Note: This chapter contains elements from several episodes, including, as you may have guessed from the title, the infamous world-wide banned episode 38.
36: Seymour vs. Akihabara
Ash awoke early the morning after winning his sixth badge, ready for more battles. He fed his pokemon first, taking special care of Butterfree and Squirtle who had given it their all the previous day. "Squirtle, squirtle. Squirtle... Squirtle!" Squirtle chattered on and on with its teammates, describing how it had bravely fought against the ninja's pokemon, punching in the air to imitate his previous feats. "Squirtle..." it nodded as it finished the exaggerated tale.
Like pokemon, like trainer, as Ash showed off his badges to other trainers, recounting the most recent battle first and foremost. "Koga used that ninja clone thing..." Ash began. "His pokemon did, you know-"
"Double team?" Misty interrupted as she and Brock joined Ash outside.
"Yeah! That," Ash confirmed. "But Squirtle was still able to see the real one, and hit it."
"Because it waited for Golbat to get closer," Misty said.
"I know!" Ash said, trying not to sulk in front of the trainers that had previously seemed impressed.
Misty nodded and sighed. "Really, though, I can't critique you much, Ash. You might have gotten some handouts, but that was a clean win against Koga. On your first try, even. That's pretty cool! Maybe you really are going to be a top trainer one day."
"Isn't that Misty of Cerulean?" one of the listening trainers asked.
"Yeah, and Brock of Pewter over here," Misty said, motioning toward the boy next to her.
With the compliments of known gym leaders combined with Ash's story of his win, suddenly many trainers wanted to battle him. Misty and Brock sat back and watched, Misty eventually wandering inside to read while Brock went to the laundromat. At lunchtime, they came together again, taking one of the pokemon center's simple provided meals outside, eating around the other trainers as their pokemon played. "It's been getting cooler, hasn't it?" Brock noted. "We're getting to the end of summer."
"Oh yeah," Ash realized.
"What are your plans then?" Brock asked.
"Just getting my last badges," Ash said. "Then I'll enter the league."
"You have like ten months to the league," Misty pointed out. "Though really, that's how long some trainers take to get two badges."
"I'll get them," Ash assured.
"Seems like it, since even if we don't talk about circumstance, six badges in six months is a lot," Misty admitted. "Where will you go next?" she asked. Ash just shrugged. "You haven't decided yet?" Misty said. "There's another grass type gym leader just to the east of here, I think. That might be interesting. I hear he's much different than Erika."
"I already did that kind of gym," Ash said. "I guess I beat grass, and water, so maybe I'll try a fire type gym next."
"I like that you want to get different kinds of practice," Brock said. "When I think of fire type gyms, Cinnabar Island's comes to mind. Is Blaine even still there?"
"I don't know," Misty said as she picked up the remnants of her lunch. "I've heard of him, but I haven't kept up with individual gym leaders that much. I think he's one of the ones that never showed up for our semester meetings."
"Cinnabar wouldn't be that difficult to get to from here," Brock said, turning back to Ash. The boy was already looking through his guide. "Hey Ash, what are even your goals as a trainer?" he asked.
Ash looked up. "Be a pokemon master, of course." He turned the page in his book, scanning for mentions of Blaine or Cinnabar. "The first step is eight badges. Then winning the league. Then being champion. Even then I'll just keep getting better and winning. One day, people will know, you know, that I know everything about pokemon."
"Aren't you setting yourself up with impossible standards?" Misty said.
"More like aiming for constant improvement," Brock said. "I think Ash's goals are really admirable. And since he knows this'll all take time, I doubt he'll let anything set him back too long."
"Careful about praising him too much, he might get a big head." Misty smirked.
But Ash wasn't paying attention to their conversation too much, only shouting out as he found Blaine. "Yeah! Blaine's been a gym leader for um, forty-seven years. He's gotta be good."
"Isn't it fifty by now?" Brock said, noting the year of the guidebook.
"Wow," Ash said. "Do you think he's a pokemon master?"
"Maybe we should check to make sure he's even still alive," Misty joked.
"I'll check," Brock responded seriously, heading toward the pokemon center building.
"Blaine? He's fine," a trainer boy approached them and informed. "He was a little weird, I mean, I heard. I know someone that got his badge. I don't want to go out of the way."
"Alright. I guess we'll go to Cinnabar Island," Ash said with a grin.
After finding out which ferry would be the best to get them to the island, the group ended up spending the rest of the week at Fuchsia's pokemon center. Ash trained his pokemon, and they overall just took it easy, not even worrying about supplies. They wouldn't be stuck in the wilderness. Cinnabar was a relatively small place with everything of note a short distance from the pokemon center.
