Where The Red Fern Grows: A Pokemon Story

Cerulean Shadow's Note: To Soft Flame Matthias, if the stage notes is actually bothering you, I'm really sorry about that. I was just trying to do the best I can for the story. Again, about the nemesis, you'll find out soon enough... and if you think it's... what a minute! I shouldn't blurt out what's happening next! Hmmm... Anyway, you'll find the movie proardy of "Where The Red Fern Grows" really interesting. I'm just writing this fanfic about it for a reason: It's so amazing, you just want to show it to everyone that has never heard of it... By fanfic.

And, about your question to write the rehearsal stages of "Where The Red Fern Grows: A Pokemon Story", you have my permission. But I advice you to write it in your own words and your own story. I know you'll find ideas from my story. I'll be sure to review it soon enough... And if you have any questions about the story at all, just ask me. Well, good luck with your writing, Soft Flame!


"What's my motivation for this scene?" Ash asked Becky as he got prepared for the upcoming scene.
"You, Meowth, and Pikachu have to go hunt for Zigzagoon in here. But remember, no Pokemon will be hurt in this play. Especially at the end." Becky said.

"Good. You got those Zigzagoon hides ready, Misty?" Ash asked.
"All set. Good thing that they're fake, otherwise we're not helping Growlithe." Misty said as she held the Zigzagoon skins.

"I'll have to talk with Will soon after this scene is-" Becky began, but was interruped by a beeping sound.

It was her watch. Five minutes was up. They had to get prepared for their next scene, before there isn't a scene!

"Uh-oh. We better get started. Everyone in place?" Becky asked.
"Check." Ash said.
"All right." Becky said. "Let's get through with this."

BEGINNING OF SCENE SIX

The afternoon was straight. Old Meowth and Little Pikachu were well on the scent of a pure Zigzagoon. With Ash following behind them, the two Pokemon ran towards the raccoon like Pokemon, with Pikachu leading the way. Off in the distance, a Zigzagoon hears the Pokemon coming, and runs. Little Pikachu notices it by the minute, and speeds up, with Old Meowth following his routine. The Zigzagoon came across a small river, and crossed it by reaching and leaping on a few rocks. The Pokemon spot this routine, and follows the furry coon. But somehow, the Zigzagoon managed to make a strong move to lose the scent. He covered his feet in the water, leaving his furry paws wet, but fresh out of coon scent. Old Meowth and Little Pikachu came to a stop to the side of the river, sniffing out where the Zigzagoon left out. Ash caught up with the Pokemon, stopping to realize his Pokemon lost the scent.

"I'm ashamed of you, Little Pikachu. You let that Zigzagoon fool you like this, you'll never be a hunting Pokemon! You either, Meowth." Ash said.

Little Pikachu ignored his remark, but instead found the remains of the Zigzagoon's scent. Old Meowth recognized the scent as well, and followed Pikachu on his search for the Zigzagoon.

"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed as he ran towards the following scent of the Pokemon. Ash was again, impressed with his Pokemon's hard work.

"You'll never fool them again!" he yelled at the Zigzagoon. "Not never!"

After his cheering exclamation, Ash followed his faithful Pokemon. Amazed by the Pokemon's attempt to capture him, the Zigzagoon sped up to his last strength of running, hoping that the Pokemon would slow down. But Old Meowth and Little Pikachu were different. They weren't going to give up just like that. They were going to impress Ash one way or another. Logs blocked the way, more rivers to cross, rocks in the way... but nothing was going to stop Ash, Meowth, and Pikachu for any reason at all. After following a short path that leads to a short road, the unthinkable happens-- the Zigzagoon climbed up the forests' highest tree. The Pokemon caught up, but weren't so lucky. Ash heard the growling up at the tree, trying to climb up. But the bark was too steep. Ash actually couldn't see the Zigzagoon hide between the leaves of the two and-a-half inch branch.

"Doggone!" he exclaimed. But like his motto say, never give up, just because a coon is up a tree. With a breath of a sigh, he bend down at his two disappointed Pokemon.

"All right. Now, I made a promise and I'll keep it. We'll get that Zigzagoon, whatever it takes. Yeah." he said.

The Pokemon smiled. Ash took out his hatchet, and swinged it at the tree, trying to cut it in half. The bark came off a little, but the whole tree trunk was impossible to tare down. And both Meowth and Pikachu knew it. But they continued to stare at Ash's hard work of cutting down the tree.

"Those Pokemon must have thought he'd lost his marbles. Anyone else would have. Ash didn't know how he was gonna do it, but a promise is a promise." Becky said through the microphone backstage.

For hours and hours, Ash tried to cut down that tree. A few bark fell down on the ground, but that didn't change anything. Ash didn't know how long it would take to cut the tree. That tree trunk was too strong to even cut down. It would take weeks, or even months to chop it down! But Ash didn't care. He was keeping a promise for Old Meowth and Little Pikachu. But the promise lasted, until sunset...

"Ash. Ash."

Ash woke up by the sound of his father. James, Jessie, Misty, May, and Grandpa were right beside him, with the carriage behind them. It seemed that Ash, Old Meowth, and Little Pikachu fell asleep during the job of cutting that tree, overnight.

"Come on, son." James said as he helped Ash stand up.
"I couldn't come home." Ash said as he rubbed his eyes. "My Pokemon put one up a tree."
"Oh... That's a big sycamore." Grandpa said as he looked at the Zigzagoon.
"Biggest in the whole river bottom." Ash said.
"There ain't no use for cutting down a tree like this for just one Zigzagoon. Come on, Ash. Let's go home." James said.

"I can't, Poppa." Ash said.
"You can't? Why?"
"I made a bargain with the Pokemon. I told 'em if they put one up a tree, I'd do the rest. They done their part... It's up to me to do mine."

