Me: For the umpteenth time, I don't own Pokemon. Why? I don't know, but if I did, there'd be some major changes in the world today.
Ash: Really? How?
Me: Well, for one thing, no one would be hungry or be homeless. I'd throw in world peace, but I'm not too sure how that would go with the general public.
Pikachu: Pikachu, pika. Pika, pika pi? (That's generous of you, though. Right, Ash?)
Ash: I'd have to agree with Pikachu there on that one. That is pretty generous.
Me: Don't mention it. Where's Chikorita, by the way?
Ash: (smirks) Don't worry-she's pretty close by. (pats his collection of Pokeballs)
Pokemon: The Best of the Best
Chapter III-Invincible, but not Invulnerable
"Pikachu was my very 1st Pokemon…" –Ash, Pikachu's Goodbye
"I don't wanna leave you, but I know you have to stay. Train hard, Charizard. We'll meet again someday. Goodbye, old friend. Don't forget me!" –Ash, Charizard's Burning Ambitions
Last time, Ash finally got the chance to battle Gary just two days before the Johto League Tournament. Chikorita was able to take down Feraligatr, but in a fiery match between Charizard and Typhlosion, it ended in a draw. When Pikachu went up against Umbreon, it ended the way it had ended back in Pallet-Pikachu in defeat. Chikorita came close to taking him out, but a well-placed Flamethrower took the Grass Pokemon down for the count. Now, Ash knows he has to battle even harder to prepare himself for the upcoming championship…
(Theme song; Fanfare starts as Ash says the name of the show)
Ash: Invincible, but not Invulnerable!
By the next morning, Ash found himself training twice as hard with his Pokemon, carefully pointing out their weaknesses, making sure to use their weaknesses to their advantages and making sure that they were treated by Nurse Joy whenever they either got burned by Charizard or Cyndaquil's Flamethrower, paralyzed by Pikachu's potent Electric attacks and confused by Chikorita's Sweet Scent or Noctowl's Confusion attacks.
"Is it just me, Brock, or has Ash gotten more determined in training?" Misty asked in awe, feeding Togepi some of Brock's special Pokemon food he'd whipped up.
"Ever since Gary beat him-and that little pep talk you gave him-" Brock made sure to mutter that last part so she couldn't hear it. "-Ash probably wanted to get even closer to his Pokemon, so a good dose of training is what he needed."
"Cyndaquil, try your Flamethrower! Totodile, retaliate with Water Gun!" Ash yelled out. Misty and Brock looked up to see Totodile's Water Gun cut through Cyndaquil's Flamethrower and cause him some damage!
"Don't give up, Cyndaquil! Fire your Swift attack!"
"Cynda-QUIIILLLLL!!!" Totodile was shaken up and sent flying back to the ground.
You're doing great, Ash! Keep it up!" Brock said.
"Yeah, Ash! You'll show Gary you're the #1 trainer in Pallet, Umbreon or not!" Misty added confidently. Ash blushed at her words of kindness, but tried to hide it by nodding quickly in her direction.
"Did you notice that? The look they gave each other?" Lawrence III observed Ash and Misty due to Mewtwo's psychic powers and nodded, a small grin on his face.
"And that is how you shall lure the Chosen One in…or should I say 'Chosen One's?'" (A/N: That's for you, Joy-girl!)
"Ash? Is that you?" Stopping his training momentarily, Ash turned to see the face of an old friend.
"Richie? What are you doing here?" Ash smiled broadly as Richie came in with his Pikachu, nicknamed Sparky, on his shoulder, much like Pikachu was perched on Ash's shoulder at that time.
"I just came by to train for the Johto League. If I'd known you were in it too, I probably would've tried to find out what Pokemon Center you were at." Richie explained.
"You want to battle right now?" Ash couldn't help but ask, wondering how good Richie had gotten since their last battle at the Indigo Stadium.
"Sure! You've got some cool Pokemon lined up-Cyndaquil and Totodile. Has that Charizard learned to obey you?"
"Yeah. Cyndaquil, Totodile, return!" Ash recalled his other two Pokemon, and turned to face Richie, his trademark grin back on his face. "Are you ready?"
"Ready when you are. 3-3?"
"3-3. I choose you-Chikorita!" Richie stifled a laugh as Chikorita hopped up and snuggled her face against Ash's cheek.
"Cute Chikorita, Ash. But, I'm afraid this round's going to be mine. Go, Zippo!" Ash couldn't help but look up at Richie's Charizard, evolved from a Charmander and Charmeleon like Ash's own Charizard.
"When did Zippo…?"
"Zippo became a Charmeleon a few weeks after our match and during our time in the Johto League, Zippo became a Charizard while I was at the Violet City Gym."
"The Violet City Gym, huh? Did you happen to go by the Charicific Valley?" Ash asked calmly as he looked down at a Pokeball on his belt.
"I passed it by, but I took notice of one Charizard in particular, who seemed to know who I was. Zippo, use your Flamethrower!"
"Chikorita, dodge it and use your Vine Whip the same way you used them on Charizard!" Nodding, Chikorita moved out of the way of the blast of fire and used the vines on her back to send Zippo to the ground.
"At least you weren't burned by your Charizard's Flamethrower." Ash muttered sarcastically, taking notice of what had happened.
"Okay, Zippo, that Chikorita's got good moves, but I bet she can't handle a Take Down attack."
"You obviously haven't seen my Chikorita in action, then. All right, Chikorita-Razor Leaf right between the eyes!"
"Chi-KO!"
"Charrrrr!" Zippo cried out as the numerous number of leaves-around four or five-stung him in his eyes and forced him to the ground!
