The GS Ball

"Welcome to Valencia Island!" Tracey exclaimed as the group disembarked from Lapras' back. The island was quite small and rather deserted as there were only a few civilians roaming about. An abandoned airport laid to the west, having gone out of commission awhile ago as nobody used blimps to travel anymore which was the most probable cause for the island's small population. There were more populated islands that were popular with tourists so most likely packed up and moved to a location with better income. Professor Ivy's lab was the only thing of note left part from the standard Pokemon Center and Pokemart but seeing how the famous Professor Oak didn't draw a large crowd to Pallet Town, a small time Professor like Professor Ivy wouldn't have much of a draw either.

"Aw, even the beaches are deserted!" Brock frowned.

"That's probably a good thing, I doubt you'd find your future wife just waiting on a beach for you." Chloe sweated.

"Alright, let's go meet Professor Ivy and pick up that strange sounding GS ball!" Ash exclaimed while excitedly leaping up into the air before turning back towards Lapras. "Thanks for the ride Lapras, take a long rest!"

"Laaaa!" Lapras sung out a melodic tune as he disappeared back into his Pokeball.

Not far off from the coastline a Magikarp shaped submarine rose from the ocean's depths. "Jackpot, we've found the twerps!" Meowth exclaimed.

"And they're going towards a Pokemon research facility, this is the perfect opportunity to strike!" Jessie eagerly shouted out. "We can nab Pikachu, Eevee and whatever the Professor's watching over as well! We'll be rich!"

James was notably quiet though as he gazed towards Victreebel, the Pokemon's yellow body had turned a sickly green color while his eyes had a sick and pathetic look to them. "Tree..." Victreebel groaned out.

"Victreebel..." James gave his Pokemon a light pat while offering him a sympathetic expression.

"Tree..." Victreebel didn't look convinced though, coughing out before turning away as he avoided his trainer's gaze.

Ash, Brock, Chloe and Tracey continued their way across the island until they came across Professor Ivy's research facility. The laboratory didn't have the same amount of open space as Oak's nor was it as big as Professor Cerise's lab though it did appear to have an interior where the Pokemon could safely dwell much like Cerise's had.

"I'm guessing it's not as big since the Orange League isn't as popular as the Indigo and Silver League," Chloe softly spoke.

Ash was shaking from excitement as they stepped closer. "I can't wait to see what sort of Pokemon she's watching over!"

"And not to mention the GS ball, I hope we get to find out what's inside it!" Brock exclaimed shortly before hearts appeared in his eyes. "And Professor Ivy, I bet she's cute!"

The Rocket trio were quietly trailing after them, hopping from bush to bush as they made their way there.

"T-Tree-Treechooo!" Victreebel sneezed causing the trio and Wobbuffet to gasp out before quickly covering his mouth to prevent him from giving away their location.

"Hm?" Tracey and Chloe glanced back before shrugging, turning their attention back towards the lab as Ash began knocking upon the door. Croagunk's gaze remained locked behind them, silently croaking as he seemed to be staring directly at the trio.

"Croa... croa..."

"That Croagunk really gives me the creeps..." Jessie shivered.

"Shhhh!" James and Meowth hissed out.

"Wobbu-!"

"SHHH!" The three pushed down on Wobbuffet as he loudly cried out.

"Yes?" Thankfully the twerps were distracted by another source as the door opened to reveal a fairly attractive woman who appeared to be in her mid to late twenties despite being a 'close friend' of Professor Oak's. She wasn't wearing much when it came to clothing either as she wore a simple lab coat atop a one piece bathing suit. She had short purple hair and a rather calm and cool air to her as she looked the group over, she seemed familiar with Tracey as she gave him a silent nod of acknowledgement.

Ash and Chloe were momentarily stunned by the reveal but Brock wasn't going to waste any time, hearts burst from his eyes as he slid forward while dropping to a knee. "Oh wow! Professor Ivy my name's Brock and the mere sight of you makes my heart go wild! Age may be just a number but fear not for I am very much legal!" Brock informed while stretching his hand out towards her in an offering manner.

