Day 31

Sunny

Current mood: happy

Current location: Mareep Fields, just outside Lanas Town

Dear Diary:

We're resting here in Mareep Fields tonight, and after all the excitement today, I sure need to rest, but all these Mareep crowding around me and bleating in my ears is driving me crazy! Am I some kind of Mareep attractant or something?

Rant aside, I suppose I could tell you about our adventure with these Mareep...you see, we arrived in the fields yesterday afternoon, and since Misty was complaining about being hungry, we stopped and made a temporary camp. We had enough time to make sandwiches (ham and cheese, my favorite!)...but Brock just had to play a joke on Misty...he blasted a party horn in her face--right as Ash was about to take a bite of his sandwich! The noise not only startled Misty, but made Ash choke as well! Thankfully, I gave him the Heimlich manuver, so he was fine.

While Ash was recovering, he spotted a sheep like Pokemon with pale yellow fleece coming to sample some of our fruit. He smiled and fed the little Pokemon, who happily began bleating and hopping around in pure joy...all the jumping startled me, so I fired a few Thunderbolts in an attempt to calm it down...but it appeared to enjoy the shocks so it kept bouncing about...and before long, some of its friends joined in! I felt like I was about to be buried alive in Mareeps!

Just then, all the Mareeps perked up at the sound of a girl's voice, and despite the girl's efforts to calm the Mareep down, only one--which had a plaid collar on--calmed down enough to be cuddled with its master, leaving me to dodge what seemed like hundreds of Mareeps!

The girl's mother arrived a few minutes later with her Raichu, Raika, and led the Mareep back to their corral. The girl, Mary, apologized for letting the Mareep escape, but she received a scolding nonetheless--the only part I heard of it was something about battling--I think she wanted to train her Mareep for battle.

Mary's mom told us that the Mareep that live here in the fields have the softest wool in all Johto, and every year the annual Mareep Celebration is held in Lanas Town...Ash was interested, but Mary explained that only those that lived in Lanas Town and the surrounding areas can compete in the competitions. Mary begged her mom to try entering her Mareep, Fluffy, in the Lanas Cup, but got a stern no. I felt sorry for Mary as I helped Raika with the roundup.

That evening, Ash saw Mary and Fluffy training, and actually applauded her as Fluffy successfully zapped a target. Humored by the applause, Mary begged Ash for a duel: his strongest vs. Fluffy. Ash accepted, with Brock acting as our referee. I could see the determination in her eyes as Brock drew a makeshift Poke Ball in the grass and decorated the two halves of the Ball with gold and silver glitter--so it looked somewhat like an arena in the Johto area.

"Okay..." Brock stood on the side of the arena, hung a whistle around his neck and asked "Gold side ready?" Ash gave an affirmative nod. "Silver side ready?" Fluffy gave an excited bleat. "And three...two...one..." and with that, blew the whistle to start the duel!

I tried to charge up an attack, but Fluffy tackled me, nearly pounding me into the ground! But before I could get up again, Fluffy growled at me, drowning out Ash's next order! Despite my bravest efforts, Fluffy kept hammering me and not letting me get a move in edgewise!

Luckily, I managed to land a Thundershock, counter Fluffy's own Thundershock--but doing so consumed most of my remaining strength, so Ash called me back. Thinking that I was about to go down, Mary told Fluffy to attack again, but the little Mareep collasped in exhaustion. She was about to call her order again, but Brock's whistle interrupted her. "No contest! This duel is a draw!"

Mary was confused as to why Ash had called me back...so Ash explained that in a battle, you understand and respect your Pokemon's limits, and when they get tired, you call them back. On that note, we decided to head to bed for the night.

A storm came in at around midnight, so we shepherded the Mareep to the top of Lanas Cliff, where the lightning could strike them and make their coats glow. We were all enjoying the glowing Mareep until a net came out of nowhere and captured me and the other Mareep in the process!

Raika saw Team Rocket reeling us in and attempted to break us loose. She DID free the Mareep by popping Team Rocket's balloon, but Team Rocket sent Arbok and Weezing to keep her busy.

With Raika distracted, the Mareep tried to help Ash pick the lock on my cage by gently zapping the bars--but even then, all their power wasn't enough to loosen the bars! That's when Fluffy decided to step in, defending Raika from Arbok and Weezing as best she could. Piqued by Fluffy's bravery, Mary's mom told all the other Mareeps to give Fluffy their power. Fluffy was glowing a bright gold as she rammed my cage, breaking me free! As a thank you to the Mareeps and Raika, I let them help me zap Team Rocket.

Mary was elated by Fluffy's brave deed, and was even more happy when she was told that she could use Fluffy in the Lanas Cup--which we had to miss, since we have to keep moving to Azelea Town, and here I am, TRYING to write while all these Mareep are crowded around me, bleating and trying to eat the pages! I only ask that I get to write tomorrow's entry in peace!

Saving my sanity until tomorrow,

Pikachu