Here we are with the next chapter. Not much to say, as things have been a little hectic for me. But I hope you all enjoy this latest entry.
XXXX
"It's so nice to NOT be lost for once," Misty said as once again the group was on the road. After boarding the ferry to get back to the mainland, they'd arrived at a place called Maiden's Peak, called so for the famous 'Maiden's Rock' that resembled a Nidoqueen Pokemorph.
Either way, the group didn't stay for long. After their decently long vacation, they were keen on getting back on the road. As such after getting some directions they were on the path to go to Saffron City, and thanks to both the directions and the compass that they bought back in Vermillion, they were for once not going in the wrong direction.
As they continued to walk, they made small talk as the path was rather sparse of Pokemon, being mostly a large grassy field. "Yeah, hopefully this way we'll be able to go through Kanto a little faster," Ash chuckled in agreement to Misty's words.
"At the very least we'll hopefully not spend nearly as long wandering near aimlessly for days on end," Brock snorted.
"After all that hassle getting to Vermillion I'd definitely rather not go through that again," Misty frowned.
"Speaking of going through things, hard to believe what happened just a week ago," Ash mused.
"Yeah…it really was something," Misty frowned sadly, hoping that something like that would never happen again.
"I'm honestly more impressed about what happened near the end. I knew your dad would be strong but that completely blew my expectations out of the water," Brock said.
Ash couldn't help the small smirk on his face at that. "Yeah, Dad's really strong when he gets serious," he nodded. "You could say he's always been the bar I'm aiming for, especially ever since I saw him fight in that special exhibition match for the Kanto League a few years ago."
"An exhibition match?" Misty frowned, thinking about it. "Hold on, do you mean the one against one of the previous Elite Four members?"
Ash nodded at that. "Yeah, the one against Elias."
"I remember him, he was an Elite Four member who specialized in Electric-types, though most people remember him as the mentor of Lance the Dragon-type specialist," Brock said.
"Dragon type specialist with only ONE actual Dragon type mind you." Misty said jokingly, earning a small chuckle from the group since it was something of a well known joke around Kanto.
"But yeah, I still remember the fight like it was yesterday. It was one hard fight, but I still remember that feeling when I saw Dad win," Ash said with a fond smile. "I guess you could say ever since then I wanted to be like him, and maybe even surpass him some day."
Pikachu couldn't help but let out a 'Chuu…' in wonder, imagining being that strong some day, and he had to admit…it was a very interesting thought.
"Well if that's what you're aiming for you've got a LONG road ahead," Brock said with a slight sweat drop. "That and hope you're one of the Pokemorphs who can use and control a Mega Stone personally."
"I know, but hey, you gotta aim high if you want to be the best," Ash chuckled a bit.
"Can't argue there I guess," Misty mused.
Any further conversation was cut short when the road they were taking quickly led towards a rather steep cliff, the group stopping since well…if they fell from THAT height…dying would probably be more merciful. Especially when they took a quick peek over the edge…and stopped at the long drop…and the jagged and sharp looking rocks at the bottom. Yep, dying would DEFINITELY be more merciful if they fell here.
"Well, let's table our talks for after we're not close to a cliff," Ash gulped a bit, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu nodding quickly in agreement.
Doing a quick check of the map and surroundings, Brock was able to quickly pinpoint the path they needed to take towards Saffron. However, that was also when something interesting caught their attention.
"Hey, what's that over there?" Misty asked as they noticed what appeared to be a large number of figures in the sky. The group squinted a bit as they tried to see what it was and quickly found that it appeared to be a large number of Butterfree.
"Oh yeah, now I remember," Brock mused. "It's almost Mating Season for the various Butterfree of Kanto. This must be where they're gathering."
"So all those Butterfree are looking for partners?" Ash blinked, Pikachu tilting his head curiously.
Brock nodded at that. "Yeah, the Butterfree that find a mate will then fly across the ocean to lay their eggs in another Region. Not sure why they have to do that, but they just do."
"Finding a mate, huh?" Ash frowned a bit, before taking out Butterfree's Pokeball. "What about…?"
"If Butterfree doesn't go across the ocean then he can't have children," Brock confirmed.
"That's bad," Ash gasped. He didn't want his friend to be unable to have kids.