"Croa..." Croagunk's hand turned a violent shade of purple as he prepared to jab Brock's back.

"And it'd mean the world to me if you'd go out with me tonight!"

Professor Ivy seemed stunned yet flattered by the request. "I'm flattered you feel that way Brock but I'll have to politely decline, I don't swing that way."

"Gunk?!"

"Ahhh!" Brock's jaw dropped, color briefly left his face as he felt awkward and embarrassed by the situation.

Ash sweated lightly before speaking up to change the subject. "Hello there Professor, I'm Ash Ketchum and these are my friends, Brock, Chloe and Tracey. We're here on behalf of Professor Oak-"

"E-Eee...EeeCHOOO!" Eevee sneezed rather loudly causing the group to turn to her before gasping out as her fur turned a sickly shade of green. "Eevoi..."

"Well would you look at that, it appears that the twerpette's Eevee caught whatever Victreebel has." James noted.

"Yeah? Well then why haven't I-ACHOO!" Meowth sneezed out.

"W-WobbuCHOO!" Wobbuffet sneezed not long after Meowth, both their faces had turned a sickly shade of green.

"Oh my gosh, Eevee!" Chloe anxiously cried out upon spotting Eevee's sickly green color. "What happened to you?!"

"Maybe she snuck something she shouldn't have?" Brock suggested.

"Pika." Pikachu shook his head while pointing towards his stomach, seeming to say that they ate the same things the other had. However it wasn't long before Pikachu fell from Ash's shoulder. "Chaaa!"

"Toxel..." Ash groaned out while glancing towards his other shoulder.

"T-Tox!" Toxel raised his paws and hastily shook his head as he claimed to be innocent.

"Oh no, Pikachu appears to have gotten sick too!" Brock exclaimed while pointing towards Pikachu's body which started turning a green color.

"Chaaa..."

"Pikachu!" Ash quickly bent over and scooped his best friend up before flashing Ivy an anxious look. "Will they be okay?!"

"I-I believe so... but let's get them inside just in case, I haven't seen this kind of sickness before." Professor Ivy opened the door further before stepping aside to let the group inside. The group was quick to follow while Jessie and James shared looks of concern as Victreebel, Meowth and Wobbuffet all passed out.

"Oh wow... those Vileplume look different!" Ash couldn't help but exclaim as the group passed through the section of the lab inhabited by Pokemon. The plant atop Vileplume was an orange color with various red color shapes patterned across the plant. That wasn't the only thing different about the Pokemon around the lab though, the Paras and Parasect were a darker shade of red while Bellsprout, Weepinbell and Victreebel were all a darker shade of yellow than their Kanto counterparts. Even the Butterfree were different, at first glance you'd assume they were the standard variant one could find across the world but their wings were slightly yellowed and had two small orange splotches across the middle half of them.

"Huh, I didn't know Pokemon could look different here. We're not far off from Kanto." Chloe noted.

"Well the weather is drastically different, perhaps that has something to do with it."

"C-Croa..." Croagunk coughed out.

"Croagunk!" Brock exclaimed as the poison frog began keeling over.

Professor Ivy frowned before hastily waving her hand, hurrying them along as she continued towards the laboratory's medical wing. Pikachu, Eevee and Croagunk were soon placed upon a medical table while Professor Ivy reached for a textbook before quickly flipping through it as she sought up the symptoms. Jessie and James soon entered the laboratory disguised as tourists, their hair remained the same while their eyes were hidden behind pairs of dark colored sunglasses. Both wore a pair of cargo shorts and sandals while James wore a light purple Alolan style shirt with Jessie wearing a dark purple Alolan style shirt. Wobbuffett, Meowth and Victreebel were within their arms as they walked into the building.

