Part 6 : A Passion for Buggery

Part 6: Bug-Hunt

"This is the pokemon Gym?" 

Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu were standing outside a massive dome with a glass top and gray stonewalls.  A huge fiberglass pokeball stood on top like any other gym, but the design of the gym itself was more plain and ordinary, to Ash it looked like some kind of greenhouse. 

"Hmmm, well a gyms a gym, right?"  Pikachu jumped of his shoulder and started to jog on the spot.  "That's it Pikachu, get revved up" Pikachu ran circles around Ash and scampered up the stairs punching the air as it went.  To make it more dramatic Brock did the theme from Rocky. "Da da daaaaaaa….da  da  daaaaaaaaaaaa….da da daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and it's the eye of the tiger something something something something………..da  da daaaaaaaaaaaa…."

Pikachu made it to the top of the stairs and jumped around punching furiously  "pika….pika…..pi…pi…….pi?"  He stopped and turned to look at a sign that was staked in the ground near the entrance.  It hopped over to it, looking at it befuddled it yelled for Ash.  "PIKA!"  Ash, Misty and Brock all puffed up the stairs and ran over to Pikachu who was standing on the sign and pointing at it. "pika...chuuuuu."

Ash bent down to read it.  "it says….do to a loss of a pokemon the Azalea gym will be closed until further notice…signed Bugsy, gym leader……..WHAT?!" Ash reeled back as the words hit him.  He sank to the floor and bashed his fist in the hard ground.

"This isn't fair!! I need another badge and we came all this way!" 

Misty leaned over Ash and read the sign again.  "……. Loss of a pokemon?…..I hope its nothing to serious.  What do you think Brock?" 

Ash continued to thump the ground with his fist.  Brock pushed him out of the way and inspected the sign as well.  "maybe……there was a death…….how sad……but I mean it could be anything." 

Ash had finally calmed down from the disappointment and got to his feet.  He took one last look at the sign as was about to leave when something had caught his eye.  He leaned over and saw someone exiting the building from a side entrance.  Curiosity took over as he walked over to see who it was.  Ash thought maybe that person could answer a few questions.  He stopped as he saw the guy bend over and start routing through some hedges.  "what is he doing?" 

Misty snuck up behind him. "HEY!!"  Ash went airborne, his hair stood on end and his heart palpitated.  "WAAAAAAAA!! Don't do that!!!" 

Misty giggled.  "oh Ashy, your so easy to startle."

The guy looking in the hedges heard Ash scream and ran over thinking someone was in trouble.  When he got there, he found Ash laying on the ground and Misty laughing her head off.

"scuse me, what happened?"  Said the stranger.

At that time Brock showed up along with Pikachu.  Ash dusted the grass stains off and glared at Misty.  He then looked up to the stranger.  'He' was about the same height as Ash, he wore green pants as well as a vest.  The boy wore a cap with the pokeball symbol on the front. He had bluish hair a young dirty face, much like Ash's.  "it's okay, nothing happened……..My names Ash and I want to be the worlds greatest…."  Misty quickly bonked him on the head.  "he doesn't need to know that….dumbash"  Brock laughed.

"I like that, dumbash.  It sounds almost exactly like dumb…*whack*"  He collapsed to the ground with a huge throbbing sore on his head.  Misty stood above him with her mallet resting on her shoulder.  "we know what it sounds like, anywho……I'm Misty, that's Brock"
The boy sweatdropped and politely waved.  "hi there, I'm Bugsy."

Ash looked over Bugsy's shoulder.  "what were you searching for?"

He noticed as Bugsy became quite sad.  He lowered his head to the ground and murmured something.  Ash turned his ear to Bugsy. "what was that?"

He raised his head. "My pokemon………it's gone." 

Ash didn't know how to react as his face had a concerned look. "what do you mean gone?  Where is it?"  Misty Shrugged.  "errghh. If he knew he wouldn't be looking for it!"

Bugsy waved his hands in the air as he smiled nervously.  "No, no it's okay! I'm sure its around here somewhere, really don't worry about it……."

The was a moment of silence until Brock reappeared with a bandage on his head. "what kind of a pokemon was it?"

Bugsy reached into his pocket and pulled out a wrinkled photograph.  He gave it Brock who passed it along to Ash and Misty.