XXXXA short while later saw the group riding on a hot air balloon, as due to the Butterfree mating season, it seemed plenty of Trainers from all over Kanto would gather here to allow their Butterfree to find mates.
"What a view!" Misty said in wonder as they were now floating over the cliffside and the ocean. Up ahead they could see the shimmer caused by the light hitting the wings of the numerous Butterfree that flocked over the ocean, several of them already having paired together with each other.
"Looks like mating season is well underway," Brock said with a smile.
"I hope they're all happy together," Misty smiled as well.
"And I hope Butterfree finds a good mate too," Ash smiled, before taking out Butterfree's Pokeball and releasing his Pokemon. "Look for a nice partner, Butterfree!" Ash encouraged.
"Good luck out there, Butterfree!" Misty added, Pikachu cheering for his friend as well.
Butterfree nodded and flew towards the flock of Butterfree. He started by 'socializing' with the various Butterfree here and there, seemingly looking for something, but he didn't find it so far.
"Guess finding a mate is harder than it looks," Brock mused as they watched.
"How's that? They all look the same to me," Misty blinked.
"Maybe to us, but I imagine Pokemon have lots of ways to tell each other apart, and in this case, finding a mate," Brock said, to which Pikachu nodded, confirming the theory.
"Take your time Butterfree! I'm sure you'll find someone soon!" Ash encouraged.
Right as he did that, several more balloons came into the scene, each of them carrying Trainers who started releasing their own Butterfree.
"Guess we were one of the first to come here," Misty commented as even more Butterfree started to join the flock of potential suitors.
And of course, Brock was the first to notice a lone Nidoqueen morph with long purple hair in a balloon, releasing her own Butterfree.
… and of course he was blushing because she was a pretty girl, before pushing Ash out of the way a bit "Butterfree! You should totally go for that girl's Butterfree over there!" he said, somehow having managed to keep track of the one she'd released "If you go for hers, then she'll meet us! And then we'll have a link! And then we-!" and that was as far as he got before Misty slammed him over the head… with her Goldeen.
"That's enough out of you." she said in deadpan, while Butterfree curiously looked over at the one Brock had pointed out… and turned back to the group with a deadpan stare.
"What is it?" Pikachu asked him as he noticed the look.
"That… is a male." Butterfree said in deadpan, causing Pikachu to sweatdrop at that.
With that bit of comedy done, Butterfree went back to looking around for a potential partner, and as he carefully took note of the various females present…he noticed one that REALLY stood out. It was a female with a beautiful pink body and wings that had a light pink tint to them. Needless to say Butterfree's heart skipped a beat, and he went STRAIGHT for her with hearts in his eyes.
"Looks like Butterfree found someone he really wants to be with," Ash chuckled a bit at the sight. "Still, I've never heard of a Pink Butterfree."
"Me neither. She's not a Shiny that's for sure," Misty mused as they watched Butterfree approach the pink Butterfree.
"That's because she's not shiny!" came a somewhat muffled voice, making them turn to see someone flying up on the back of a Fearow, sitting on a flyer's saddle while wearing full aviator gear that completely hid them, along with a muffler around their lower face, the only thing that gave them a single hint about their identity being a long white tail tipped in brown, and long blonde hair coming out of the aviator's cap.
"Uh, hi there?" Ash said in a bit of confusion.
"Are you that Butterfree's trainer?!" Brock asked as he clung to the edge of the balloon, looking desperately hopeful.
The Fearow's rider nodded, before pulling down the muffler and pulling up their goggles, revealing a young man's face with a pig-like nose on his white furred face "That's right. Name's Andy, nice to meet you folks." he said, not seeming to notice Brock slump in disappointment "Anyway, as I was saying, she's not shiny. I actually caught her on Pinkan Island all the way over in the Orange Archipelago down south when she was still a Caterpie."
"Is there something special about Pinkan Island?" Misty asked him curiously.
Andy nodded, motioning his Fearow to glide closer to the balloon "Yeah. On the island they have what's called Pinkan Berries. They are a pretty unique type of berry that can only grow in a tropical climate. They don't have any battle properties like Chesto or Pecha Berries though. Instead, any Pokemon that eats them will start to become a pink color!"
