Me: Once again, I don't own Pokemon. Why? I don't know, but if I did, Charizard wouldn't have left, Ash and Misty would be together, and Brock would be with Susie!
Brock: (stammering) Me…Susie…together? (passes out)
Chikorita: (stammering) Chiko…chikori…chiko?! (Misty…Ash…together?) (Chikorita passes out)
Ash: (groans) Do you have some water or something to wake them up with?
Me: Yeah, but I'm trying to save that so I can have something to drink tomorrow.
Ash: Then how are we gonna get them to wake up?
Me: I don't know-you're the Pokemon trainer.
Ash: Sure-leave it all up to me.
Pokemon: The Power of Two
Chapter II-Charizard+Chikorita=trouble!
"Hey, what are you doing?! You're supposed to be fighting them, not each other!" –Ash Ketchum, Pokemon Double Trouble
In our last adventure, Whitney, Bugsy, Falkner and Liza, four different trainers Ash has faced during separate adventures in the past, challenged him again because of his victory in the Johto League Championships. Naturally, he accepted. So, now our heroes are going by train to Goldenrod, unaware that Giovanni is hot on their trail!
(Theme song; Fanfare starts as Ash says the name of the show)
Ash: Charizard+Chikorita=Trouble!
"Finally-we've made it!" Ash declared as he exited the train to see Goldenrod City once again about two days later.
"Strange that Team Rocket only attacked us on the day we left Blackthorn, isn't it?" Brock noted calmly.
"True, but they're probably planning something devious right now." Misty replied.
"Devious? Those three?" Ash cracked. They almost burst out laughing, until they saw a shadow behind them. Ash and his friends silently gulped, slowly turning around as they all saw…
"Are you certain about this?" Giovanni hissed impatiently to Lawrence III inside his helicopter, hovering just above Goldenrod's city limits, and near a familiar train.
"Positive. Just wait, and you'll see what I mean."
"Whitney?" Ash yelped in utter confusion, finding himself gazing at the Gym Leader of Goldenrod City with Misty and Brock beside him.
"That's me! How are you doing, champ?" Whitney asked sweetly, holding out a number of Heavy Balls toward Ash.
"Pika!" Pikachu offered a grin and a wave in Whitney's direction a second later.
"Fine, but could you do me a favor and not call me 'champ?' Misty might hurt me or do something worse…Waaaaa!" Ash was literally pushed out of the way by Brock a second later.
"While Ash fixes things with Misty, you and I could go out and get to know each other again." Brock began. Angered that Brock had shoved Ash to the ground-and had gone all lovey-dovey again-Misty grabbed Brock by his ear and pulled him away.
"Nice try, Brock. The train's back this way, and you may miss it."
"Toge-toge-prrrri!"
"What's the deal with the Heavy Balls, Whitney? You gonna try capturing some Pokemon before our match?" Ash said.
"No-they're for you and Misty. For some reason, I had a dream last night that you two would need some PokeBalls like this for something very important." Whitney explained.
"Oh. I see. So, how many Pokemon are we gonna use to battle?"
"Just one each-your Charizard and my Miltank." Whitney smirked with confidence as she held up a PokeBall a second later.
"Why does everyone wanna battle with Charizard?" Ash muttered to Pikachu under his breath.
For a response, the little Electric-type shrugged his tiny shoulders like Ash would during some situations.
"Pika-pika."
Giovanni's patience was steadily wearing thin, observing practically nothing but dead air while spying on Ash's upcoming battle at a cave near where he'd stopped at.
"Miltank, GO!"
"Charizard, I choose you!"
The two Pokemon exited their PokeBalls, primed and ready for action.
"Time to show Miltank what you're made of-Fly, Charizard!"
"Miltank, use your Rollout attack!"
Before the match could begin, a bolt of electricity shot out of the cave and struck Miltank, effectively knocking out the Pokemon and sending her to the ground!
"Miltank! Are you okay?" Whitney cried out. Ash was concerned for Miltank, but he was curious to know where that bolt of lightning had come from.
"We'll have to save our match for another day, Ash. I've gotta get Miltank to the Pokemon Center!" Ash nodded, recalling Charizard and motioning Pikachu toward the cave's opening.
"Could you tell Misty and Brock about this, too?"
"Definitely!" Offering a smile in Whitney's direction, Ash and Pikachu started forward inside the cave, Pikachu trailing alongside Ash's feet.
"Let's go, Pikachu!"
"Pikachu!"
"Did you see that bolt of lightning? One of the Legendary Pokemon are inside that cave, and I think I know which one!" Giovanni's scowl had turned into an evil smile as he stroked his Persian's fur tenderly.
"Come, my pet. It's time to test your new attack on an unsuspecting victim…"
"We're gonna need some light in here. I sure wish I had Cyndaquil to help out." Ash admitted, taking notice that the cave was steadily growing darker the further they went in.