"... Let me take a look at those hands." Jessie said.

Ash revealed his blistered and sore hands to his mother. Jesse reckoned that he's been working a lot longer than she thought.

"Does that hurt?" she asked.
"It's all right." Ash answered.

"You gonna cut down a tree like this, Ash, you need a man size ax." James said as he handed Ash an even larger ax. He reached into his pocket, and took out a pair of gloves.

"Here are my gloves." he said.
"Thanks, Pa." Ash said.
"And before you swing that ax, I want you to eat these eggs. You can share the biscuits with the Pokemon. Okay?" Jessie asked as she handed Ash a plate of eggs and biscuits. "All right."

Without anybody looking, Grandpa took a closer glance at Ash, waiting for an answer to his question.

"Ash, can you handle this?" Grandpa whispered.
"Yes, Grandpa." he replied.

"Well, I guess every boy should have a tree to chop down once in his lifetime. We're gonna have enough wood for three seasons. You take care now, all right?"

Ash nodded. And saw his family take off back home.

With the man sized ax, Ash continued to chop the tree. It took a while for half of the bark to clamp off. But the Pokemon, however, decided to wait, once again. To make things faster, Ash chopped the other side of the tree, only to make it topple down. Little Pikachu laid down on the dirt ground, while Old Meowth sits up. More hours passed, and Ash still continued to chop the tree. Little Pikachu was a little worried that Ash was going to lose all of his strength just trying to get that Zigzagoon. In fact, the Zigzagoon waited up above for Ash to make his next move. As for Old Meowth, he's beyond any Pokemon would ever be-- bored. But Ash still continued to chop the tree. Tears of sweat dripped down Ash's face, but he kept going on. For a moment then, both Pokemon started to get bored! The chopping thud still continued throughout the forest. Little Pikachu rolled over on his back, hoping to get some sleepiness out of his eye. But it seemed that nothing could make Ash stop chopping the tree.

Noon came, and Ash still continued to chop. Old Meowth and Little Pikachu thought that this was going to go on forever! After his arms cramping with every move he made, Ash finally stopped. He dropped the blade on the ground, while whipping the sweat off his forehead.

"Pika!"

Ash turned around to Little Pikachu. What was he doing? Was he urging Ash to go on? Then he heard Old Meowth purr his own words as well.

"Reow... Meow..."

That was the first time, Meowth has ever spoken like a real Meowth in real life. And he was sort of proud of it. Anyway, Ash knew that his Pokemon was going to give him the support that he needed to go on with capturing that Zigzagoon. He can't let those Pokemon down. Not now. He picked up the ax, and slammed it on the tree trunk. Only, twice as hard. But a few times didn't work. Ash stopped, and dropped the ax to the ground. It was over. That tree was impossible to cut down. He had to face his Pokemon, and tell them why he can't do it anymore. But he mostly didn't want to disappoint Little Pikachu anymore than he would ever try to do.

"I just can't do it, Little Pikachu." Ash said. "My strength's all gone."

But neither Pikachu or Meowth blamed him. He tried his best, and the Pokemon accepted it. But, Ash wasn't going to give up hope. After all, there was only one possibility that they could get the Zigzagoon: God. Ash thought that maybe He can help. He looked up at the sunny sky, hoping that God is listening.

"Haven't I done my fair share? Can't you help me a little?"

Those words made Ash wonder if God did hear him. But God listens to every child's reply. And He will make the requests happen. The wind started to blow mighty hard, practically Ash's cap was about to fall off his head. He then heard wood creaking. It was the tree! God had listened to Ash's prayer, and was going to help the boy achieve the dream of capturing a Zigzagoon. Little Pikachu stared, while Old Meowth gawked. Ash quickly told Pikachu and Meowth to run for safety, and they all hid behind a large boulder.

"Come on, Pikachu. Come on, Meowth." Ash softly said.

Slowly, was the wind blew, the tree started to tumble down. Ash was too excited to say timber. But watched silently as the tree hit the ground with a large thud. Soon after the tree fell, Ash, Meowth, and Pikachu spotted the Zigzagoon escaping to the woods. Happy as ever, the Pokemon ran to capture the running Zigzagoon. Relieved, Ash followed them, running like the wind.

"Wa-hoo!" he cheered.

For what seemed like an eternity, Ash, Old Meowth, and Little Pikachu have achieved success. At the smoke house it seemed like hundreds, or thousands of coon-skin hides! It seemed that Old Meowth and Little Pikachu were the number one hunting Pokemon in the Ozarks! And Ash has never been so proud of his Pokemon in his life.

"Ash's ma always regretted the cap she made him out of that first coonhide. She said after that, he had Zigzagoon on the brain. Lucky for Ash, it turns out the price they were getting for those skins was turning for what he loved doing the most in the world into a whole lot of money for the family. Meanwhile, Ash and his Pokemon were getting known in those parts, on account of bringing in the most skins to Grandpa's store."

END OF SCENE SIX


Backstage, Ash dropped on the chair in the lounge, bushed as ever. His hands actually had to do all of that chopping for a long time. Meowth and Pikachu knew how he felt. They had to sit down bored to death! But they knew that more action would come to the play. Until Misty, Becky, and May came in the lounge.

"Does your hands hurt, Ash?" Misty asked at she looked at his hands.
"Nah. I'm okay, Misty." Ash said.
"Oh, good." she replied.
"By the way, about that tree falling down, it seemed to realistic, Becky." Ash said.
"What?" Becky asked.
"You know, about tipping that tree down. How did you do that?" Ash asked.
"I didn't do that."
"Yeah. And the rest of us were watching you backstage." May said.

"... But who could have..." Ash said.
"... You don't think?" Misty asked.

"Hmm... Maybe..." Ash said.

TO BE CONTINUED...