Sitting at the empty dock, James gazed into the ocean, Meowth at his feet curled up in sleep. Jessie perused the various pamphlets talking about the sights nearby, especially on their destination, Cinnabar Island. "There's hot springs," she commented, and James just nodded. "There's other crap... We're not vacationing. I hope there's something really worth going to this place for. Fuchsia was worthless. Who wants to go through all the effort for that gym leader's worthless pokemon?"
"He wasn't even able to stand up to that twerp's less powerful pokemon," James pointed out.
"Yeah. Right. I guess no one else on the team heads out here because there's not much worth taking," Jessie said.
"Perhaps all the more powerful trainers stick close to more populated areas. Closer to base," James suggested.
Meowth rolled over on its back, opening its eyes as it scowled. "Going this way'll eventually get us back, if that's what you're worried about," it informed. "And hopefully it'll get us something to actually make the boss happy to see us!"
"What could be on an island this remote?" Jessie asked. "Other than a few sight-seeing destinations," she said, running her hand across the pamphlets before sitting next to James.
"The boss was always going on about Cinnabar," Meowth began. "Researchers and scientists like to hang out there. He tried to buy them off, and they snubbed him. There was lots of stuff he wanted. If we grab something from one of them, that's gotta make him a little happy with us."
"Good enough, I guess," Jessie muttered. "For now, maybe we should grab for any kind of success..." she added, James silently nodding next to her.
"Great. Now, if you two could stop being walking billboards while we're on this ferry," Meowth requested.
"What could you mean by that?" Jessie asked, resting her hands on the dock as she glared down at the pokemon.
"You know... Those uniforms. Just change out of them, cover them up or something," Meowth suggested.
"Are you ashamed to be with Team Rocket members?" James asked, folding his arms.
"For real, Meowth. I'm not ashamed, and I'm not afraid. Anyone who wants to mess with us can just bring it on," Jessie said.
"Stop kidding yourselves!" Meowth chided, pushing Jessie out of its face. "No one, no human or pokemon, is more proud of being part of Team Rocket than this meowth right here!"
"You're not acting like it," Jessie said, shaking her head.
"Cinnabar's not a big place. I just don't want anyone spotting us and keeping an eye on us right when we get there," Meowth said.
"Maybe I'm not scared of them at all," Jessie suggested before a loud voice interrupted them.
"Hey! There's no boat here," Ash said.
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called, scurrying out onto the dock and sniffing the ocean air.
"We're early," Misty's voice replied, slightly farther away. "It'll be here when it's here! Let's go look around first."
"Pika?" Pikachu called as Ash walked away, then soon ran off to follow.
As it left, Jessie and James sighed, relaxing their shoulders. "Maybe we should make ourselves scarce... Just until we make it to the island," James suggested.
"Tch. Fine," Jessie agreed as she opened the bag they'd brought with them.
Soon enough, all of them boarded the ferry. Ash ran to the front to be the first to spot Cinnabar, Brock following, commenting on everything he hoped to see there as well. Misty sat back only a minute before rushing over to see if she could spot any water types in the ocean, wondering if they might have just surfed over to Cinnabar with the help of pokemon, given the short distance. By the bench, Pikachu stayed, curled up in a ball. The electric type pokemon sighed to itself as it napped.
"Hey bud, what's up?"
"Pika?" Pikachu blinked as it woke up. "Pi pikachu?!" it exclaimed as it saw the meowth in front of it.
"It's been a while, huh?" Meowth said as it sat down next to Pikachu, staring at the distracted kids ahead.
Pikachu glanced back and forth from its trainer to the rouge pokemon. They were close enough that they'd notice if Pikachu was kidnapped, though they didn't seem to notice yet. "Pikachu?" Pikachu wondered if Meowth might try and contain it for Team Rocket.
"Ha, where we gonna escape to? Na, I told my humans not to try anything here, don't worry. Unless you wanna come with us. Do you?" Meowth asked.
Team Rocket actually didn't seem that bad. Pikachu could tell that Jessie and James valued their own pokemon greatly. Even Meowth, strange pokemon that it was, apparently had a human that valued it as well. Though finding them annoying at times, Pikachu couldn't really hate their organization, at least from everything it had seen firsthand. They wanted to take pokemon from trainers, but maybe there were plenty of trainers that deserved to have pokemon taken from them.
Even so, Pikachu's current trainer wasn't one of them. Ash valued all his pokemon, trying to help them all improve. He let them all have turns to battle without comparing them. Squirtle and Butterfree had been given both the direction and the chance to help win a badge, no mention that perhaps Pikachu and Charizard, if cooperative, may have won it that much easier. That helped them become stronger while taking the pressure off of the currently stronger pokemon. They all could have fun, Ash's pokemon, his human friends, and their pokemon as well. It was all just a fun game, a journey they were on together. The situation truly was a dream.
