AH-HA! Welcome to Knowing Me, Knowing You with me, Penpal's chum. Today, a company gets the best of Ash and co, but will the company come up against stiff rivalry, in...

April, May, June, July

Disclaimer: IdonotownPokémonorStarTrekONWITHTHEFIC!

"I'm flying!" cried Ash as he swooped through the air, doing loop-the- loops. Misty sidled up to him. "Oh yeah? So where are we going, smarty-pants?"
"Er..." Ash sweatdropped. Pidgeot started to anime-fall, but rose after Ash screamed at it.
"Where are we going?" puzzled Brock. Ad pulled out the giant map. "Saffron City."
"Let me see that!" ordered Ash, tugging on the map. It slipped out of their hands.
"The contract! Sorry. The map!" Ash rushed through the air to get it. Unfortunately, Pidgeot didn't. "Drat."
Ash started to fall. "Yeargh!" He landed with an 'oomph' on the gently drifting map. It reared up, and floated.
"We seem to have acquired a magic map," said Brock dryly. Ad fluttered over to it [he was hanging from Misdreavus, and used his wings to fly over to the map; it would be too far for him to use his wings to Fly ordinarily for long distances] and landed. "Comfy." The rest of the group flew over, returned their Pokémon, and sat on the huge map.
"Just like a magic carpet," commented Ash. Ad commenced explaining that there was nothing magic about it; it was just very large, and therefore drag made it drift in the air; and they were simply riding rising air currents; but nobody listened, so there is no point in going into the finer details here.

The drifting map and the drifting Trainers landed outside Silph Co. A woman rushed out of the door, looking backwards.
"You can't fire me! I'll get that sale, if it's the last thing I do! Then you can't fire me!" She tripped over the gang.
"Who are you?" asked Ad as the girl picked herself up off the ground.
"Lily. MHME™, A&FS-P™."
"What does that mean?" asked Ash as Lily dusted herself off.
"It means 'Member of the Honourable May Enterprises™, Associate & Former Sub- President™."
"I still don't understand."
"I used to run the blasted thing."
"Oh."
"What exactly is May Enterprises™?" questioned Ad as Lily sat down on the map. She pointed at it.
"Here is Saffron City, right? Well, after that bust-up with Team Rocket, Silph Co got kicked out. But they needed a manufacturing company to get money for Saffron, so we came in. Unfortunately, we aren't the only source of money. The filthy Freda & Rika Industries™ sprang up there," with one hand she pointed to the north side of Saffron on the map, and with the other, she pointed to the actual north, "and we've been losing money whilst Saffron has been getting richer, what with two companies forking out all their dosh. Now, there's going to be a contest to decide which company gets a grand prize from Saffron, and I've been fired. I need to make a sale so I can get back in." She shook her head and sighed. Suddenly, she snapped her head up to look at the gang, eyes glinting.
"Say, you couldn't help me, could you?"

"Mr. Mayor?" The servant shook the Mayor of Saffron.
"Ohhhhhhhh...I've got a terrible...AH...pain in my stomach. I won't be able to host the contest. Call...YAH...my friend and tell him – tell him to come."
"Yes sere, sir!"
The servant took up the phone, called a doctor, and then called the Mayor's friend.
"Ah ha. I'll be there right away." The friend hung up, and smiled. The Big G was going to be happy tonight.

"Get your PokéBalls here! Guaranteed capture! Ah, you, young lass. Want to buy something?" Ad leaned over the stall counter. "I'll give you a Great Ball for free if you remind me to hit Lily later."
"Deal." Freda took the PokéBalls. "Hang on. Sis, did he just say Lily?"
"I think he did, Mistress Freda," said Rika politely.
"This Lily, she wouldn't happen to be the MHME™, A&FS-P™ Lily, would she?" interrogated Freda.
"She would, miss," replied Ad.
Freda punched her hand. "Dirty rotten scoundrel! Tricking you into working for the horrid May Enterprises!"
Ash came over. "By any chance, do you work for Freda & Rika Industries™?"
"Dangnabit, we RUN Freda & Rika Industries™!"
"They are Freda & Rika. Weren't you listening?" said Misty cynically.
"Nah. I prefer Hamtaro fics, myself."
"Boys." Misty sighed and went back to peddling.
"You wouldn't like to work for us, would you?" asked Rika.
"You bet!" screamed Ash.