"it's a syther, its my prized pokemon….or was my prized pokemon…..it ran away."

Ash looked at the photograph. It showed a Syther with a medal around its neck and Bugsy standing next to it, holding some sort of certificate.  "what's with the medal and that thing your holding?"

Bugsy took the picture and looked at it.  "that was the day I received my gym leader status."

Ash's jaw dropped.  "your…your…..the gym leader?"

"yep"

Misty pointed to the sign up front.  "so……that's why your gym is closed, because you don't have enough pokemon to battle?"

Bugsy nodded.  "that's mostly true, but frankly I don't see how I could battle without my strongest pokemon.  It just wouldn't be the same."

Bugsy stared sadly at the ground again.  Just then he felt a heavy hand land on his shoulder.  It was Ash's

"sorry to hear about that, maybe we could help someway."
Bugsy coldly brushed off his hand and turned his back to them.  "sorry, but…what can you do, what can anybody do?  The police won't help me, they think it just ran away."

Brock brought his hand to his chin.  "but I thought you said that you thought it ran away to?"

Bugsy looked over to the wrinkled picture that was loosely gripped between his fingers.  A flash of memories came to him.  All the battles they had together and most importantly the day he captured Syther.  He raised his head to the trio.  "I know in my heart that syther wouldn't ran away like that, we've been threw so much.  I've been starting to think that syther didn't leave…………but that he was stolen."

***********

On the other side of town a man with long white hair was crouched over a fire in his workroom.  He reached into the fire with a pair of tongs and pulled out a glowing red orb.  He laid it down on an anvil and began striking it repeatedly with a blunt hammer.  He then submerged the object in water and placed it back in his furnace.  He sat there quietly and soon glanced upward at a clock.  "Hmmmm, where could he be?  Professor Oak said that it'll only take him 2 days." 

The man turned his head to the hallway and placed his open hand to his mouth. "RUTH!! Come here please!"

A young girl emerged from the hallway. She walked over to the furnace and kneeled down next to the old man.  "yes dad?"

The old man gazed into the fire as the flames danced about. "I need you to go to the pokemon center and ask Nurse Joy if she has seen anybody named Ash Ketchum come by, I need to find him."

The girl acknowledge her father by nodding her head, she bowed and got up to leave.

The old man poked at the fire and released a large sigh.  "oh and Ruth, tell him that Curt want's to see him A.S.A.P."

The girl bowed once more before closing the door behind her.  Curt reached once more into the fire and pulled out the glowing orb.  He immersed it in water and held it in the air. After the steam cleared away the object in his hand reflected the light from its surface.  He rubbed his fingers over the letters on the front.  "the G.S ball, what a peculiar specimen…….what information does it hold……"

***********

Bugsy led Ash, Misty, Brock and Pikachu into his house residing at the back of the gym.  He beckoned for them to sit down at the kitchen table as he got refreshments.  "Sorry but all I have is juice."  Misty took a glass from him. "That's perfectly fine thank you."  Pikachu sipped his juice from a straw.  When he was finished he looked over on the table and spotted a bottle of ketchup.  Pikachu's eyes shimmered as it quietly rose up and sneaked across the tabletop.  He felt a sharp tug on his tail as he looked back to see Ash glaring at him.  Pikachu lowered his ears and sadly trudged back to his seat.  Ash crossed his arms.  "its not nice to eat other peoples ketchup."

Pikachu sadly looked at the ground.  "chuuuuuuuuu"

Brock downed his glass and proceeded to chew on the ice, quite loudly.  "Why don't you tell us what happened the day Syther was gone."

Bugsy exhaled loudly and folded his hands neatly on his lap. "Okay, it happened 5 days ago.  Syther and I had just lost a battle between some kid named gray, or something."
Ash thought a moment.  "Could it be…Gary?"  Bugsy slapped the table. "Aha! That's it, it's been driving me crazy for days now.  I'm really bad with names."
Brock crunched on some more ice.  "Please continue"

"oh right, anyway, after we lost Syther was pretty beat up and I needed to take it to the Pokemon Center.  But before I could two people came in to challenge me.  But I couldn't take them on because all my pokemon were spent.  But they didn't seem to disappointed as they soon left.  I then went to the kitchen for a drink.  I thought I heard the back door open so, I put my drink down and went to check it out.  I thought maybe the wind blew it open."