"Seriously?!" Ash asked in surprise "So, if Pikachu ate some then, he'd turn pink?"
"Yeahp. It would probably start at his cheeks before spreading to the rest of his body. Though if you only eat a few, it's a temporary change, but if they become a steady part of the Pokemon's diet, then the effect is permanent even if they end up leaving the island." Andy explained further.
"So, because your Butterfree ate those berries all her life while she was a Caterpie, even after leaving the island, she stayed pink?" Brock asked after finally getting over his disappointment.
"Yeah. Though I had to get permission to be allowed to take her with me. A lot of poachers want to take the Pokemon from the island. I was only allowed there because I was making a delivery at the time and Caterpie ended up wanting to come with me when I was leaving. Because otherwise, the island is barred to everyone that's not a police officer or there for research related reasons. Hell, the location is kept as secret as possible, all people really know is it's somewhere in the Orange Archipelago." Andy added further.
"Wow, that's really something," Ash couldn't help but say. He could see how that would be a big deal, though that also gave him an odd thought. "What happens if Pokemorphs eat Pinkan Berries?" he asked curiously.
"Oh that? Same effect as Pokemon, but for some reason we don't ever get the permanent effect," Andy shrugged. "More importantly, looks like your Butterfree is really intent on courting my Butterfree," he chuckled as true enough Butterfree was in the middle of doing a courtship dance to try and attract the pink Butterfree…and got a slap to the face with her wing for that, before she flew away, leaving Butterfree in tears.
Everyone winced at that. "Ouch…I know that pain all too well…" Brock winced.
Andy looked rather mortified. "I'm…REALLY sorry about that," he groaned. "My Butterfree is a bit of a Princess like that. I'll be sure to give her a talking to," he sighed apologetically.
"Please do," Ash frowned, before gasping when he saw Butterfree going down to the forest. "Butterfree, wait!"
"I'm taking us down!" Brock said, quickly adjusting the balloon to go after Butterfree.
XXXX"Butterfree, where are you?!" Ash called out, Pikachu calling out as well as they searched the area where they saw Butterfree land. The group continued to search till they noticed Butterfree's wings poking out from behind a tree.
Quickly going towards it, the group found Butterfree sulking against the tree, no doubt still feeling crushed from his rejection. "Are you okay, Butterfree?" Ash asked, worried for his Pokemon.
Butterfree let out a sad sound, but confirmed he was okay physically at least.
"I don't understand how she could do that to poor Butterfree." Misty said sadly.
"Hopefully Andy can straighten things out a bit," Brock sighed.
Butterfree just looked down sadly.
"Chin up, Butterfree," Ash said. "Even if you got rejected once, you can still try again," he said encouragingly, to which Butterfree looked at him a bit confused.
Ash quickly looked at Brock. "How long are the Butterfree gonna be here?" he asked.
"Hm…I think the Butterfree should stay here till the end of the day, then after that the ones who find a mate will leave for another Region. So that gives us a few more hours. Why do you ask?" Brock said.
"Then we got time for a bit of last minute training," Ash said.
Now Butterfree was confused, so Ash quickly clarified. "Well maybe she didn't say yes last time, but next time you gotta show her what you're really made of. I bet learning some cool Moves will really help impress her."
Butterfree thought about it for a moment, before perking up, liking the idea.
"Alright then, let's get to training!" Ash grinned. "But first…let's check what Moves would be good," he said, taking out Dexter and checking the Moves that Butterfree are known to be able to use.
Once they picked out the moves, they immediately went for a more open area to practice.
XXXX"Keep it up Butterfree!" Ash cheered as Butterfree was moving around the trees, his body glowing as he darted to and fro. He had a few light injuries, but nothing remotely serious due to the training for this move that required precision in his movements. Even so, as he did it right, he felt his power increasing.
Pikachu also helped to cheer, actually holding small fans that had pictures of Butterfree's head on them.
"With that move, she's definitely gonna be impressed," Misty couldn't help but say as Butterfree continued the high speed dance in mid-air.
XXXX"Okay, ready? Aim…fire!" Ash ordered, as a target they'd set up was blasted by a rainbow colored beam. The shot was a little off, but it hit the target well enough. Not quite a bull's eye, but it was a hit.