So if they were good or bad, there was no real reason to go with Team Rocket at all. "Pikachu," Pikachu called, turning its head from Meowth as it rejected the offer.
"Yeah, okay. I haven't given up on you yet, but I just came to see they were treating my future teammate right," Meowth said.
"Pika." Pikachu confirmed it was fine.
"Good, good. Once we're both ready, there's plenty of rocket agents that will treat you great. My boss'll be so happy to have you. He can recognize talent and rewards it. He recognized me, you know. Now," Meowth began, tapping Pikachu's shoulder. "Got some food for your best pal and future teammate?"
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called loudly in irritation. Had the rocket pokemon really just wanted a meal? Not that the electric type had trusted the eccentric pokemon that much in the first place, but it had thought there would be something more substantial, for better or worse.
"Pikachu, you okay?" Ash called, running toward them.
Once the trainer made it over, Meowth was gone, though still easily seen hiding behind a corner. "Pikachu!" Pikachu confirmed it was fine. It walked with Ash over to Brock and Misty, who were each trying to spot the pokemon center first on the fast approaching island. "Pika, pika!" Pikachu called, waving its arms at Brock's bag.
"Are you hungry already?" Brock asked with some confusion. It offered Pikachu a few pieces of his hand made food anyway, which Pikachu ran off and left under the bench before joining its human friend again. As they arrived on the island, it seemed someone had eaten them.
The pokemon center was the first stop for Ash and his friends on Cinnabar Island. They'd traveled only a day since leaving Fuchsia's, but it was better to introduce themselves to the nurse and drop off their supplies before moving freer on the island. Waiting in the lobby, Ash sat up as he saw a familiar face. "Hey Gilbert!" he greeted.
"Ash!" Gilbert hopped over, sitting down next to his fellow greenhorn trainer from Pallet Town. "You're here too? Did you battle Blaine? Are you going home too?"
"I'm going home when I get all my badges," Ash said with a frown. "And, um, I just got here. I've still gotta battle Blaine. What about you?"
"I did already, but I didn't get the badge," Gilbert admitted. "I have two badges already though." Gilbert took out a case, showing the Cascade Badge along with another unfamiliar badge before closing it.
"I've got six!" Ash burst forward with the brag right away, showing where they were pinned on the inside of his vest while Misty shook his head at the level of tact.
"Wow," Gilbert said, looking them over. "Is that the Marsh Badge? No way, I mean, hardly anyone gets that one."
"It's-" Ash began before a grinning Gilbert interrupted him.
"You've got as many badges as Gary!"
Ash's mouth opened before he dropped his hand, the six badges now hidden from sight. "Is Gary here too? How do you know how many he has?" Ash asked, now irritated at just the mention of his childhood friend who was now a rival trainer.
"I looked at his website," Gilbert explained.
"His what sight?" Ash repeated, scratching his head at the seemingly foreign word.
"He has a website," Gilbert said, repeating the word rather than explaining it.
"On the net?" Brock asked.
"Yeah! There's no computer here, or else I'd show you. Here's the URL," Gilbert said, quickly writing it down from memory. "I've been thinking I want one too... But maybe I'll wait until I have at least four badges." He avoided eye contact as he handed the paper to Brock.
"It's a computer thing? Who cares about that?" Ash said.
"A lot of people, trainers, even gyms, business - they put a website on the net, so anyone in the world can find out about them," Misty explained. "Anyone with a computer and net access, I mean. Anyway, it's pretty cool, actually."
"A lot of people? Do you have one?" Ash asked, looking back and forth at his two gym leader friends.
"I didn't have a computer, or the time to worry about it," Brock said.
"Yeah, there's no computer at Cerulean Gym. And I'm not great with computers, anyway," Misty said. "But a family friend showed us her computer during the last league I was home for. There's a lot of top trainers that do have their own websites. It's definitely becoming more common."
"The net is the future," Gilbert said.
Ash frowned. "Well, it's not like I'll be a better trainer just from some computer knowing about me," he said, looking over Brock's shoulder at the mass of letters, dots, and slashes that Gilbert had written down. "But if I put this into a computer, I can find out what Gary's up to?"
"More or less," Gilbert said. "So, Ash, can I have a rematch with your bulbasaur?" he asked.
"Mine against yours? Let's go!" Ash said. He got his pokemon from the nurse before the two of them ran outside and battled. By the time they were done, the sun was setting. Checking out Cinnabar Gym could wait until the next day.
Though they were well into the morning, the shadow of the dome ahead followed as Ash made his way to the gym with his friends. "That's a big mountain," he said.
"It's an active volcano, isn't it?" Brock asked.