Brock raised his eyebrow. "so that's when Syther ran away?"

Bugsy shook his head.  "no, Syther was in its pokeball at that time and I was carrying it with me.  When I got back to the kitchen, I drank my juice and was about to leave for the pokemon center when I became incredibly tired.  I figured that all the battling I did finally caught up to me.  I went to my room and feel asleep.  When I woke up I saw that Syther's pokeball was on the ground and opened.  When I fell asleep I must of dropped it and called out Syther.  I went to look for it but I couldn't find it anywhere.  But I did notice three things.  The front door to the gym was smashed open, the dirt on the floor had sythers foot prints as well as what I thought was mine.  And I also found this."

Bugsy held up a small bag containing what looked like hair fibers.

"I found these in a clump on the floor near the entrance.  It's hair, but not Syther's, nor any of my other pokemon.  All mine are bug pokemon, and none have hair anywhere on their bodies.  They all have exoskeletons.  Something is not adding up.  I believe something really bad went down and its put my Syther in jeopardy."  Bugsy became visually distraught.

Brock took the baggy and inspected it quizzically. He snapped his fingers and jumped up from the table.  "AHA!"  He ran over to his backpack and started routing through it. "something did happen to Syther And I think I know!  Tell me Bugsy are the footprints still there?"  Bugsy nodded. "everything was left the way I found it.  The door was replaced but I kept it in the tool shed out back……why?"

Brock pulled out an article of clothing from his back pack.  "I must inspect the clues at hand!"  He whirled around for a few seconds and stopped.  They all looked up to see Brock wearing a lab coat, complete with pocket protector.  "show me to the gym!"

Bugsy sweatdropped "uh……okay"

********************

"well this is it….." 

They all stood in the gym.  It had trees surrounding the battle ground which was made up of sand.  And in that sand, footprints could be made out.  Brock jumped into the arena and whipped out a microscope.  He scurried around and planted his face in the markings, making 'hmm' and 'umm' sounds as he went.  Ash, Misty and Bugsy all watched from the side when Brock suddenly jumped up. "AH-HAA!  Found my contact lens!" Ash threw a rock at him.  "what about the footprints!"

Brock set up a chart showing the footprints in black and red marker.  He struck the board with a long pointer which made them all jump. 

"during my investigation, I discovered many human foot prints in black marker, as well as what I made out to be Syther's, in the red marker."
He lifted up a sheet to reveal another chart showing the footprints before but new ones in blue marker. 

"I also found these, they appear to be another pokemon altogether.  I have determined from the size and shape of the foot that it is not a bug pokemon.  Now what makes this even more interesting is that the feet are moving in a strange pattern very close to each other, as if they were battling."
Bugsy felt a lump in his throat.  "but how?"

Brock pointed to the door.  "you said the door was busted open?"
Bugsy thought a moment.  "I just thought Syther forced his way out."
"what if someone forced their way in?"

Brock's answer shocked them all. Ash quickly stood up. "show us that door!"

************

"that was so simple, like talking candy from a baby."
"I think we've outdone ourselves this time."

*************

Bugsy walked over to the far side of the tool shed and pointed towards the mangled door that leaned against it.  Brock leaned down next to it and whipped out his magnifying glass.  He poked at the door with his finger and traced the outlines of the deep scourge marks. "Hmmmm………hmmmm……..hmmmmm…..that's interesting"

Misty leaned in. "what is?"
"my finger is really big!"
"gimmie that!" She reached down and grabbed the magnifying glass from his grip. 

Ash walked up to the door and rubbed the deep cut marks.  "so you think Syther did this?"
Bugsy showed them the picture.  "it's blades were very big and incredible sharp, they match perfectly with the cut marks."

Brock stood up and rubbed his chin.  "which direction are we facing it?"
"huh?" Bugsy said

"what side of the door are we looking at?"
"I don't know what you mean?"
Ash walked up to the door and patted it.  "is this how we would see it looking at it in or out of the building?"
Busgy thought a moment "……out side of the gym……why"

Brock smacked his fist into his palm.  "A-HA!! Don't you see, the cut marks are on the outside of the door! If Syther had done it the marks would be from the inside but it looks like somebody was breaking in!"

