Author's Note: Well, the reason this story was banned was because I did it as a "readers help choose where the story goes" fic (and it was called "You Choose: A Mew Story") with the readers giving me their opinions via reviews. What's funny is that this was banned months after it was completed, and I had the beginnings of a sequel to it using the same system, and it was NOT banned. So, I deleted the sequel as well so FFN wouldn't try to ban me, and I just decided to bring the old sucker back. If I ever post the sequel, I guess I'll have to continue it the good old fashioned way...
"I still think that Brock should help us get the firewood," Ash complained.
"Pi," Pikachu nodded in agreement. He had a bundle of small sticks in his arms.
Misty sighed. "Would you like to cook lunch instead?"
"No, but I--" Ash cut off. His electric Pokémon had suddenly gone rigid. "What is it, Pikachu?"
Pikachu sniffed the air frantically, but was unable to find the scent that he had gotten a mere whiff of. "Chu," he whimpered in frustration.
Ash gave the yellow mouse a curious look, then continued walking forward, Pikachu and Misty behind him. He stopped abruptly, and the Water Pokémon lover slammed into him, promptly chewing him out. He ignored her insults, inquiring with a weird look on his face, "Isn't it a little too early for snow?"
This was a weird enough question to make Misty pause amidst her insults. "Yeah. Why?"
Instead of replying, Ash knelt down beside the white patch he'd seen on the ground. It shifted, then weakly opened bright blue eyes. "It's a Pokémon," the trainer whispered in awe. It gave a pitiful mewl, and he scooped it into his arms.
"Aww, it's a cute little kitty cat! Can I hold it?" Misty was excited.
"I think it's sick...and it looks a little scraggly. Let's take it back to Brock and get it some food."
Misty and Pikachu nodded, and the trio hurried back to camp, barely managing to grab what they'd been sent out to get.
When they arrived at their temporary campsite (they had planned on walking a little more after lunch before they actually set up camp to spend the night) they found Brock staring at his boiling pot.
Inquisitive, they walked up and saw what had captured his attention. The bubbling liquid inside the black pot was a nasty brown/purple/green color. "What is that?" Misty sounded disgusted.
"I thought it was water." Brock hadn't noticed Ash's burden. "But it looks like their might have been poison or something in it. Perhaps the boiling caused some kind of chemical reaction to the poison..."
"But this Pokémon needs food, now!" Ash said with urgency.
Brock glanced over, and saw the pathetic thing. It looked painfully skinny, and worse for the wear. "Where'd you find that?"
Misty gestured vaguely towards the woods, "Over there somewhere."
Brock zipped over to his backpack and got out a can of Pokéfood that had a Pikachu on the cover. "This is for Pikachu, but I'm sure it'll be compatible for that cat."
They spooned the food into the baby Pokémon's mouth, and Togepi cried for attention as it woke up from its afternoon nap on Misty's backpack. She picked the egg Pokémon up and cooed to it gently.
"Mew," yawned the white bundle in Ash's hands. It closed its eyes and swiftly fell asleep.
Ash smiled down at it, then looked back up. "Is there something you can fix for lunch that doesn't involve water?"
Brock gazed at the sickly, still-bubbling water. "I guess I don't have much of a choice..."
"I think they went this way," a female voice whispered.
"But I thought it was that way," a flustered male voice replied.
"You're both wrong!" a condescending male voice informed them. "It was dis way!"
"No, it was that way," the female insisted.
"No, it was definitely that way," the first male insisted.
"Shut up, da both of you!" Meowth slashed across Jessie's face with his claws, and then James'. Before they could protest or say anything other than 'OUCH!,' he spoke, "I thought I heard somethin'."
They all three stood in silence, and finally hearing a faint, high-pitched sound. "This way!" Meowth called out as he rushed forward. He led them into a dark cave, and it wasn't very long before the two humans pleaded with Meowth to go back. Every step they made echoed, and they slowly began descending further into the darkness.
"I'm scared of the dark," James moaned.
"Let's get out of here and find the twerps!" Jessie growled.
"Hold on," Meowth persisted, leading them even farther into the darkness. "Ah ha!"
"What is it, Meowth?" Jessie questioned.
"I can't see a thing," James complained.
But Meowth wouldn't tell them what he'd found. "Let's go outside, and I'll show ya."
The two human Team Rocket members were in the front this time, and when they were finally out of the cave they turned around to Meowth.
Meowth now had a twitching white bundle hanging from his mouth, and a squirming white ball in each paw.
"Ooh, what are those?" James asked in awe.
"They look like rare Pokémon!" Jessie exclaimed.
"Let's take them to the boss! Then he'll be sure to give us a raise!"
But Meowth wasn't paying attention to them. He was on the ground playing with the little tykes, laughing.
"Meowth," Jessie stated warningly.
"Aww, dey like me!" Meowth smiled. One bit his finger and held on, but he didn't even attempt to shake it off.