Ash stopped in his tracks, taking out the guide from his backpack. Opening it up, he found the page with Blaine that he'd marked, then looked up at the imposing peak before glancing back down. "Um, yeah. I guess so. Blaine trains his fire types up there. That's pretty neat. Maybe I could train Charizard by the volcano."
"You do, that's when I leave," Misty said, snatching the guide from Ash to confirm the information. "Don't expect my water types to save you. Weren't you going to challenge the gym today, anyway?" she asked as she handed it back to him.
"Yeah, of course," Ash confirmed. "I can train my pokemon without your help, anyway."
Misty shrugged as they kept walking. She and Brock turned as she saw a man with a lab coat approaching. He rushed past them, not recognizing them, even as the entire group recognized him at once. "Hey..." Ash began.
"Seymour, is that you?" Misty said.
The bespectacled man turned, confirming his identity. "Hey!" Brock greeted him happily. "You remember us, right? From Mount Moon?"
The man's face changed from irritated to overjoyed. "Of course! Brock, Misty, Ash! I could never forget you, not after that unforgettable night we observed the Clefairy together!"
"How have you been?" Brock asked.
"Healthy, thank you," Seymour replied as he face them, nodding to himself. "I have made some progress in the months since I've seen you."
"Still writing articles?" Brock asked.
"Oh, yes, of course!" Seymour replied.
"See any more Clefairy?" Misty asked.
"Here and there, though that hasn't been my focus," Seymour replied.
"Did you find any more pokemon from space?"
It was Ash's question that put Seymour back in the bad mood they'd found him. "All pokemon are from space," he declared. "Well, as I've explained before, their origins are." He sighed, pausing and sitting at the side of the road. "It's been quite difficult, being one of the few scientists out there to prove this truth," he said. "I made a major breakthrough, but my peers rejected my article upon review." Seymour stood back up, looking with determination at the road ahead. "I hear Professor Blaine is meeting with my rival. I'll tell them both off!"
"Are you sure that's the best approach?" Misty asked.
"Absolutely! Bringing your biases into science is unforgivable!" Seymour declared. "My colleague, if you can call him that, with his biased belief system... He insists that pokemon were created in a lab, and then escaped! How absurd is that?"
"That's an interesting idea," Brock mused. "Pokemon resemble plants, animals, and other things from here on earth, so maybe that idea is more-"
"It's absurd!" Seymour repeated. "As if labs a century ago had the technology to clone, to even create their own creatures. He has no proof of it! And yet Professor Blaine has him as a guest, entertaining his ideas, all while silencing my evidence from the wider public! When they see me in person, they'll have to answer for this." Seymour rushed ahead, as he had been, Ash and the rest following. They eventually reached a wooden cabin. Seymour pounded loudly on the door. "Excuse me!" He seemed to try and project his voice through the walls.
As they waited, Misty pointed to a battered wooden sign. Several names were etched onto it, each on a new line. 'Pocket Monster Publications', 'Capsule Creations Lab', and 'Cinnabar Gym' read in succession.
"Cinnabar Gym? We're here," Ash declared.
"This doesn't look like any gym I've ever seen," Misty said, spying the front. "Where's the sign up book? And there can't even be room inside for an arena for pokemon to battle."
"Maybe he just battles outside, like Koga," Brock guessed.
"It just doesn't add up," Misty said.
Seymour pounded on the door again. "Excuse me! I've come to discuss my research article."
"Hold your horses!" a muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Nobody has patience these days. You knock and you wait!" An older man in sunglasses opened the door, brow furrowed as he addressed Seymour. "What's with you kids? If you want to battle, you've gotta be patient."
"As I've just said, I'm here regarding my research!" Seymour insisted.
"You too, huh? Fine, come in," the older man waved his hand, stepping to the side to make room for Seymour. As Ash approached the door, he shook his head. "This one yours?" he asked Seymour.
"I'm Ash from Pallet. I'm here to challenge the gym. It says Cinnabar Gym, right there!" Ash pointed to the sign.
The old man sighed. "What's with you kids, especially you Pallet kids flooding my gym at the end of every season? Fine, come in!" Blaine invited Ash, who ran in with Pikachu. The man raised an eyebrow as he saw Brock and Misty. "More?"
"We're just spectators," Misty said.
"You're Blaine, right? Nice to meet you," Brock said before he and Misty introduced themselves.
"Fine, you two too. Sit down and wait," Blaine invited.
Once inside, Seymour sat across from another man that wore glasses and a lab coat. They glared at each other across the table, saying nothing. Ash, Misty, and Brock all greeted him as they found their own spots, Brock taking one of the remaining chairs at the table while Ash and Misty sat on the small couch. Pikachu curled up by Ash's feet, deciding to take a nap.