They all gasped as they heard Brock explanation.  Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out the bag with the clump of hair.  "it all makes sense…….while you were asleep…..you dropped the pokeball and Syther got out……and then…………damn, I thought I had something there ….."

They all fell over in stupidity

Ash rubbed his head confused.  "something dosen't add up, how would the robbers know that Syther was out of the pokeball?……….and whats with this clump of hair?"

Brock took the baggie from him.  "there's only one way to find out."

********

 Nurse Joy was carrying a tray of medicine and numerous bandages.  She turned her head as she heard the front door swing open.  She went wide eyed as an blurry object ran full speed toward her.  Joy yelped as she dropped the tray and felt something grab her hands.

"OH NURSE JOY! I LOVE YO*WHACK*"

The stunned nurse joy looked up to see Brock with a mallet inserted in his head. 

"oh…my….are you okay?" she asked worried

Misty grabbed the dazed brock by the ear and dragged him across the floor.

Ash quickly went up to the desk and apologized.  'sorry bout that, it's hard to contain him sometimes.  But not to worry, he's resilient."

Nurse joy shook it off and gave her usual warm smile.  "now young man, How can I help you?"

Ash reached into his jacket and pulled the baggie containing the mystours hair.

"please, Nurse Joy, could you tell us what pokemon this hair came from?"

"hmm?" She looked puzzled at first but then took the bag from Ash and opened it.  She took a few strands out and lifted them to the light.  She crossed her eyes and put in her glasses.  Ash and the others stood silent to wait for Joy's verdict.

"well, I can tell you this, it is of a ground or normal type pokemon, short hair, dark  coloring, and the split ends means it is not well kept.  The trainer of this pokemon should be ashamed.  I mean it has no glossy or shiny feel to it, and the texture is very rough……whoops, ventured a bit of topic there.  Tell you what I can enter the variables into my mainframe computer and see what kind of pokemon match-ups I get."

They all became very excited.  Brock clenched his fists.  "finally, some hard evidence!"

With a few strokes of the keyboard Nurse Joy started the search program. After a few seconds nurse joy walked over to the printer and tore of the data sheet.  She skimmed the page for a minute and handed it to Ash.  "I hope that helps with whatever your doing…..what are you doing?"

Ash didn't answer, he was to busy reading the sheet.

"okay it says……Tauros…..Kangaskan…Swinub…Vulpix……Mankey Ninetails…….Raticate…Meowth….WHAT!!"

Brock and Misty grabbed the paper and stared at it dumbly.

 "Meowth!" they both shouted in unison.

Bugsy looked uneasily at Ash.  "so……. what about a Meowth?"

Ash put the sheet in his pocket and put his hand on Bugsy's shoulder.  "we have to talk"

"huh?"

************

Bugsy sat at a table in an old diner.  He had a pop in his hands and a blank stare on his face.

"……I think I'm gonna throw up….."

They trio couldn't meet his gaze as all they could do was give him moral support.  Bugsy slumped his head in his hands.

"when I thought Syther had run away I was very worried…but now that I know that it was stolen I have a impecible sense of dread, sorrow and anger in me……….so you believe a group called Team Rocket did this?"

Ash nodded.  "they have been trying to steal my Pikachu here for years, they usually always fail…but this time they got lucky….but it isn't over yet.  I have a plan"

He swept everything off their table and grabbed the salt and pepper shakers. 

"okay here's the plan." He placed the shakers on the table near the edge.

"this will represent James and Jessie." 

Brock raised his hand "Which one is James?"

Ash sighed. "he's the salt shaker…..now this sugar packet will represent Meowth."  He reached into his pocket and pulled out some change.  "okay Misty will be the quarter, I'll be the dime and Brock will be the penny…"

Brock raised his hand again. "why am I the penny?"

Misty whacked him.  "cause nobody cares about pennies.."

Ash reached over and grabbed the ketchup and mustard bottles. "okay the ketchup bottle will represent Bugsy and the mustard will represent my secret weapon."
Before Brock could raise his hand Misty clocked him upside the head.

"now…for the important bit, Pikachu will be represented by this piece of corn I found on the floor."  He placed the morsel right in the middle of the assortment of condiments.