Pikachu cheered as Butterfree fluttered around happily at the result.
"This is going to look great for showing Butterfree's offensive skills," Brock nodded.
XXXXA good hour passed since the start of the training, and before long they were in the air again on the hot air balloon, Butterfree up ahead and rejoining the flock, but this time he had the extra addition of wearing a small yellow scarf that not only made it easier to spot him, but complimented his appearance quite well.
"Okay, now where did Andy's Butterfree go off to?" Ash mused, searching the flock by using a pair of binoculars that were part of the rental.
"I'm sure she's still around. If she's the picky type I imagine finding a good mate isn't easy," Brock said. True enough…
"There she is," Ash said, spotting the telltale pink body, before pointing Butterfree in her direction.
"You're really getting into this," Misty commented a bit.
"Of course. I want Butterfree to be happy, and if helping him get together with Andy's Butterfree is what he wants then I'll help him do that," Ash said simply.
"You sound more like Butterfree's parent like that," Brock chuckled.
"Well, Ash DID raise Butterfree since he was a Caterpie, so in a sense I guess that does make him Butterfree's parent," Misty chuckled a bit.
Ash blinked a bit, having never really thought of it that way. However, he opted not to comment, seeing as there was a more pressing matter, namely Butterfree's next courtship attempt. He couldn't quite tell what Andy's Butterfree was thinking, but she seemed willing to give Butterfree some of her time. This was a chance Butterfree wasn't planning on giving up.
Ash was also looking at the situation, but noticed a small issue. With all the Butterfree around it wouldn't be easy for his Butterfree to show off his abilities well. That would need some adjustment. "Butterfree, controlled Whirlwind, let everyone know you want a bit of space!" he ordered.
Butterfree flapped his wings and shifted a bit, creating a wind that had decent but not excessive strength, sending the message quite clearly. The other Butterfree took notice and quickly gave some space, more than enough for Butterfree to show what he could do.
"Okay, start with Tackle!" Ash ordered, Butterfree zipping around with said Move, though Andy's Butterfree didn't seem impressed. Of course, that wasn't the last of the attempt. Right at the end of one of Butterfree's Tackles, Ash gave the next order. "Now, chain it into Quiver Dance and keep going!"
Butterfree's body started to glow and his fast movements became even faster as he turned the Tackle into Quiver Dance, something that drew the attention of more or less all the Butterfree that were present as it looked like several of Butterfree were moving about in a dance in the air, taking advantage of the momentum from his Tackles to enhance the move. This time Andy's Butterfree seemed to take interest, not surprising considering that Quiver Dance wasn't a Move just any Butterfree could use.
However, before Butterfree could make another attempt, the scene was interrupted as the sound of helicopter blades was heard. "What the-?!" Ash and Co. said in surprise as they and probably all the other Trainers present turned to see a black helicopter enter the area…and most notable of all was the large R printed on the front.
"You CAN'T be serious right now!" Misty said in annoyance.
"Don't you guys have anything better to do?!" Ash shouted at the helicopter as well.
(Play 'Team Rocket Theme')
"Anything better to do, he says." Jessie's voice was heard over a speaker.
"What better thing to do is there than to steal some Pokemon for us to sell!" James added in, the grin audible in his voice.
"To protect the world from devastation!" Jessie declared, beginning their motto.
"To unite all people within our nation!" James continued as the usual routine began.
"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, dat's right!" Meowth finished off.
(Theme end)
"Alright, let's catch us some Butterfree!" Meowth said.
"Roger," James nodded as he hit a switch, and from the bottom of the helicopter extended what looked like a Pokeball colored a dark purple…before it burst into smoke and revealed…a gigantic butterfly net.
"How the heck-?!" Brock blinked, but that quickly became irrelevant as the helicopter went straight for the various Butterfree, catching them inside of the net as they tried to escape.
"Hey, stop that!" Ash shouted, Pikachu joining in, but as expected Team Rocket didn't particularly care as they continued capturing more and more Butterfree, among them being Andy's Butterfree.
"Hey, leave them alone!" came Andy's voice as the Mankey came riding his Fearow. "Fearow, let's take them down!" he ordered as Fearow made a beeline for the helicopter.