Blaine asked if anyone wanted a cup of coffee from the sink in a small kitchen area. Only Seymour accepted. The fire type gym leader poured a large mug. "So," he began as he placed it in front of Seymour. "Researcher, researcher, traveling trainer, gym leader, gym leader," he labeled all of his guests as he pointed. "Quite the menagerie of people visiting me today. What's made me into a sudden attraction?"
"Are you really fifty years old?" Ash asked.
"Ash!" Misty clenched her fist, fighting from slapping her friend upside the head. "He's not."
"That's what the book said, I think. Or that he was forty-something," Ash said, oblivious to why Misty might be mad.
"It said he's been a gym leader since fifty years ago! That means he'd have to be much older than fifty," Misty corrected.
"Oh. Oh yeah," Ash said. "That's pretty old."
"Blaine, sir," Brock began. "You seem to be a variety of people in one. Are all those organizations on the sign outside run by you?"
"So you read it," Blaine said, standing up to fill up his own cup a bit more. "Abouts here is the gym, and I still run the publications out of here. We only have our journal up twice a year these days. The lab closed a few years back. I'm about ready to retire."
"Does that mean die?" Ash whispered to Misty.
"Cut it out," Misty shot back in her own harsh whisper.
Blaine didn't appear to notice as he stirred a small amount of creamer into his drink. "Fifty years ago, it has been that long. That's right, this upcoming league will be the fiftieth. There'll be extra fanfare, just for that. Maybe I should show up, we'll see."
"Oh!" Misty exclaimed. "That means you were one of the first gym leaders? And you've been a gym leader since everything started. I didn't even think of that..."
Blaine nodded. "That's right, little lady, you're looking at your senpai of senpai! Back then we only had trainers win four badges. You probably didn't... No, it was a couple decades ago with more and more challengers, more gym leaders signing up that we changed it to eight. Made the trainers travel more, fight competitors away from their own home." Blaine sat back down, taking a sip of his coffee as he scanned the visitors around him. "Fifty years ago, doesn't even seem like that long. I was ten myself when the system was being developed, though I'd been training before then. Wasn't an official license for trainers that long ago, you understand. I said ten should be the minimum age when they were developing it because that's how old I was when they were trying to start things up! Ha! Now I see kids like this all the time, and realize I might've been wrong." Blaine laughed to himself as he nodded at Ash.
"Pika?" Pikachu exclaimed as Ash suddenly stood up.
"I don't care how old or young you are, I'll battle you!" Ash declared, clenching his fists.
"Hmph." Blaine nodded. "I'm not saying there's no talent at your age. I knew some stuff myself when I was ten."
"So are you ready for a gym battle then?" Ash asked. He looked around the room, seeing no sign of the typical book to pick a time. "Where do I sign up?"
"Sign up? A pokemon trainer shouldn't need to think twice. You just show up! And then we battle!" Blaine declared.
A wide grin appeared on Ash's face. "Alright! Let's battle now!"
"Now? No, not now. I've got guests, and then I planned on spending a good amount of time in the hot springs." Blaine stretched and yawned.
"So the afternoon maybe?" Ash suggested.
"What did I just say? Don't try to make time with me like I'm some businessman. You just show up!"
"I showed up now!" Ash insisted.
"Well, you'll have to stop by again." Blaine looked at the researchers. "Well then, you didn't come for nothing, and Professor Akihabara wasn't already here for nothing. What did you want to bring up?"
The two researchers glared at each other from behind their thick glasses, neither taking the initiative to speak. "I have a question," Misty began. "As one of the last original gym leaders left-" she began.
"The only original left," Blaine corrected.
"Right," Misty said with a nod. "Well, as someone who's been around to the start, what do you think of how Team Rocket now runs the gym system?" Misty made the effort to stare directly at Blaine as she finished the question. He was silent, his expression difficult to read from behind the sunglasses that he still sported indoors.
Eventually, he took them off, rubbing his eyes before he put them back on, facing Misty as he replied. "It's horrid," he said firmly. "I'd chase them out myself, but I have enough of an uphill battle chasing the rocket affiliated out of pokemon science. This one, Professor Akihabara, is clean." He gestured to one guest before turning to the other. "And you? Who're you again?"
"Seymour. I just submitted an article to you!"
"Oh. Ha! Yes, this one is clean as well." Blaine laughed. "No, I don't think Team Rocket has too much concern with those discussing pokemon origins, at least not if they aren't something they can control, so he wouldn't be with them even if he wanted to be."
"I won't be mocked!" Seymour declared, finally finding his voice. As everyone gave him their attention, he kept speaking. "I'm here to discuss the article that was rejected. Why are you trying to hide the truth that pokemon are from space?"
"I don't recall that ever having been proven," Blaine responded calmly to Seymour's impassioned speech.