"okay now for my plan….where'd the ketchup go?"

He looked down to Pikachu who's face and hands were covered in ketchup. 

"great now Bugsy will have to be the mustard and my secret weapon will have to be my pokeball.  Okay now here's my plan…."

************

Misty kneeled over and inspected her handiwork.  Even though the boys did most of the grueling labor, she touch it up to make it more susceptible to their awaiting prey.  Pikachu was situated on a nearby tree branch looking over the park's endless pathways.  Bugsy wiped the dirt of his pants and ran over to Ash who seemed to be constructing some kind of camouflage duck blind. 

"what are you doing that for?"

Ash threw a handful of grass and twigs on the structure.  "well we need some kind of cover when they come around."

"Are sure this will work?" 

"look, where ever pikachu is Team Rocket is not far behind."

Brock walked up next to Ash and dumped a armful of rope at his feet.  "okay I've finished, what about you?"

Ash pointed at the duck blind. "I'm ready to, what about Mist?"

"she's just finishing up, so everything is set."

Ash rubbed his hands together.  "excellent"

Just then their ears perked up as they heard the shrill cry of Pikachu.  It pointed excitedly down the path as Misty ran over to Ash and the others.  Pikachu hopped down from the branches and scurried over to the middle of the pathway.  Everyone ducked behind the duck blind and threw leafs and branches on themselves.  They all shushed each other as they watched Pikachu take its position the pathway. 

Minutes later Brock could hear the rumblings of none other then Team rocket coming from the trail. 

Jessie held the pokeball containing Smergle in her hand. "Great plan Meowth! Now we have a completely useless pokemon, that nobody wants, the boss is mad at us, and we now have 5 days to get a new pokemon or ELSE WE GET FIRED!" 

"don't yell at me! James was the one who found it!"

He shot Meowth an angry look.  "but Jessie was the one who caught it!  So it is completely her fault!"

As they continued to argue they didn't notice the intense bolt of electricity streaming towards them. 

"PIKAAAACHUUUUUU!!!!!!"

The bolt hit them with incredible power.  They convulsed in mid air as the electricity surged through their bodies.  They attack was over as soon as it had happened.  Team Rocket lay in smoldering heap on the pathway.  The tangled mass of arms and legs began to stir and they struggled to get to their feet.  James raised his head to see Pikachu with a huge smirk on his face.

"waa!  Its Pikachu!"

Meowth clawed his way out from underneath James and stared at the smiling electric rat. 

"let's swipe it!"  they excitedly hopped to their feet and sprinted towards Pikachu.  Just when they were about 4 feet away from Pikachu, the ground crumbled from underneath them.  Team Rocket crashed down in a 10 foot vertical pit.  As the dust settled they rubbed their aching backs and stared out of the little hole.

"What the?!" Team Rocket screamed.

Ash jumped from behind the duck blind and ran towards their trap, closely followed by Brock, Misty and Bugsy.  He stopped at the lip of the hole and looked down at his capture.  Team Rocket on the other hand were not impressed as they saw Ash looming over them. 

"what are you doing twerp!?"  Jessie yelled. 

James took a handful of dirt and crushed it between his hands.  "not only will you have to deal with us, but our lawyers to! We have a patent pending on the pitfall plan!!"

Ash kicked some stones into the pit.  "now listen up! Where is Syther?!"

Team Rocket looked at each other, not knowing what was going on.  James raised his hand .  "is this some kind of a trivia question?"

Just then Bugsy appeared beside Ash. "the Syther you stole from me!"

Again Team Rocket where incredibly confused.  Jessie narrowed her eyes.  "what are you talking about?  We've never stolen any pokemon from him.  To be perfectly honest…." She looked at James and Meowth.  "We really have never stolen any pokemon…….successfully that is.."
James rubbed his hands together nervously.  "no wonder the Boss wants to fire us!"

Ash looked up to Brock and Misty who where in returning his confused gaze.  He had to think about what they were saying.  "so……your saying….you didn't break into the Azeala gym and steal Bugsy's

 Syther?"

Team Rocket shook their heads.  "we didn't do anything!"