"Just like with Ash's Charizard!" Misty said.
"Toge-toge!"
"You can say that again." Brock added.
"Chikorita-finish this off with your Tackle!"
"Chi-KO!" WHAM! Chikorita struck Zippo on the side and he fell down to the ground, shaking the earth a bit as he landed.
"Zippo!" Richie waited with a worried look on his face, wondering if his Pokemon had survived Chikorita's attacks. The Fire Pokemon weakly struggled back onto his feet, fire blazing in his eyes.
"Way to go, Zippo!" Ash's eyes narrowed with slight irritation and determination at Zippo.
"Don't let your guard down, even for a second, Chikorita! His Zippo was tough as a Charmander, but now that he's a Charizard, he'll be just as dangerous as my Charizard is!" Ash warned. Chikorita nodded briefly before focusing her attention back on the battle.
Unbeknownst to Ash, Misty, Brock, or anybody, not even the Pokemon, Mewtwo appeared in the air a few meters from their position. He made a motioning gesture with his hand and a tiny dart suddenly hovered above it. Like sending a Pokeball toward an unsuspecting Pokemon, Mewtwo sent the dart flying toward an unsuspecting Ash.
"Zippo, Tackle attack!"
"Jump and use your Sweet Scent!" Chikorita barely scaled over Zippo's head, but not before she used her Sweet Scent attack and confused Zippo so much, he nearly collided with a tree.
"Now…use your Vine Whip again!" Ash demanded. Chikorita quickly turned and soared through the sky, striking Zippo back down to the ground. This time, he didn't rise up.
"Charizard is unable to battle. Chikorita's the winner of this round!" Brock said as he stood up. Misty didn't care what happened at that time, so she carefully put Togepi down, jumped up, ran over and pulled Ash into a hug.
"Congratulations, Ash!"
"Thanks, but that was just one round. We still have two rounds to go through." Ash protested.
"Chiko!" Chikorita was irritated that Misty had interrupted their battle, but silently seethed.
"Two more rounds? Well, just try your best, and you'll-ow!" Misty cried out as something pierced the side of her neck. Ash was able to catch her before she fell to her knees.
"Misty, are you okay?"
"Pikachu pi!"
"I think so…" Misty groaned as she blacked out in Ash's arms. Ash's breaths came out as gasps while Pikachu and Chikorita ran over to try and calm Ash down.
"Misty, wake up! Come on, don't do this to me!"
"Not what was planned, but taking out the 2nd Chosen One shall fit the Master's Plans. Now all that needs to be done is to reveal myself at the appointed time."
"This hit her in the neck, but I'm not sure what it is-some kind of poison?" Ash asked frantically, struggling to stay calm while holding Togepi in his arms while explaining to a doctor what had happened to Misty. After Misty had passed out, Ash had recalled Chikorita and summoned Charizard. Both Richie and Ash used their Charizard to fly to the nearest hospital, Ash making sure that Misty had a pulse the entire way.
"It should take a while for us to figure it out, but I'm sure we'll have the answer in no time."
"I think I could help out, since I'm training to be a Pokemon breeder." Brock suggested.
"Any help would be more than welcome." That left Ash alone with Pikachu, Richie and Sparky.
"Pikachu, pika pi?"
"I'm doing alright, Pikachu, but I don't know what I can do if I lose her." Ash was now trying to keep from crying in front of his friend. Richie offered his hand and placed it on Ash's shoulder.
"She'll be okay, Ash. I'm not sure if Misty told you this, but when you were late in getting to the Indigo Stadium, she ran out into the field looking for you, thinking that I had called you…"
Flashback
"And now it looks like one of Ketchum's coaches has come onto the field!"
"I wanna know what you said to Ash!" Misty yelled out angrily to Richie as she ran up to him.
"What do you mean?"
"Tell me NOW!" At that second, Misty slammed her foot straight onto Richie's!
"YEOWWWWWW!"
"And that young lady might be the toughest competitor in this entire competition!"
"What did I say?" Richie gasped out, struggling to breathe due to Misty holding him up by the scruff of his neck.
"You must've said that a real friend wouldn't show up, so you'd win the match, you two-faced phony!"
"But, I'd never say anything like that." Misty shoved Richie to the ground, though he maintained his footing.
"You can quit acting! You're nice to me in public, but when you call on the phone, I'm just 'a little big mouth!'" Richie's eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Wait-what do you mean 'when you call on the phone?'"
"When you called earlier and asked for Ash-what do you think I mean?"
"But I never talked to you on the phone!" Richie insisted. Misty turned to him with a look of amazement on her face.
"Honest I didn't!"
"You really are telling the truth."
"Mm-hmm. And I never talked to Ash."
"But then, who made that call?"
End flashback
"She never told me anything about that, but Team Rocket tricked me into nearly missing the tournament that day."
"Misty didn't have to tell me, but I think she truly cares about you, Ash. If she didn't why would she have done that to me?" Ash took some time to think about what Richie had just explained, and what Misty had done for him so long ago. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to think about it for too long, because an intense flash of light blinded the two of them seconds later! Pikachu and Sparky jumped in front of their respective trainers; Ash was able to put Togepi in his backpack, making sure he was safe in there. A Pokemon exited the flash of light, and Ash and Pikachu instantly realized who it was.
"Mewtwo!"
"Pika!"
"What are you doing here?" Ash asked.
"To offer you a deal-to face the one who desires revenge against you in order to save Misty."
Knowing Ash, he'll undoubtedly accept Mewtwo's offer, but what's going to happen to Misty? Find out in the next adventure!