"Looks like someone's trying to crash our party," Jessie commented.
"Then let's crash their party instead!" Meowth laughed.
"You got it," James smirked, before pressing a button on the controls. In response, a panel opened up and aimed what looked like a bazooka and fired at Andy.
"Fearow, dodge!" Andy gasped, Fearow moving to dodge, but before it could, the missile burst revealing a large net which tangled him and Fearow up, causing them to quickly lose altitude.
"Oh no, Andy!" Misty gasped as they saw him heading down, though his Fearow seemed to be still mostly able to control their fall at the very least.
"Don't you guys think you're just gonna get away with that!" Ash said in anger to Team Rocket.
"Actually, we are." Jessie said confidently.
"Not much you can do to stop us!" James added jovially.
Right as he said that, there was a loud bang from the windows causing them to stop short. Turning to the source, they saw Butterfree ramming into the glass windows with Tackle, the force enough to rattle it at first…before the second hit actually started to crack the glass.
"Hey, wasn't this supposed to be Bullet Proof glass?!" Jessie gasped in alarm.
"I'm positive the guy I got this from said it was bullet proof!" James said, before pausing. "Though now that I think about it, I DID get it for a good discount…"
Jessie and Meowth were less than pleased at that one, especially since Butterfree had just rammed the glass a third time and the crack was getting bigger.
"We'll deal with you later numbskull!" Meowth shouted. "Evasive maneuvers now!"
"R-right!" Jessie nodded and quickly shifted the controls and moved away from Butterfree, but the persistent butterfly kept going after them.
"Hey stop that before we have to do something drastic!" Meowth growled, to which Jessie adjusted their angling, and shifted the helicopter blades in a way that looked threatening, but was clearly keeping some distance from Butterfree.
Even so it worked, as Butterfree was forced to stop attacking lest he run right into the helicopter blades.
"Okay, the net's looking pretty full too. I say we book it," James suggested.
"Sounds good to me," Jessie nodded as the net closed up, trapping the large number of Butterfree that they'd managed to catch inside, before they turned and aimed to make their escape.
"Now, activate escape boosters!" Meowth ordered.
"You got it," James nodded pressing another switch…and the helicopter revealed a pair of jet boosters allowing it to fly off too fast to catch. Of course, that didn't stop Butterfree from trying but he was quickly being outpaced…but not before he decided to go all in as his body glowed and he fired his other new Move: Signal Beam, managing to hit one of the boosters, destroying it, and causing the helicopter's flight to go wonky.
"Ack! Shut down the booster! We got enough distance!" Jessie shouted, James frantically shutting down the remaining one as they managed to make their escape…but not before leaving a trail of smoke that Butterfree was following after.
"We gotta go after them!" Ash said with a frown, Pikachu agreeing.
"Of course, but first, we should go make sure Andy's ok." Brock said as he made the balloon head down.
"He'll definitely want to come with us that's for sure." Misty said, looking down over the basket to see Andy's Fearow had managed to land on the grass below in the best glide it could manage with its body tangled up in the net, which Andy was now trying to remove, with little luck.
"Hang on!" Ash said as he grabbed one of his Pokeballs and threw it. "Bulbasaur, cut the net with Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur was soon released, and obeying the command, sent the Razor Leaf flying, cutting through the net and allowing Andy and his Fearow to break free. "Thanks for that," Andy sighed in relief, glad to be out of that net.
"It's no problem, but more importantly we gotta save the Butterfree," Brock said urgently.
"Already ahead of you," Andy nodded, before looking towards Fearow. "You still good to fly, buddy?" he asked.
Fearow let out a caw which made it clear it was still good to go, and quickly took to the sky. "I saw the direction they were going. They were heading East of here. That way should lead to a canyon. That could be where their hideout is," Andy said, having already gotten on Fearow. "I'll go ahead and try and find them, catch up as soon as you can."
"Right!" Ash, Misty, and Brock nodded and quickly got back onto their balloon, the group quickly giving chase.
The flight fortunately wasn't TOO long, but the slowere movement of the balloon wasn't helping their nerves as by now Andy had gone on ahead of them. Before long they saw the canyons Andy told them about, but that presented a new issue. Finding wherever Team Rocket went would be hard like this.