Misty slammed her fist into his palm.  "A-ha! I knew something didn't add up!  The door, the battle, the set-up, everything….James and Jessie could never think of such a plan!"
Ash scratched his forehead.  "oohh, yeah...didn't see why thought of that…'

Team rocket fell over in stupidity.  "You know, we're not that hopeless!"  Meowth screamed.

Ash turned back to the group.  "but something still dosen't add up….what about the hair sample? It said it belong to a Meowth."

At this time Team rocket had climbed out of the hole and collapsed on the ground.  Misty reached into Ash's coat pocket and unfolded the data sheet they got from Nurse Joy. 

"but it list like a dozen other pokemon…….it could be anyone."

Bugsy took the photo out from his pocket and sadly took another look at it.  "….Syther…."

Ash and the others shook their head.  After all they went through they were as far away from solving the case then ever before.  They were at square one, and had nothing left to go on.  Brock took out the hair sample and inspected it further.  It was much darker then Meowth's and it was a lot longer, and Meowth's fur was better kept.  Obviously from the numerous cleanings it gave itself.

Misty rubbed Bugsy's shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.  "it'll be okay, we'll just try something else."  He continued to stare silently at the ground.  Meanwhile Team Rocket where stretching out their sore backs from their spill. 

James rubbed his lumbago.  "Oh the humiliation! To think the twerps caught us in our own trap!"

He looked down to see Pikachu walking past them.  "wait a minute……"

"PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!" Jessie screamed

But before they could continue with their infamous Motto.  Ash saw a old couple walking down the pathway.  He grabbed the photo from Bugsy and ran Past team Rocket, accidentally knocking James into the pit. "EHEEIOHOHOHOO!"

Bugsy called after Ash.  "what are you doing?!!" 

Ash stopped and pointed to the elderly couple down the pathway.  "if we have any chance of olving this case we need to do it the old fashion way, ask people questions about Syther!"

Misty threw a rock at Ash.  "you idiot! That won't work!"

Determined not to give up he ran up to the elderly couple and held up the picture of Bugsy and Syther.  "Excuse me have you seen this pokemon?" 

The old women wore a heavy coat and thick glasses.  Her hair was long and gray and her face was scrunched up from the dozen of wrinkles.  The man was just as decrepit, only he was bald and a small tuft of hair grew from his chin.  The elderly couple leaned into the picture and fixed their glasses.  Soon they raised their heads and frowned.

"sorry, young man……never seen it before in my life." The old man said. 

Just then Ash was spun around by Jessie and James who were fuming mad. 

"How many times do we have to tell you!" James cried

"DON'T INTERUPT OUT MOTTO!!" they all screamed

Misty and the others ran up to Ash with pokeballs in hand, ready to battle.

Misty pushed Jessie off Ash and thrust her pokeball in her face.  "now's as good as time as any to pay you back for what your Arbok did to my boyfriend!"

Jessie threw her arms up in defense.  "hey that was an accident!  We may be evil but we never want…ed…..did you say boyfriend?!"

Misty nodded.  "yeah, that's right!" she said proudly.

Team Rocket burst into a fit of giggles as they pointed at the young couple. 

"AWWW! That's so kawaii!" they shouted disdainfully.  Jessie and James grabbed each others hands and started making squishy kissing sounds. 

Misty and Ash turned Crimson, but mostly from anger then embarrassment.

"I wuv you Ash!" Jessie said sarcastically

"and I wuv you twerp!"  Team rocket broke down and laughed.

Ash looked over to see the old couple snickering.  "huh?"

Misty however, could not take it any more as she hurled her pokeball at Team Rocket.  It opened in midair and released Staryu, who whirled around, nearly slicing down Team rocket as it flew inches above.  "HAH!"

Jessie wasn't about to back down from the twerps, she was about to throw her pokeball containing Arbok, when suddenly a brilliant flash of light exploded from her belt.  The pokeball containing Smeargle had opened, much to Jessie's dismay.  It materialized in front of Misty, who looked at it perplexed.  "what is that?"

Jessie rubbed her forehead.  "we're about to find out…..Smeargle!….."  She bent down next to Meowth.  "um….what attacks can it do?"

"how do I know?" Meowth stated.

Ash looked back again to the elderly couple who were once again snickering, and covering their mouths. 

"excuse me, um…what are you laughing at?"

