Misty screamed, causing a flock of Pokémon to alight through the trees.

Ash and I looked at Misty, who was clinging for dear life on a tree branch, with questioning expressions.

"What's wrong now?" my trainer asked her.

"I think I see another bug! Gross!" she whined.

Figures.

Ash and I turned away with annoyed looks on our faces. "Maybe it's a—" we both drooped our heads and sighed.

Ash popped up in a nose-ringed cow suit, hoofed hands up, "—Cowterpie."

Misty's tree branch broke, and I fell hard on the ground as well.

That was lame.

Ash rubbed his head laughing, while Misty scolded him, "That's not funny. You know I hate bugs and I saw one right over there!"

A little cute, horned yellow caterpillar-looking Pokémon slowly scooted closer to us.

Quicker than lightning, Misty hid behind Ash.

"A Weedle!" Ash exclaimed.

The Pokédex was brought out, and pinged. "Weedle. The stinger on this Pokémon's head guarantees that any attacker will get the point right where it hurts."

"A stinger, huh?" Misty was still hiding behind Ash as he spoke. "Now there's a challenge."

"Why are you so excited about a bug with a stinger? Make it go away!" Misty squealed.

"You gotta be kidding!" Ash turned his head away. "You can't possibly expect a great Pokémon trainer like me to let a Weedle escape!"

That boy had a lot of ego. Hopefully, Misty might bring him down a few notches.

"I'm gonna catch it," he stated.

Ash started to get his Pokéball out. He held his finger up. "Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. You have to weaken a Pokémon first before you can capture it." He turned to me, "Let's go, Pikachu!"

No way.

Too tired.

I rolled over in my pallet, sighing, "Pikachu." Ain't no way. Ain't no how.

Misty and Ash fell to the ground in exasperation.

"Uh!" He itched his face, "Taking a nap, huh?"

Mmhmm.

"Okay." He held up his mini Pokéballs, "You snooze, you lose. There's still Pidgeotto and Metapod to do the job. And they give me the respect I deserve."

I wasn't aware that he deserved respect...

I just wanted to catch a few winks of sleep.

"You deserve to have your head examined!"

You said it, Misty!

Then the inevitable happened.

Weedle rubbed against Misty's leg.

The anti-bug girl turned purple with fright, and screamed. She started running, yelling, "Don't just stand there! Catch it!"

Weedle rolled around on the ground, having been knocked off-balance when Misty fled.

"Have no fear, Ash is here." He pushed the Pokéball's center. "Pidgeotto! I choose you!"

Ash threw it.

Weedle looked on in fright.

Pidgeotto exited. "Pidgeotto, Gust attack!"

"Pidgey-o!" it complied, fanning its wings to create a gusty wind that blew a complaining Weedle back.

Pidgeotto took flight and came at Weedle again, then went back to the air.

"Ha! That's the way to do it!" Ash encouraged.

Weedle shot itself up at Pidgeotto, head first. "Pidgeotto, watch out for its Poison Sting!" Ash warned.

Pidgeotto dodged, and Weedle dived to the ground. "Ha! Nice work!"

Pidgeotto came at Weedle once more.

"Okay, here we go." Ash prepared a Pokéball. "Weedle! I got you now!"

Ash was about to throw the Pokéball, but a voice behind him caused him to jump. "Greetings. Am I addressing the Pokémon trainer who comes from Pallet?"

"I'm a Pokémon trainer from Pallet, but I'm a little busy," Ash informed him, annoyed.

"I have found you at last!" the stranger started to unsheathe a sword.

"Ash!" Misty warned, running towards him.

The samurai-looking boy gave a war-cry and pointed his sword close to Ash's nose.

"That sword doesn't scare me!" Ash's statement contradicted the look on his face. "There's no way you're stealing my Pokémon!"

"I am no Pokémon thief!"

"Who are you then?" Misty inquired.

The funnily clothed kid straightened, "I am Samurai! I am also shrewd, fearless, and completely invincible in combat. I have been searching the forest for you." He sheathed his sword.

"What do you want from me?" Ash didn't sound so enthusiastic.

"A Pokémon match!" He brought up his Pokéball. "Let us see who triumphs!"

They were quiet for a moment, evaluating each other.

"Pika?" I tilted my head, blinking in slight amusement and confusement.

"Oh no!" Ash exclaimed. "I forgot about Weedle!"

Yep. Weedle was slowly meandering a few inches from where it had lain motionless, and it was now near a tree. "I'll get it! Pokéball—" he threw it, "—go!"