The next few weeks were very confusing ones. Ash and co. had two signs. When Freda or Rika passed, they hoisted up the 'F&RI™' one, and when Lily passed by, they hauled up the 'ME™' sign. Once, they both passed, but they were having such a passionate argument they didn't notice that the gang had anime-fallen and not hoisted any sign. The day of the contest drew nearer, and the money for TIAC™ (The Independent Ad Corporation™) was raked in: half for Lily, half for Freda and Rika. Lily got reinstated, now as President of May Enterprises, and everything went according to plan.

It was the 15th of May, the day of the contest. Freda, Rika and Lily went down to the city centre, and put their earnings on either side of a gigantic set of scales. The servant came up onto the stage in front of the scales.
"With deep regret, I must state that the Mayor cannot be here. So, instead, here is his longest friend!"
There was applause as the mayor's friend sauntered up onto the stage and behind the table.
"I recognize him," thought Ad.
"Thank you, thank you. It's been a wonderful day. I have the winning company name in this envelope. Drum roll please."
The timpani to the side rumbled.
"And the winning company is...Team Rocket!"
"WHAT?" yelled the crowd as a hook from the sky latched onto the giant scales. The mayor's friend ripped off his disguise.
"Now I remember!" said Ad. "That's your Tracey, or Trig, or Toilet, or whatever."
"Trig!" cried Lily. "Public Enemy Number Two-Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Two!"
"You know him?" said Brock, bamboozled.
"He's infamous here as a Pokémon snatcher. Stole Sabrina's Haunter. Gave it back, of course, when he discovered it did nothing but laugh."
"Wasn't that number two in the recent TV programme, 1,000 of Team Rocket's Biggest Mess-Ups™?" inquired Freda.
"Yeah. It was narrowly beaten by hiring Jessie, James and Meowth," answered Rika helpfully.
"Can we move away from my biggest blunders to capturing some Pokémon?" asked Trig.
"Affirmative," said Mr. Spock, falling out of a plot hole. He climbed in again, muttering, "That was illogical, Captain."

"Who'll you be failing to catch today then, Toilet?" said Ad.
"TRIG! And I'll be capturing that Pikachu – with this!" Trig produced a small piece of PCG™ (Previously Chewed Gum™).
"How is that going to capture my super-strong Pikachu?" asked Ash challengingly.
"Like this," sneered Trig. He stuck the gum underneath the table in front of him. Pikachu ran forward, and under the table. It got stuck to the gum.
"So what? I'll just thrash you with my other Pokémon!"
"No you won't!" screamed Trig, throwing out more gum. It stuck the PokéBalls shut.
"What will I do?" thought Ash. He spotted the nachos which had been laid aside for the winning company's feast. "That's the answer!"

Quick as a flash, Ash darted to the table, plonked the nachos into the chilli dip, and ate them. He then breathed a stream of fire that melted the gum holding the PokéBalls shut.
"Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, go! Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
The plant Pokémon extended some vines and grabbed Trig.
"Charmander, use Flamethrower!"
The jet of flame superheated the vines, and Trig got burnt.
"Squirtle, use Hydro Pump!"
Finally, Trig got washed into the giant scales by the water. Ash came up, used some chilli to dissolve the gum sticking Pikachu, and directed him. Pikachu Thunderbolted the rope hanging up the scales, and they crashed down, bouncing Trig out. Pikachu Thundered Trig, and he flew away with a 'ping' and a twinkle.

"Thanks," said Lily, Freda and Rika. "Saffron's money is safe thanks to you. And I think Freda, Rika & May Limited™ will be able to carry on in peace and harmony."
"All in a day's work for Ash Ketchum: Corporate Detective!" said Ash, doing a V-sign.
Everyone anime-fell, apart from Misty and Lily. Lily sidled up to Misty and asked, "Is he always such a jerk?"

And so, we watch as the gang fly off on their still-growing magic map into the sunset.

Waydeehoho! Chapter 18 is finished! I hope you enjoyed it. The next chapter will probably feature a Gym. Anyway, I'm hopeful that you enjoyed another appearance from Trig. And so, in the immortal words of Mr. Balloon...

Pop.

GOODNIGHT!