The old couple seemed visably nervous from Ash's question.  The old man waved his hand in the air.  "oh nothing young man, just thinking of a joke I heard…"  Not a second after he had said that, James ears perked up.  He brought his hand to his chin and began to think deeply. "I know that voice….but from where?" Jessie could've   sworn she saw wisps of smoke pour out of James' ears.  The rusted gears inside his head were working overtime as he struggled to find the answer.

 Mean while the old couple were slowly side stepping away from the melee.  "well, we must be off…" The old man said.

Finally something clicked inside James head as he thrust his finger at the old man.  "that voice! I thought I heard it from somewhere! It's Botch!!"

The old man shook with anger as to everyones surprise, ripped off his face, which was quickly reveled as a clever mask.

"MY NAME IS BUTCH YOU IDIOT!!!!"

Everyone stared in shock, But James was quite pleased with himself.  It wasn't soon after that the fellow team rocket member had let his identity slip when the old women shed her costume as well.  It was none other then Cassidy and her counterpart, Butch.  They were the successors of Team Rocket, and the rivals of James and Jessie. 

Cassidy brushed her blond hair from her face.  "well it's good to be out those disguises, that mask did nothing my hid my beauty. Thee hee!"

Jessie clenched her fists, not exactly happy to see her nemesis.  "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!!" She and Cassidy have had issue in the past, that she was Giovanni's favorite didn't help matters.

Cassidy fixed her bunched up skirt and glared at Jessie.  "well isn't it the under achievers, haven't seen you awhile…still failing as usual?"  She and Butch snickered at Jessie as James struggled to restrain her.  Cassidy withdrew a pokeball from her belt and spun it on her fingertip.  "we have been doing jobs, unlike you.  You see we have a brand new pokemon to bring to the boss.  What about you?" she said smugly.

Ash ran back to the group as they heard the 4 members of Team Rocket squabble. Ash gave the picture back to Bugsy who, in the meantime was watching Butch and Cassidy intently.  "I….know them from somewhere……"  Everyone including Togepi was confused.  "Togi?"

It finally hit Bugsy like a ton of bricks.  "those are the Gym building inspectors!"  Although that wasn't exactly what they thought his answer would be, they were curious nonetheless.  Bugsy snapped his fingers.  "I knew I saw them before, they came by the Gym to give it the bi annual inspection." 

"why would they do that?" Ask asked.

"allow me" said Brock.  "the pokemon league issues building safety inspectors to pokemon gyms.  They have to meet up to a standard code of safety,  after so many pokemon battles lots of damage can occur that could make the building unstable and unsafe for pokemon and trainers.  If you pass, you stay open, or if you fail, they shut you down.  I had them over at my gym, they come twice every year."

Ash nodded.  "oh I see…..but when have Cassidy and Butch been pokemon league building inspectors?"

Brock narrowed his eyes.  "they haven't!"

They looked back to where the team rocket members where about to break out into a pokemon battle.  Jessie released Arbok, which made Ash and Misty wince as they thought of that frightening day where they had almost lost each other.  They also watching intently as Cassidy released a Raticate.

Ash looked down at the data sheet and made a startling realization, the name before Meowth, was Raticate.  He looked at Misty and Brock who were obviously thinking the same thing.  Without wasting any time the leapt into action.  Ash withdrew his secret weapon.  He stared at the shining pokeball with an immense sense of pride.  Now would be his time to use Articuno in a real battle, the excitement was to much as he stepped forward in front Team Rocket.  He shamefully pointed his finger down on Butch and Cassidy. "it was you who stole Syther! And now you will give it back to Bugsy or pay!"

Ash's little dramatic outburst surprised Butch and Cassidy who for the first time saw Bugsy on the far side of the path.  They were both visibly worried now, knowing they had been found out.  But they attempted to remain cool, but collected.  They both knew what Ash was capable off, since they had met up with him in the past.  

He quickly whipped his hat around.  He loosened his grip on the pokeball and let fly.  What happened next would change the lives of 4 members of team rocket and 1 gym leader.  The magnificent blue artic bird burst out from the confines of the pokeball and stretched it's wings as ice crystals filled were carried by the wind.  Butch and Cassidy stared dumbly at the beautiful legendary bird.  Bugsy turned to Misty and Brock and slowly waved his finger in the general direction of the artic bird.  "its….its…….its Articuno….." he said astonished.