Weedle scampered into safety, the red and white ball hitting the tree.

Ash made an exasperated noise and hit his hand against his head.

"Pidge-oh," Pidgeotto was flying around, sounding a bit delirious.

"Pidgeotto, return!" Ash brought back his bird Pokémon.

He turned to the strange boy accusingly, "That Weedle only got away because you mixed me up!"

"Don't blame your failure on me! Your Pokémon handling is dim-witted and clumsy."

"What do you know about Pokémon handling?" Ash demanded. "I bet I could beat you in a Pokémon match blindfolded!"

"There is one way to find out!"

"Pika. Chu." I blinked in exasperation at the bickering boys, saddened.

"Pidgeotto, do your stuff!"

Ash's Pokémon came out...flattened out on the ground.

It was dead-tired.

"Uh oh." Ash was worried and shocked.

"Ash, don't you know you have to let your Pokémon rest once in a while?" Misty reprimanded him.

"Well, I uh—"

"Only a novice goes into a battle with a pooped out Pokémon. Your blunder will cost you dearly!" He threw his Pokéball, "Pinsir, assume battle mode!"

Out came the pincer-equipped Bug Pokémon. "Whoa, he's got a Pinsir," Ash noted.

He brought out Dexter. "Pinsir. This fearsome Pokémon uses its powerful claws to put the squeeze on its opponents."

"That Pinsir looks pretty tough. But Pidgeotto can beat it."

Well, he probably could if he weren't so tired! I snorted to myself.

Was Ash determined to wear every last one of his Pokémon out?

"Pidgey-oh!"

"Pidgeotto, Sand Attack!" Ash instructed.

Pidgeotto complied, shrieking and fanning its wings to cause a big dust cloud to surround its opponent.

Go, Pidgeotto!

But it didn't phase the Pinsir.

"That's child's play!" called out the boy. "Pinsir, Tackle it!"

Pinsir rammed against Pidgeotto and caused it to fall back painfully.

Quivering, Pidgeotto murmered, "Pidge-oh."

The trainer opposite Ash started laughing, "Your Pokémon is beaten!"

"Oh no," Ash said under his breath. "Pidgeotto, return!"

It did, readily.

"Novice—" the boy emphasized, "—are you ready to surrender?"

"No way, I'm just warming up! Metapod, I choose you, now!"

The green cocoon Pokémon came out, dully staring.

"Watch and weep as Pinsir crushes your Metapod in half!"

Pinsir flexed its pincers threateningly.

"No!" Ash was panicking. "Those claws!"

"Ash!" Misty broke through his reverie. "Call off Metapod! Not even a bug deserves this!"

The samurai spoke, "This match is already won!"

Pinsir started towards Ash's Pokémon.

Ash yelled, "Metapod! Harden...Now!"

Metapod complied, glowing as it performed its primary move.

Pinsir squeezed desperately, but all it managed to do was crack its pincers.

Metapod was too tough for it! I thought with glee.

"Pikachu!" I strained my neck to see. Good job!

Misty piped happily, "It worked!"

"So. Now who's the novice?" Ash boasted.

"Pinsir, return!" the boy ignored him.

"Clever. Quite clever," the boy then admitted. "Pokéball, go!"

Out of his ball, a Metapod appeared.

This was going to be a tiring battle, and I wasn't even fighting!

"Metapod. Harden, like his!"

His Pokémon did so.

"Maximum hardness, Metapod!"

My dull green companion did so.

They were both shimmering brightly in the sun.

Ash and the boy kept them using Harden, and the battle was obviously going no where.

Just like the way the glaring contest my trainer and his opponent were having was going...

Hours passed.

Misty, clad in bathing suit and sunglasses, was lounging out on a lawn chair with a glass of some type of fruity drink beside her.

I was close to her, also sitting in chair with sunglasses and my own fruity liquid.

"More power, Metapod! Samurai's is weakening!" Ash encouraged.

"Harder! You're the stronger Metapod!"

"Little more!" Ash was sweating.

"Metapod! Full power!" Samurai was sweating, too.

Misty and I were now standing up, very annoyed. With crossed arms and slanted eyelids Misty sighed, "We could be stuck in this forest for the rest of our lives! Boys can be so stubborn."

Yeah, human boys. Not Pika-boys.

Straining, Ash and Samurai fell over. Ash gritted through his teeth, "Don't give up."

Misty tried to take control, "You two are more hard-headed than your Metapods!...Huh?"