"This is going to be like looking for a needle in a haystack," Misty frowned, the group looking around.
"But we have to find where Team Rocket went. We can't let them get away with the Butterfree," Ash said, Pikachu letting out a 'Pika!' of agreement.
"Hopefully Andy got lucky and found them first," Brock frowned.
"You'd be right there," came Andy's voice as they saw him and his Fearow flying towards them. They weren't alone too, as Ash's Butterfree was with them.
"Butterfree!" Ash said in surprise. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
Butterfree looked pretty tired, but confirmed he was okay.
"Your Butterfree is really something. Seems he chased them all the way here, and even managed to tail them to their hideout," Andy said.
"Guess that's the power of love for you," Misty said half jokingly.
"Well I guess we can't argue there," Brock sweat dropped a bit.
"At any rate, we should hurry. They should still be there, but there's no telling how long that'll be," Andy said, earning several nods as they soon made their way to the location.
XXXX"Wonder who builds a warehouse in the middle of a canyon?" Ash blinked, Pikachu also looking confused at the odd location.
"Probably the same kind of people who build a bank in the middle of a desert," Andy said with a light snicker, causing them to look at him strangely. "Sorry, couldn't resist."
"Alright, so far I don't see any security, so we might be able to catch them by surprise," Brock said, the group carefully making their way closer to the warehouse. So far indeed there was no security, and they were able to get close enough to the warehouse without issue.
"Alright, first things first, we need a plan," Misty said.
"If it becomes a fight, they'll definitely send out their Pokemon," Brock said. "Ekans and Koffing shouldn't be too much of a problem, but that Gyarados could be an issue."
"Still, Gyarados is a Water/Flying type, so Pikachu should have the advantage," Ash said. Pikachu gulped a bit at the thought of facing that Gyarados as an enemy, but quickly steeled himself and nodded. "Don't worry, I'll have Pidgeotto back you up. With her speed you should be safe from Gyarados's attacks," Ash reassured his starter.
Pikachu seemed a bit more confident at that.
"Okay in that case we should also try to take them really by surprise," Brock said.
"Got any ideas on how to do that?" Andy asked.
"Well I'd say nothing is more surprising than a wall getting knocked down. While we draw their attention, Butterfree can free the captured Butterfree," Brock said.
"So we're the distraction, huh? Okay, we can do that," Misty nodded.
"Oh, Andy should help save the Butterfree too," Ash added. "Team Rocket will know about us, but they probably won't expect Andy to be with us," he said.
"Hey, that's a great idea," Brock agreed.
"You've dealt with these guys a lot, huh?" Andy sweat dropped.
"I wouldn't say a lot, but enough times yeah," Misty chuckled.
With that plan in agreement, they quickly split up, with Andy and Butterfree going for the front door, while Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu went for one of the walls. Once everyone was in position, Brock got some distance, before charging right for the wall with Drill Horn, and between the Move and his own weight, the wall was destroyed, causing everyone inside of the warehouse to jump in shock.
"What's going on?!" Team Rocket gasped in surprise.
"You getting what's coming to you!" Misty said, right before she and Brock threw one of their Pokeballs, while Ash sent Pikachu forth.
"How did you find us?!" James gasped, though that quickly became unimportant, as Starmie, Pikachu, and Zubat were soon going straight for them, Zubat opening with Supersonic, causing them to gasp in pain, before Pikachu hit them with Iron Tail and Starmie used Tackle, sending them flying back and landing on the ground.
"Okay you've asked for it!" Jessie growled, before letting loose a Flamethrower which forced them to back off a bit, and allowing them to get back on their feet, before they grabbed their Pokeballs. "If it's a fight you want…" Jessie started.
"It's a fight you'll get!" James finished, before they threw their Pokeballs.
"That's our cue," Ash said, before they and their Pokemon backed off, right as Ekans, Koffing, and Gyarados were released, allowing them to move the fight outside.
"Let's get them!" Meowth said, extending his claws a bit, the group clearly annoyed by the sudden attack as they gave chase.
While they did, Andy and Butterfree got in and quickly found the large cage where the other Butterfree were being held.