"It wasn't," the other researcher also finally spoke. "It's a ridiculous theory, now also combined with a conspiracy theory about us trying to 'keep it secret'? No pokemon appeared from space, so no one ever tried to hide one that did!" Professor Akihabara declared.
"You're talking about ridiculous theories, with your lab conspiracy theory?" Seymour spat back.
"Excuse me, boys," Blaine said, grabbing a hat from a hook. "I believe neither of you have claimed your hypotheses to be theories. Let's use the correct terminology, and not accuse each other baselessly."
Seymour clenched his fist and nodded. "I'm developing it as a theory, for one day," he clarified. "But if my supporting information, and anyone else's supporting research, is denied mass publication, that will make it much more difficult for me."
"Did you read the feedback from the rejection letter?" Blaine asked, pushing his hat over his eyes.
"I just saw the names, and-" Seymour began.
"Read it," Blaine said with a sigh. "Now, though all of you visiting has been a pleasant surprise, I was busy training and gym battling yesterday, so I'm going to have a mid-morning nap. I suppose I'll speak with you all later."
As they left the small cabin, Seymour nearly tripped over Akihabara's lace. "Excuse you!"
"Excuse me?" Akihabara said, looking down at his shoes before he leaned down to tie his shoe. "I suppose you'll try and say this is a conspiracy against you as well!"
"You've already done enough," Seymour said. "You dare mock me? You can't even prove your idea. There was no gigantic lab that existed in Kanto during the Meiji era that pokemon could have escaped from. Have you ever even heard of pokemon being created in a lab at all?"
"I have," Akihabara said, straightening his lab coat before pushing up his glasses. "That is, I haven't heard of it-"
"Because it never happened!" Seymour interjected.
"- I created a pokemon in a lab myself!"
At that declaration, the departing children all turned around. "Are you for real?" Brock asked.
"I-If you created it, you should be able to show it," Seymour said. "And it must be a truly rare pokemon."
"It's a brand new species," Akihabara said with a nod. "Yes, I was just discussing with Professor Blaine the best ways to introduce it to the public! Which I plan to do. I'll gladly show you, along with these children. Let's go to my lab."
As the group left, Meowth peeked back over to its teammates. "I wanna see whatever that guy's talking about," it said.
"I do as well," Jessie said as helped James roll up their listening device.
"I agree it's the best choice," James added.
"Yeah. I doubt there's anything in that old man's dormant lab here that would interest the boss," Jessie said.
"But a species of pokemon that's exclusive to its creator?" James continued. The rockets grinned to each other before they took off in pursuit of the group that had just left.
"Woah," Brock couldn't help but exclaim as they all entered Akihabara's lab. It was hardly the pristine vision one might expect picturing a scientific laboratory. The area was small, stuffed full of books - textbooks, novels, but mostly manga. In-between were what looked like models, and other figures that perhaps represented characters in the manga. Papers were everywhere, seeming to frame the computer on his desk, as they were next to, underneath, and on top, some covering the walls. In bins on the floor were various computer parts.
"Oh! I used to watch that anime when I was younger," Misty said, pointing at a figure of a girl who posed with a magic wand, a clefairy with a bow at her feet.
"Excuse me. Please don't touch anything," Akihabara said seriously. "Treat my laboratory with respect. It's where a brand new pokemon species has just been created."
"The home of the first created pokemon," Brock suggested.
"Exactly!" Seymour agreed.
"Wrong!" Akihabara interrupted, raising his voice louder than his rival. "It was created just as other pokemon were, before they escaped their lab."
"So many pokemon just up and escaped?" Seymour raised an eyebrow, shaking his head.
"It wasn't-" Akihabara began. "Well, do you want to see my new pokemon, or not?"
"I want to see!" Ash spoke up.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
"Well, then, gather around," Akihabara began as he sat in front of his computer, pressing the button to boot it up. The guests waited for the boot to complete, and then for Akihabara to click around. Eventually, a pink and blue figure appeared on screen, blinking its eyes. A mechanical cry could be heard as it seemed to wave one of its blocky limbs. "Here we are, my beautiful Porygon," Akihabara explained, turning around to see the others' reactions.
"This is..." Brock began.
"Is that it?" Seymour frowned. "A simulation? I really did think you might have succeeded. This image doesn't even look much like a pokemon."
"Hmph." Akihabara turned to the computer, finding a pokeball underneath his pile of papers before putting it in the specialized scanner. "Porygon, return!" The image of the strangely-shaped creature on screen disappeared as the pokeball lit up as if it had acquired an actual pokemon. Seymour rolled his eyes while others present just stared, but the reaction didn't faze Akihabara as he stood up, clumsily yet dramatically throwing the pokeball out. "Go, Porygon!" he shouted.
