When morning came, the mixed group of Digidestined and Pokémon trainers awoke to sunlight and a gentle breeze. They got up, ate breakfast, broke camp, and went on their way.
After a while, they found a basket of fruit sitting in the middle of the road. "Chu!" Pikachu started to run towards it.
"Pikachu, wait!" Ash said sharply. "That's one of Team Rocket's traps. We'll have to go around it."
"Why? What happens if we don't?" asked Tai.
"We fall in a hole. You have to stay away from the fruit when you walk by."
They did what Ash had said to do. When they had passed by the fruit, Ash said, "See, their traps are harmless if you know how to handle them."
"PIKA!!!"
Someone in the bushes had snatched Pikachu away from Ash's side. Ash stopped and said, "Team Rocket, I know you're there! Come out and face me!"
"Yeah, give Pikachu back!" added Patamon, drawing a few odd looks from the group.
Jessie, James, and Meowth came out onto the road. "Who said that?" said Jessie. "And who are all these kids?"
"And what are those things?" said Meowth, meaning the Digimon.
"They must be some sort of rare Pokémon," said James. "Let's get them too."
"Did that Pokémon just talk?" asked Agumon.
"Yes," said Meowth. "What are you, anyway?"
"I'm a Digimon, short for Digital Monster."
"It's a long story," said Tai. "Now give Pikachu back!"
"Not without a fight!" declared Jessie.
"With me?"
"No, with the twerp. We only fight with real Pokémon, not weird things like those Digimon."
"We'll show you! Ash, someone has to fight them, so can we do it?"
"Sure," said Ash. Then he told Team Rocket: "Just do it, okay? They're with me, and they really want to fight you."
Jessie sneered at Ash, but took out a Pokéball. "Go, Arbok!"
"Weezing, go get them!" said James.
"Pepper Breath!" Agumon attacked the two Pokémon, but they dodged it.
"Arbok, use your Poison Sting attack!" said Jessie.
"Aieeeeeee!" Agumon was hurt.
"Agumon!" yelled Tai, tending to his Digimon. "Can someone Digivolve and get them?"
"I'll do it!" answered Matt, holding out his Digivice.
"Gabumon Digivolve to . . . Garurumon!"
"Huh? It evolved!" said Ash, who was watching.
"No, it Digivolved!" Izzy corrected him.
"Howling Blaster!" The attack knocked out both Arbok and Weezing.
Sora got an idea. "Biyomon! If you Digivolve, you can fly them out of here!"
"Okay! Biyomon Digivolve to . . . Birdramon!"
Birdramon picked the villains up in her talons. "Where should I take them?"
"To the nearest police station," Ash answered.
"What's that?"
"There aren't any in the Digital World," Sora explained.
"Oh," said Ash. "Well, just take them as far away as you can, then."
"Okay. I'll be back!" Birdramon flew away.
"That was a great battle!" Ash said to the Digidestined. "And when your Digimon Digivolve, it's a lot like when my Pokémon evolve!"
"Really?" said Izzy. "Can they evolve right now?"
"No. They only evolve when they get to a certain experience level, or when you use an evolution stone on them - waugh!"
Ash had just seen Garurumon change back into Gabumon. That changed everything. "Forget what I said about Digivolving and evolving being alike," he said. "Pokémon can never change back." He started walking.
"Time to go?" said Tai.
"Don't talk to me!" said Ash, without slowing down.
Slowly, the others followed him. "What was that about?" wondered Tai.
"I think he's jealous," said Misty. "Like he said, when a Pokémon evolves, it stays that way. It can't go back to a previous form, but Digimon can, so he probably thinks they're better off."
"Oh."
Alone at the head of the group, Ash did not hear any of this conversation. Stupid Digimon get to Digivolve back and forth, he thought. How many times have I seen Pokémon evolve? Not very many. They are so lucky to be like that.
Why should I even be their friend? They don't need me because they can Digivolve, and I don't want to be around them because they're so different, so much - and I especially hate this part - better. Oh, yeah - they're coming to my house tonight. Darn those stupid Digimon!
Pikachu, riding on Ash's head, said something that sounded comforting.
"Thanks, Pikachu," said Ash. "I guess they can stay a little longer. We'll just have to see what happens."
To be continued . . .
Disclaimer: Digimon belongs to Saban, Fox, Toei Animation, et al.
Pokémon belong to Nintendo, Creatures, Gamefreak et al. No
money is being made off this; I write because it's fun. :-)