"Good, they're all fine." Andy said in relief, with his Butterfree pushing her way to the front of the cage on hearing her trainer "Hey girl, don't worry, we're gonna get you out of there." he assured her with a smile.
With that said, Ash's own Butterfree started using Quiver Dance, making himself get stronger… and stronger again as he kept using it until he couldn't push himself further.
Outside the warehouse, Ash, Misty, and Brock were doing well to keep Team Rocket busy.
Ekans and Koffing were fighting against Starmie and Zubat, the Pokemon trading attacks as they fought to win, while up above in the air, Pikachu was riding on Pidgeotto's back as they fought against Gyarados who was doing well weaving around Pikachu's electric attacks, while Pidgeotto was quick to evade the counter attacks as well.
"Looks like you two haven't been resting on your laurels," Brock frowned as his Hammer Arm smashed into a rock, destroying it, but James had managed to evade the attack.
"Well of course," James smirked, countering with a Bullet Seed from his hands which turned into their bouquet form, forcing Brock to block, wincing a bit as he took some of the damage.
"Then that makes five of us!" Ash said, suddenly coming up near him and aimed a Shadow Claw at him, forcing the Roserade to stop his attack and block with his baton.
"Even if you've been improving, we're not gonna lose!" Misty said as a short distance away she was clashing with Jessie, quickly kicking off of the Pyroar before she could activate the stun function of her baton.
"We'll see about that!" Jessie growled before firing a Flamethrower, only for Misty to counter with Hydro Pump, the two attacks canceling each other out.
The fight would have continued, but right as Team Rocket were ready to try another attack…a loud crash was heard from the warehouse. "What was dat?!" Meowth gasped in alarm…right before they saw the Butterfree that were flying out of the front door.
"Wait, what?!" the three of them gasped.
"Rescue successful!" came Andy's voice, as he was looking at them through the hole in the wall and even flashing a V sign, while Ash's Butterfree was flying by his side, looking a little tired, but quite pleased with himself.
"What the-?!" Jessie gasped before it clicked on them.
"You tricked us!" Meowth accused.
"No, we distracted you," Misty said, blowing them a raspberry.
"Well don't think you're going to stop us THAT easily!" James glared. "Gyarados, go after the Butterfree!" he ordered.
Gyarados heard the order and turned to face the Butterfree that were fleeing…but in the process left himself wide open to which Pikachu hit him with a Thunderbolt. The attack hit perfectly, causing Gyarados to roar in pain and when the attack ended, Gyarados was left shaking, landing on the ground as electric sparks surrounded him every now and then, a clear sign of paralysis.
"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash grinned, while Pikachu flashed a V sign with his paw.
"Gyarados!" James gasped, before glaring at the group and quickly recalling his Pokemon.
"We don't got time to deal with them, we gotta get those Butterfree back!" Meowth said.
"Right, we'll get them back with our helicopter!" Jessie said as she and James quickly recalled Ekans and Koffing as well and making a run for where their helicopter was.
"Hold it right there!" Brock said, but Jessie turned around and used a Flamethrower to force them back a bit, and creating a small wall of flames that while it quickly died out due to there being no fuel, it was enough for Team Rocket to get some distance and reach their helicopter first which soon took off to chase after the Butterfree.
"Come on, we've gotta chase after them!" Andy said, as Ash, Misty, and Brock quickly recalled their Pokemon with Pikachu landing on Ash's shoulder again though Butterfree remained out of his ball, before they made a beeline for their balloon…but found a new problem.
"Hey, the balloon's ripped!" Misty said, as true enough the balloon was completely deflated, having had several cuts put through it via Magical Leaf judging by the bits that remained. No doubt James's work.
"Oh great, now what do we do?" Ash groaned, hands on his head as he tried to think of a way they could chase after Team Rocket still.
"Don't worry, this is where I come in." Andy said, stepping up, before tossing up a trio of Pokeballs "Go!"
Right as they reached their apex, the balls burst open, the lights coming out of them shooting down and coalescing into a trio of Pokemon.
Staraptor, Noivern, and Corviknight.
"Take your pick, but make it quick," Andy said, and they didn't need to be told twice. Quickly going for one each, Ash was soon riding Corviknight, while Misty was riding Staraptor, and Brock was riding Noivern. "Okay, let's go!"