The pokeball hit the bookshelf, knocking down a few papers and causing one of the figures to totter. The pokeball lit up as normal, and after just a second, Porygon appeared, uttering the same clear mechanical call it had from the computer. The guests shouted out in surprise, approaching Porygon as it waved its blocky limbs. Pikachu sniffed the other pokemon. "Pikachu?" it called, wondering if this stranger pokemon was real. Porygon enthusiastically called back that it was glad to be there, and Pikachu grinned. "Pika pika!" Pikachu expressed happiness to meet this new pokemon as well.
Seymour took off his glasses, observing the created pokemon without them before he put them back on. He nodded. "You've done it. The first - well, the first known created pokemon."
"It's the second," Akihabara clarified. "That is, the second porygon. My first couldn't handle a battle. I'm curious if this one could."
"Pikachu?" Pikachu called, wondering if Porygon itself wanted a battle. Porygon bobbed its head as if to nod, calling out its desire to test its skills. It wanted to battle as much as any typical pokemon.
Ash quickly picked up on the pokemon's intent. "Pikachu wants to battle," he said.
"Are you sure Pikachu's a good match for Porygon's first battle?" Misty asked. "This pikachu's a little more powerful than average... Well, maybe more than a little more," she explained to Akihabara.
"A veteran of many battles, hm?" Akihabara said with a grin. "I think that kind of pokemon is just the right opponent for Porygon. Let's go! Porygon, sharpen!"
"Pikachu!" Pikachu called, hopping into a ready position before Ash even shouted his order.
"Pikachu, double team!"
Together, the two pokemon performed the techniques. Porygon glowed briefly as its shape appeared to shift slightly. Pikachu hopped around, increasing its speed while seeming to be in more than one place at once. "Porygon, tackle!" Akihabara ordered.
"Pikachu, try thundershock!" Ash followed.
"Pika..." Pikachu shocked Porygon as it made its way over. The other pokemon's mechanical call echoed briefly before it rammed against the electric type. "Pika..." Pikachu called out in surprise at the tough attack as it flipped over, though it soon got back in position.
"Porygon, now! You can win! Tackle!"
"Pikachu, thunderbolt!"
"Pika... CHUUU!" Pikachu completed the thunderbolt attack just as Porygon tackled it. Porygon flashed blue and red before it fell on the ground, its limbs going limp.
"Porygon!" Akihabara ran to his pokemon's side, potion in hand.
"I thought Pikachu might be too much for it," Misty said, raising an eyebrow.
"What are you saying?" Akihabara looked up from Porygon with a pout. "I didn't expect Porygon to win its first battle! I can tell this pikachu is prime, and I can also tell by Porygon's performance against it that its power is also superior!"
"Yeah, it's tough," Ash agreed.
"Pikachu!" Pikachu tapped Porygon's side, also complimenting its opponent.
"Yes! At last! It's a successful experiment!" Akihabara said. "Of course, creating a pokemon by itself was a success. But the previous attempt is useless in any battle."
"Pi?" Pikachu glanced up, its attention focusing on the human.
"So, you've created two pokemon?" Seymour asked.
"Correct," Akihabara confirmed. "The first porygon, Zero, I didn't expect to become a real pokemon at all. But it seems, even in programmed form, pokemon have a desire to exist." Akihabara took out a pokeball with a "0" painted on it, releasing what seemed to be a mirror image of Porygon. The two pokemon lifted up their side limbs and called out to greet each other before Akihabara returned it.
"There really are two! Are you planning to mass produce them?" Seymour asked.
"Learning what and how to share is what I was just discussing with Blaine," Akihabara explained, adjusting his glasses as he sat down. "Good... I was worried that electric type's attack might have blown out my computer... But it's all okay." Akihabara put his head on the table before picking it back up, going through several papers. "So, regarding publication, should I give the keys to my creation to be mass produced? Should I mass produce them myself? I can't decide."
The window suddenly opened up. Those inside saw James, followed by Jessie, forcing themselves in. "How about we decide for you," James offered.
Meowth hopped through the window afterward. "Yeah, you should hand it over!"
"Right. I think these pokemon could serve Team Rocket well," Jessie said, then throwing out a pokeball. "Go! Lickitung!"
"Licki!" Lickitung called out as it swung its large tongue, catching and spitting out books and papers, which added to the already present mess of the lab.
"Team Rocket!" Ash exclaimed. "You're not gonna steal any pokemon this time. Go, Pikachu! Thunderbolt!"
"Wait right there!" Akihabara spoke up, approaching Ash instead of the rockets. "This is the perfect time for Porygon to shine. Go, Porygon! Sharpen!" At the sound of the direction, Porygon tensed up, repeating the bright attack which seemed to slim it up from earlier. "Now, Porygon, tackle!"