The other two bumped their heads against his belly, and mewled playfully. They then started swatting at each other.
"Meowth, we're going to give those to the boss!" James told him.
"What?" Meowth exclaimed as what James had been saying sunk in. "No way! Dey're my little babies, and dere ain't no one else who can have 'em!"
"Fine," Jessie sighed grudgingly. "I suppose we could use some new Pokémon. We'll just have to get that twerp's Pikachu!"
"Aww, but Jessie--"
"No but's, James. We'll have to catch them off-guard."
Ash had already finished lunch, and he had claimed he wanted to take a nap. Brock and Misty knew that he really wasn't tired, but wanted to let his new Pokémon rest. They relented nevertheless, and decided to catch a few winks of shut-eye themselves.
That was when Team Rocket made their move, although they didn't know that Ash had also gotten one of the white felines, for it was hidden underneath his sleeping bag (to block out the sunlight).
Pikachu was dozing next to his trainer, and Jessie and James quietly crept up to him. James injected the Electric-type with a tranquilizer before the mouse could even let out a peep. Jessie scooped him up in a bag, and they quietly made their exit.
"We got Pikachu! We got Pikachu!" they cheered once they were back with Meowth and his three charges.
"Why'd we never think of injecting Pikachu before?" wondered James.
"Call the boss," Meowth suggested absent-mindedly as he introduced the kittens to yarnballs.
"Great idea, Meowth!" Jessie removed Pikachu from the bag, and set the unconscious Pokémon down beside the stump in front of her. Then she put their new, portable picture-telephone on the stump. They contacted Giovanni, and his annoyed face appeared on-screen.
"What do you want?" he asked flatly.
"We have a surprise for you," James answered.
Jessie bent down to scoop up Pikachu...But the Pokémon was no longer there. Eyes wide, Jessie instructed her boss to hold on a second.
"Where'd it go?" Jessie whispered fiercely. Then she turned an accusatory glare on her partner, "How much did you put in that injection?"
"You said fill it to the one!" James replied defensively.
Jessie sighed, "Not one millimeter." Her eyes widened as they took in the male feline that had gotten away from the preoccupied Meowth and was now steadily climbing up the stump into their boss' vision. "No!" she muttered weakly, to try to get it to move.
But it was too late. As she rushed over to pick it up, Giovanni's impatience faded, and his eyes widened. "You got me a Mew?"
So that's what it was. The two could do nothing but nod meekly. Giovanni face contorted into an evil grin. "In exchange for that I will promote you and give you both a raise. But you must come and bring it to me at my gym in Viridian. I will be awaiting your arrival." His face disappeared as he cut the connection.
"A raise..." James trailed off.
"A promotion..." Jessie whispered.
Simultaneously they jumped up and hugged each other, dancing around in a circle singing, "We got a promotion! We got a raise!"
The stumped (as in on the stump, not 'stuck with how to figure out a problem') Mew looked at them sullenly, and Meowth suddenly noticed what they were singing. "Why are ya gettin' a raise?" Meowth grabbed the Mew and put him back with his brother and sister. He tickled one of them and it giggled.
"Ah...we're going to...give the boss...something," James answered lamely.
"Well, it can't be Pikachu 'cuz I just saw it go that way," Meowth pointed as he stroked one of the Mew's little bitty tails lovingly.
"What?" Jessie shouted. "You saw that electric rat leave, but you didn't stop it?!"
"I was busy," Meowth defended himself.
"Grrr," Jessie snarled in frustration.
"But we still get a raise for giving the boss a Mew," James tried to cheer her up, but realized his slip too late.
"Giving him a Mew?" Meowth yelled. "You ain't gettin' rid of my babies!"
"They're not even the same species as you!" James pointed out.
"So?" the talking cat cradled the three Mews to himself.
"We're taking one to Viridian whether you like it or not!" Jessie insisted.
"No!" Meowth exclaimed. One of them bit him. "OW!" He looked down at it. "On second thought, give 'em this one...I don't know what its problem is, but it's been abusin' Meowth all day!"
Jessie eagerly grabbed the Mew before Meowth could change his mind. This time it bit her, and she dropped it with a shout. "That little rat bit me!"
"You have to be gentle, Jessie," James admonished. He picked it up, and it remained still in his hands. "See? YOWCH!" It was now hanging from his nose. "All be glad whend we cand ged rid of thid thang," James managed, despite having his nose plugged.
"Me too," Jessie agreed.
"Pi pi," Pikachu panted as he poked Ash.
Ash slowly opened his eyes, his words slurring together, "WhaddyawantPikachu?"
Pikachu went through a visual and verbal explanation that Ash patiently watched and listened to. "Another cat?"
Pikachu nodded, folding his ears and putting on a sneer.
"Team Rocket has a few?" Ash's face betrayed his worry. "We have to get those other Pokémon back! They might get hurt! Do you know where they're going?"
Pikachu shook his head.