"Pi!" Almost instantly, Pikachu hopped up and opened one of Ash's four PokeBalls at his waist.
"Pikachu, what are you-"
"CHARRRRRRRRR!!!!!" The Fire-type reappeared once more, the flame on his tail giving them some light to see.
"Nice thinking, Pikachu."
"Ash, where are you?!"
"Uh-oh." Ash said worriedly, turning back around to see Misty come in with Brock by her side.
"Pika…"
"Why didn't you wait for me outside of the cave, Ash? You know what could happen if you take a foolish risk without me around to look out for you!" Misty insisted.
"I don't always have to wait for you every time, do I? And besides, if you'd just seen that lightning bolt hit Whitney's Miltank, you'd wonder what caused it too!" Ash retorted.
"You're not invincible, Ash! You're human, like me and Brock! Don't you get it? You can get hurt like everyone else!" Misty said.
"I know that! You don't have to bite my head off-"
Whatever Ash was going to say next was interrupted by continuous bolts of electricity-bolts that Pikachu hadn't set off! A Pokemon that resembled an ancient saber-toothed tiger appeared on a rock a second later, roaring loudly. Charizard roared back, eager to battle another Legendary Pokemon.
"Raikou…" Ash, Misty, Brock and the Pokemon were all in awe for a few minutes. Ash snapped himself out of his momentary trance and pulled out Dexter, his Pokedex that held virtually all the information for all the world's Pokemon.
"Raikou: The Electric Pokemon. Details about this extremely rare Lightning-type are limited."
"Just like before. Well Mist, are you ready to give it a shot?" Ash, Charizard and Pikachu turned to see Misty, Togepi and Brock hiding behind a rock a short distance away from them.
"Electric Pokemon are really strong against Water-types, so I'll let you have this one, Ash."
"Toge-toge!" Togepi trilled, unaware of the danger they were in.
"Good luck, buddy!" Brock added. Ash, Pikachu and Charizard groaned.
"I'm not sending you against Raikou, Pikachu. Instead, I'll send in Charizard, and I choose…CHIKORITA!"
"Chiko!" The Grass-type appeared alongside Pikachu and Charizard, ready to fight.
"With Chikorita's Grass abilities, and Charizard's Flying skills, we can't lose!" Ash exclaimed excitedly. Chikorita and Charizard nodded in agreement.
"That's the Legendary Pokemon, Raikou. He could be as powerful as Zapdos." Lawrence whispered.
"Maybe, or even more powerful. That, my friend, is the million-dollar question."
Chikorita looked up and happily jumped toward Ash-that is, until Charizard impatiently swatted her back down to the ground with his tail!
"Charizard, that wasn't very nice! I think you should apologize to Chikorita for what you just did." Ash suggested. Chikorita nodded in agreement, hopping up to Ash's arms as quickly as possible. Charizard shook his head, and muttered something under his breath.
"Chiko!" Chikorita angrily leapt down and eyed the bigger Pokemon with her eyes.
"This seems strangely familiar." Misty noted to herself.
"How so, Misty?"
"I don't know, but I just know it does."
"CHARRRRRR!!!" The Fire Pokemon blasted Chikorita with a burst of flame. Chikorita cried out as she was stung by the Flamethrower attack, then retaliated with three razor-sharp leaves aimed at Charizard's eyes.
"Hey, cut it out! You're supposed to be working together against Raikou, not battling each other!" Ash yelled heatedly.
"That's it! Now I remember why this is familiar." Misty gasped. She turned to Brock and explained it as fast as she could.
"Ash faced the last Orange League Gym Leader in a Double Pokemon Match, like you would in a double tennis match. He had Pikachu and Charizard work together to face Marowak and Alakazam, but they didn't do so great at first. Only when Charizard was on the verge of being knocked out did Pikachu realize the importance of teamwork in a Pokemon battle. How did Ash explain it to Pikachu again…?"
Flashback
"Pikachu, if Charizard can't battle, we're gonna lose this match!" Ash growled angrily.
"Pika…"
"Then you gotta do something to help Charizard!"
The Mouse Pokemon looked up at Charizard, trapped in Alakazam's Psychic attack and thought about the good times before, when they had all worked together as a team.
"Pika…CHUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!" Pikachu let Alakazam have a full-on Thunderbolt attack, which saved Charizard and allowed him to safely drop to the ground.
"Char?"
"Pika!"
"All right-you did it, Pikachu!"
End flashback
"Do you think Charizard's gonna work with Chikorita the way he did with Pikachu?" Misty turned back to where the two Pokemon were still glaring at each other.
"I don't know, Brock. I hope so…"
This is a surprise. Only seconds away from battling one of the most rarest Pokemon, and Charizard and Chikorita could turn on each other! Can Ash convince his friends that they can use their abilities to fend off Raikou, and not each other? Find out in the next adventure…