There was a buzzing noise produced by something somewhere nearby.

"What's that noise?" Misty inquired.

Samurai stood. "A Beedrill swarm approaches! Our match must end! Metapod, return!"

And he was right.

A very large swarm of poisonous bees was flying our way.

"Beedrill swarm!" Ash called out.

Ash got out Dexter. "Beedrill. This Pokémon is an evolved form of Weedle, following its Kakuna state. Its sting is highly poisonous."

"The Weedle that got away from you has informed the rest of its kind!" Samurai scampered off, "Good day!"

A Beedrill flew down, humming, and picked up Metapod.

No! Let him go!

Ash stood blankly staring for a moment before bringing up his Pokéball, "Metapod! Return now!"

The Beedrill dodged the red light, and Metapod was unable to obey Ash's command.

"Oh, no. It got away!" Ash was slightly stunned.

A Beedrill started coming towards Ash, and I took action.

I wouldn't lose two of my friends to a bunch of angry bugs!

I jumped into the air and let loose some electricity, "Pika-CHU!"

Oops.

I got Ash and the Beedrill.

Oh well. No pain, no gain.

The Beedrill weakly took off into the air, and Ash swayed from side to side moaning.

Misty grabbed my trainer. "Come on, let's move it!"

The three of us sped off panting into the forest, a bunch of Beedrill close behind.

Ash looked over his shoulder, "But—Metapod!"

Once we were in some taller grass we managed to catch up with the samurai boy from earlier.

"They're gaining on us!" Misty laboriously said.

I was safer in the high grass but still scared. "Pika! Chu!" I panickedly shouted.

Hurry, hurry!

I couldn't move my little legs fast enough.

We managed to trick the Beedrill by rounding some bushes and sitting down so as not to be seen.

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

But not for long.

In front of us was a huge tree with tons of yellow Kakuna attached to it.

"A whole hive of Kakunas!" Samurai whispered in excitement.

Misty squealed of course.

Ash brought out his Pokédex, "Kakuna. A transitional stage between Weedle and Beedrill. Kakunas remain inactive until they evolve into deadly Beedrills and hatch."

"Hey!" Ash yelled as he noticed a small green form at the bottom of the tree. "Over there! It's Metapod!"

Misty covered his mouth with her hand desperately, "Keep your voice down!"

We were frozen still as we waited to see if the Kakuna had heard him or not.

But they did.

And they slowly broke free through their coccoons and evolved into the frightening, striped Pokémon.

It was a pretty sight.

There was a bright light, and we all 'oohed', 'aahed', and 'chuued'.

"Beedrills!" Misty exclaimed softly. "They've evolved!"

And now there was a whole new swarm of them.

Our safe hiding place wasn't a safe hiding place any more.

Screaming, or making other noises that indicated our level of fright, we ran swiftly away from the buzzing group of newly evolved Pokémon.

Luckily before we had ran too far, there was a small log building in front of us. "My cabin! I think we can make it!" Samurai panted.

Unhesitatingly, we ran inside, slamming the door behind us.

A few Beedrill managed to get their back stingers through, but other than that we were protected by the strong wood.

Still scared, we watched as they extracted their stingers and flew around humming angrily.

"Whew," Ash sighed. "That was close."

Samurai took off his helmet. "I hope you've learned your lesson, novice," he spat the last word. "Your letting that Weedle escape almost cost our lives!"

"Take back that novice crack!" Ash demanded.

"I do take it back! Because not even a novice would abandon his own Pokémon as you did!"

This hit a cord. Ash turned his head aside, stung as badly inwardly as he would have been outwardly if the whole swarm of Beedrill had attacked him at once.

He clenched his fists, "I tried to save Metapod..."

My sad gaze rested on him. "Chu." I know.

Samurai wouldn't let it end at that, "Your Metapod will pay for its trainer's inexperience. The other trainers from Pallet would never have been so irresponsible!"

"Other trainers from Pallet?" Ash grated out. "Have you fought Pokémon matches against Gary and the others?"

"Ah!" he looked into the air happily, remembering. "There were three spectacular matches, each more challenging than the last! Those trainers really know how to raise Pokémon! Even though I was defeated all three times, I was inspired to redouble my own training. I have been eagerly preparing for that day when finally I would beat the next Pokémon trainer from Pallet!"

"So that's why you've been waiting around here for Ash to show up!" Misty realized.

"Compared to those other three, novice here is a joke!" he sneered.

Ash was about to reply, then he settled with growling under his breath.

It's okay, Ash. I understand...