"Lickitung, tackle!" Jessie ordered in response. The pokemon collided, Lickitung taking the hit and spinning around, further messing up the lab. "Damn it! Lickitung, return!" Jessie returned the pokemon, taking out her next pokeball. "Go, Ekans!"
"Do you really want us to beat your pokemon one by one?" Misty asked with irritation, taking out her own pokeball. "Because even if Porygon can't, we will."
"Are we outmatched again?" Meowth mused.
"Perhaps yes," James said. "We can't afford any more failures. Go, Koffing!" James pointed ahead. "Smoke screen, now!"
Gas escaped from Koffing's pores as it floated around the lab. The smoke eventually obscured any sight. Akihabara ran to open the windows while Brock swung open the front door. As the remnants of the pokemon technique cleared, the rockets were gone. Akihabara sat back down, sighing in relief. "Porygon, good job," he muttered. "Porygon really is tough enough to take care of itself."
"I can see why my article was rejected," Seymour said with a frown. "If it's competing with discoveries like this, that is."
"Huh?" Akihabara sat up. "Your article'll probably be accepted if you make the necessary revisions!"
"Really?" Seymour's eyes lit up with enthusiasm. "I'll have to make the corrections! The additions! Anything!"
"Right, right. Would you take a look at one of mine? It's an early draft."
"I'd be happy to," Seymour said.
As Akihabara clicked around on the computer, and the printer buzzed, Ash spoke up. "Can I see something on the computer?" he asked.
"What's that?" Akihabara asked.
"Yeah, why's someone like you interested in computers at all?" Misty asked.
"I just wanted to see Gary's web sit!" Ash said.
"You mean website?" Brock said, taking out the slip of paper with the url.
"Yeah," Ash said as he took the paper, handing it to Akihabara.
"You need the internet for that. Not all the computers have the internet," Brock explained.
"Of course I have a modem and the internet," Akihabara said. He started typing on his computer, which emitted strange shrieking sounds that caused Pikachu to cringe before Porygon called out to console it. When the sound stopped, Akihabara clicked again, looking at the paper as he typed the code into the top. The screen turned blue, bold centered purple text on top reading 'Gary's Home Page!' appearing. An image slowly appeared, line by line horizontally, before an image of the trainer could be seen under the text. "Hmph. The speed on this island's not the best," Akihabara admitted. After he finished, happy mechanical music started to play. "I hate webpages that do that!" Akihabara exclaimed as he quickly turned down the speaker.
"It's Gary!" Ash exclaimed, pushing past him, reading the smaller text under his rival's picture. "He's saying he's a top trainer already?"
"Well, it does say 'future top trainer'," Brock noted. "Let's see the updates," he said, moving the mouse and clicking.
The latest update was from just a day ago. "Gary just got... He got his seventh badge?!" Ash lamented, gripping the table as he read the update again.
"That's what it says," Misty confirmed after reading it herself.
"Well, then I can't just stand around here! I've only got six!" Ash said, heading for the door.
Brock spoke to the scientists before leaving. "Thanks for showing us Porygon. But I guess Ash wants to train for his next gym battle, so we'd better get going."
The two scientists gave quick salutations, Akihabara only muttering his own as he looked at the continuous sheet of dot-framed paper rolling off the printer. Seymour was a little more enthusiastic, telling them to look out for his article. "Do you think Team Rocket will be back?" Misty asked, then shook her head. "Well, Professor Akihabara's probably right if they do decide to try that again. Porygon really can take care of itself."
"I'll give the local police a call when we get back," Brock said.
Misty sighed. "I wonder why they tried that, if they were just going to give up. It was almost too easy to beat them, they gave up right away!"
"I guess they realized they shouldn't steal pokemon," Ash said.
"Pi..." Pikachu called softly as it paused at the door, looking back at the two men, particularly focusing on Akihabara. No one had noticed, but as its trainer, perhaps Akihabara ought to have. It seemed like the rockets had just given up, but as the smoke had been filling the room, James had sifted through the papers on the mess of a desk and pocketed Zero's pokeball. Perhaps it was because the room was even messier than before, but Akihabara really ought to have noticed his pokemon was gone.
Maybe he didn't care. After all, he'd called it 'Zero', the number that represented nothing, and said it was useless. Perhaps it was a good thing that the rockets had taken it, since that meant they did see some kind of value where its trainer and creator had not. If Akihabara couldn't be bothered to notice his pokemon's absence, perhaps he wasn't worthy of having it at all. Jessie and James treated their pokemon well, and on top of that, Meowth talked about how great Team Rocket was otherwise.
Deciding not to be bothered at all, Pikachu dashed after its human friends.
End note: This chapter also replaces episode 58, introducing Blaine, who I admit is maybe the most different of all the gym leaders from the original anime story. As probably expected:
Next chapter: Ash vs. Blaine