"ARTICUNO! BLIZZARD!!!!" the mighty bird lifted its heavy winds in the air.  Butch and Cassidy grabbed onto each other in terror.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

******************

"and that's what happened officer." 

"HA, right and I'm a mankeys uncle…..legendary bird…..sheesh….well anyway you did capture them, which deserves a great amount of respect.  And we were able to retrieve your pokemon after we defrosted the suspects.  Anyway, well thank you for all your help, and we'll let you carry on with your normal business."

As the dim-witted Police officer left, Bugsy was of higher spirits.  He had his prized pokemon back and he witnessed an incredible site.  Needless to say he now had higher respect for Ash Ketchum then he could have ever dreamed of.

He pushed open the kitchen door and sat down next to Ash at the table.  "well, that about solves everything, I can't thank you enough for what you did."  Ash patted him on the back.  "We were all glad to help Bugsy, it was really interesting to see how it all came together in the end."

Bugsy nodded and turned to Ash.  "How did you know that they did it?"

"it's really quite simple really.."  Brock cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "1 week ago when Butch and Cassidy came by posing as the building inspectors but were really checking out the gym for possible points of entry and escape. Soon after they left you began battling again and soon after that closed up the gym and got something to drink.  You then heard the back door open, when you left to close it, butch had already snuck into the kitchen an applied a sleeping drug to your milk.  When you guzzled the milk, seconds later you became very drowsy and went to sleep.  You had the pokeball in your hand when you went to sleep.  All Butch had to do was knock the ball out of your hand and lure Syther to the gym where Cassidy had broken into through the front door.  That was their first mistake.  A battle then ensued between their Raticate and Syther, and during the match, Syther sliced a clump of hair off Raticate.  They were able to corner it and capture it.  It seems that the pokeball you found on your floor, wasn't your pokeball at all it was a decoy.  All they had to do was make it seem that Syther was trying to escape and call it back into the pokeball.  Of course they didn't count on their own footprints being in the dirt.  That was their second mistake, their third was messing with us!" Ash and Brock high five'd each other across the table.  Misty narrowed her eyes at Brock.  "how did you know that?" Brock shifted in his seat.  "Well, I just used my fantastic sense of logic and observation….and I was so able to discover……"  Misty continued to stare at Brock coldly.  "that……I……." He shamefully stared at the ground.  "…..Butch voluntarily confessed after Ash partially froze them using Articuno….*cough*"

The all laughed at Brock and his honesty.  The case was solved and things could finally return to normal.  More importantly Ash could now battle for a badge.  Bugsy triumphantly led Ash and his friends to the gym.  He stood opposite of ash, pokeball in hand.  "Ash! I know I might not have much of a chance against ya, but it will be my honor to battle you and Articuno!"  He reached back threw his pokeball.  He gazed proudly as Syther stretched its arms and wings.  "its great to have you back Syther, I knew you never would run away……ready to battle!"  Syther nodded and jumped into the battlefield.  Ash did his trademarked hat thing, and reached to his belt.  "ask and you shall receive!"  The air in the gym dropped a few degrees cooler as Articuno popped out of the ball. As Bugsy and Ash exchanged a smile, Brock slowly raised his hand. "Trainers ready!…..begin!"

"Syther, SWORD DANCE!"

***************

"the second piece of the puzzle will soon come into play…………. hurry chosen one!"

***************

"Sir, Jessie and James are here to see you, they say they have some urgent news about a certain trainer and a pokemon that demands you immediate attention."

"Oh really?…..send them in"

to be continued

Part 7 coming soon! Approx completion date – sept 9/01

Authors notes: Hey special thanks to Kirk Staley and Angie! They really pushed me to finish this fic! Thanks guys! Also check out Angie's new fic 'My Tender Strength' it really kicks ass.  Check it out.  Also of your in the mood to laugh please check out my newly released fic 'Horror Flick' or my popular fic, "dude, where's my hat?".  Or if you feel in the dark angst mood, please look up 'Memories are the sweetest hiding place…..'.  by the way, do you like to write parodies? Then enter my contest '2BA parody Master contest'  to find all of these fics including my personal favs click on my Bio!

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