack, then the sound of Caterpie spitting out silk.

One of them hit the ground with a thud.

"Ka!" Ekans hissed.

There was more spraying.

Next came shuffling as Caterpie scuttled forward, grunting, and hit one of them into the other.

Way to go, Caterpie!

I didn't know exactly what was happening, but the battle sounded like it was going our way!

"Wah!" Jessie exclaimed.

"Unh. Beaten by a Caterpie?" James' voice was stunned.

Wasn't too hard for that to happen.

"That really bugs me!" snarled Jessie.

Wonderful pun...

Not.

Meowth was confident, "Now watch a real Pokémon in action!"

I wished I could watch Caterpie in his moment of glory.

Caterpie sprayed him.

"Meowth! Meow. Meowth! Me-owth. Meowth."

"It's time Team Rocket blasted off," Jessie informed us.

They rushed away.

James yelled from behind, "You may have won this round, but we'll be back!"

Misty offered, "Come back anytime. We'll be glad to beat you! Unh!"

I had the feeling she was sticking out her tongue...

Not very lady-like...

But then, Misty was a tom-boy.

"We did it," Ash said, unenthusiastically. The realization then hit him head on. "We did it! We won our first Pokémon victory fair and square! Yeah!" He jumped up in the air. "Yeah! Yeah!"

Caterpie tried to wheeze out its excitement through its fatigue.

I could see! Finally!

Ash picked up Caterpie, "Caterpie. I'm very proud of you. You really did your best, and we won because of you!"

"You're stronger than you look, Caterpie!" Misty agreed with awe.

"Pika!" That was incredible!

"Oooh-ooohhh." Aww, it was nothing!

Ash turned to his red-headed companion. "Well Misty, I guess you feel different about Caterpie, now."

"Uh. Well, I—"

"Soo. Why don't you two make up? Just pat Caterpie on the head and say thanks for a really great job."

That would make him happy, Misty.

Too bad she couldn't understand me. It was frustrating to be a Pokémon sometimes.

Misty didn't say anything. She just trembled.

"You like Pokémon," Ash stated the obvious. "So it's only right to congratulate one for doing a good job!"

Misty nodded reluctantly, "I guess you're right."

Her hand slowly floated towards Caterpie. When her hand was an inch away from his head he began spraying out a white stringy material.

Not the best thing to happen at a critical moment such as that...

Misty jumped and screamed while I remained calmly in her arms.

"Caterpie?" Ash was puzzled. He sat Caterpie on the ground, and I jumped down to look at him quizzically.

"What—?"

"It's evolving!" Misty exclaimed.

Finally! Soon his dream will come true!

But...

That meant most of his memories would drift away like dead leaves in a whispering and traveling breeze.

But he would be happy.

"Chu," I purrled in awe.

The string was slowly coating him, as he was building a cocoon around himself.

"Caterpie, this is so great!" Ash congratulated him happily.

He was momentarily white, then he became green and dull-eyed.

I decided right then that I didn't like this stage too much.

Ash pulled out his Pokédex. "Metapod. Caterpie's next stage. It has encased its body in a hard shell. This specimen reached this stage faster than any previously discovered Pokémon of this variety."

All of our gazes were fixed upon him.

The Pokédex entry made Ash excited, "Hey. Maybe that means it can keep on changing and go on to the next stage right away!"

That would be neat!

I walked closer, the nasty goop still on my face but not obscuring my vision.

"Pi pika-pi." You never know, Ash.

"Nice to meet you, Metapod," Ash laughed. Metapod blinked. Ash chuckled, "Not in the mood to talk?"

"Pika-chu!" I exclaimed cheerfully, waving my arms.

I heard Misty quietly mutter, "I've never known anyone like him. He really does love Pokémon."

Ash popped up beside her with his coccoon Pokémon, and she looked blankly at him before screaming.

"Misty. You two were just about to make friends," Ash taunted. "You didn't forget, did you?"

"Uh. I didn't forget, but then I—" a Beedrill popped up, buzzing beside her, and she screamed in fright. "I'll do anything! Let's just get out of this forest!"

"No way!" Ash disagreed. "There's still plenty more Pokémon in this forest!"

With Metapod in his backpack, he shot off. I scampered after him.

Misty cried out, "Hey! Wait for me!"

"Come on! We've got lots of Pokémon to catch!" Ash yelled.

And so we ran off into the forest, not knowing what was in store for our future.

But at the moment, we didn't care.

We knew the future had a whole slew of adventures and new friends to toss in our path.

That was good enough for us.