With that said, everyone was chasing after the helicopter, with Butterfree managing to keep up with them despite everything.
Up ahead they saw the helicopter chasing after the Butterfree which were now doing their best to stay ahead of the helicopter. "There they are!" Misty said.
"Let's take down that helicopter! Without it those three aren't getting the Butterfree!" Brock said, earning sounds of agreement from Misty and Andy.
Ash was about to agree as well, but he paused when he saw Butterfree flying alongside them, the look on his face…he was on fire because not only was he angry about what Team Rocket was doing, this was very much becoming a matter of pride for him. "Hang on, let's let Butterfree handle this," Ash said.
The others looked at him in surprise…until they saw Butterfree who immediately sped up, using a Tackle to propel himself forward faster.
"Yeah, this is definitely a matter of pride for him," Andy blinked.
Butterfree had managed to quickly catch up to the helicopter, pushing himself to the limit, and used Quiver Dance to further boost himself. Getting closer, he rammed into the glass again with Tackle, causing a massive crack this time and catching the trio by surprise, causing them to become a little erratic in flight.
"What, that one again?!" Meowth gasped.
"Honestly, what is with this Butterfree today?!" Jessie growled.
"But then again, it's sure strong. Think the Boss might have a use for it?" James mused.
"Huh, there's a thought," Meowth said.
Of course, they probably shouldn't have paused to do that, as during the time Butterfree had charged up the biggest Signal Beam he could manage and fired it at near point blank. The shot hit the glass and with how weakened it was…it broke right through. The trio panicked as Jessie and James ducked to opposite sides while Meowth ducked forward, the beam just BARELY missing his gold plate…and traveled to the back where it caused an explosion…that caused a chain reaction.
"Uh oh…" was all the trio could say before the helicopter was wracked with explosions and exploded completely, sending them flying into the sky. "Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they shouted as they were soon a twinkle in the sky.
XXXXA short while later and the sun was beginning to set. All the Butterfree that didn't find a mate this year had already left or returned to their Trainers, leaving the Butterfree that would soon fly across the ocean. Among them was Ash's Butterfree with Andy's Butterfree by his side, the pink Butterfree having finally accepted his feelings after seeing everything he'd done. Despite the joy they were feeling though, that joy was mixed with a bit of sadness as it would soon be time to leave their Trainers behind.
Among those was of course Ash. "I guess this is it…"Ash sighed, Butterfree looking down sadly, but Ash smiled a bit at him. "Come on Butterfree, chin up," he encouraged, but even so he couldn't hide the tinge of sadness. "Take care of yourself, okay? And of course take care of Andy's Butterfree too," he said.
Butterfree nodded solemnly, a sad look on his face.
Pikachu came up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Even if this is goodbye, we'll always be friends," Pikachu said, though Butterfree could tell he was trying hard not to cry. "So be happy. We'll be happy knowing that you're happy out there somewhere."
Ash was still a bit shaky with using Aura to translate, but he understood the gist of what Pikachu was saying. "And who knows…maybe we'll meet again some day," he said, his voice breaking a little. "So until then… just be happy, and live to the fullest."
Butterfree had a few tears in his eyes, but he nodded. "I will. Thank you, both of you, for everything. I'll never forget you!" he said, as he slowly flew away from them, the various Butterfree having also said their goodbyes and joining up with their mates, began flying off into the distance.
Ash tried hard to keep a strong front, but as he watched Butterfree leave, the memories of the times spent together came back, and he couldn't stop the tears from falling. "Take care Butterfree! Live a good life!" he shouted, Butterfree hearing him and turning to see him as he and the rest of the Butterfree eventually faded from view, but the whole time Butterfree was facing him and waving goodbye…
XXXX
Yeahp, like in canon, Butterfree leaves because I felt it was a strong episode, as well as a good step for the story. Though there's a few additions, such as explaining why Butterfree's mate is the way she is, and making an original one shot character to be her trainer. Either way, hope you all enjoyed.
P. S.
My current situation is a bit busy due to personal circumstances. As such the next chapter is likely to be delayed. Sorry in advance if that is the case. Thank you for understanding.