"Ugh... I feel like s-"

"Shhh!" Jessie and James hissed out.

"Don't give us away!" Jessie hissed out.

"Yeah, Pokemon can't talk!" James hissed. There wasn't any point in dressing Meowth up as it'd be hard to pass off a human having a Pokemon's illness. They were hoping Meowth and the others could get treated and that it wasn't something fatal.

"Hey lady Professor, our Pokemon need help!" Jessie called out.

Chloe flinched as she heard Jessie's voice, she quickly turned around expecting it to be a scam though shock soon filled her face as she realized that Wobbuffet, Meowth and Victreebel were genuinely sick! "Oh no..."

"Hey, those tourist's Pokemon got sick too!" Ash exclaimed while Chloe mentally facepalmed. She didn't understand how everyone else fell for their low budget disguises.

"Get them onto the table, stat. Professor Ivy's looking up the symptoms right now!" Brock exclaimed.

"Right!" Jessie and James hastily placed Meowth, Wobbuffet and Victreebel upon the medical table while Professor Ivy continued flipping through the textbook.

"Aha!" She exclaimed while flipping the textbook towards the group. "It's Pokerus! No wonder I didn't recognize the symptoms, there haven't been any known cases of it for well over two decades."

"So is it lethal?" James was quick to question.

"Meowth and Wobbuffet aren't going to die are they?!" Jessie anxiously exclaimed.

"Oh no, I wouldn't worry about that." Professor Ivy giggled out while shaking her head as she offered them a light smile. "Pokerus is relatively harmless, your Pokemon will have a brief stage of sickness but will return to perfect health within twenty four hours. They'll even be in better shape as they'll grow and get experience faster, for a time of course. The benefits aren't permanent!"

"Tox!" Toxel eagerly exclaimed while flexing his arms.

Professor Ivy appeared to understand what Toxel was implying. "Sorry Toxel but Pokemon your age are immune to Pokerus, it'll be a few months before you can catch it."

"Tox!" Toxel face faulted.

"Don't worry Toxel, I'm sure that you'll be a powerful Toxtricity someday!" Ash exclaimed while petting the baby Pokemon's shoulder in an attempt to cheer him up.

"Well that's a relief, I'm not sure what I'd do if Eevee died on me." Chloe frowned.

"Well why hasn't Marill caught it yet?" Tracey questioned. "She's been my partner for about a year now."

"Sometimes it takes awhile for a Pokemon to catch Pokerus." Ivy informed.

"So Pikachu and the others just need to rest up?" Ash asked.

"Mhm!" Ivy was quick to nod. "And you might want to see if any of your other Pokemon have it."

"That's a good point, we'll need to make sure Lapras is in perfect shape. He is our only mode of transportation at the moment." Brock stated.

"Good idea, come on out everyone!" Ash shouted while throwing a set of Pokeballs into the air.

"Skarrrr!"

"Gengar!"

"Cooooo!"

"Laaaa!" Skarmory seemed relatively okay while Gengar, Pidgeot and Lapras all appeared to have caught the sickness.

"You guys come out too!" Chloe shouted while tossing up her own Pokeballs.

"Queen!"

"Omastar!"

"Fennek!"

"Jigglypuff!"

"Togetic!"

"Come on out!" Brock threw his own Pokeballs forward.

"Vulpix!"

"Cubone, bone bone!"

"Kanga!"

Cubone, Togetic and Fennekin were in perfect health while Nidoqueen, Omastar, Jigglypuff, Vulpix, Kangaskhan and Togetic appeared to have caught Pokeruss.

"Sarrrbok!"

"Weezing..."

"Lickily..."

"GYAAAA!" All of Team Rocket's Pokemon or at least the ones they felt like showing off appeared to be sick. Jessie and James quickly walked off before returning with relieved expressions as their newer additions were in perfect health, they didn't want to reveal them to the twerps just yet.

Tracey couldn't help but sweat while releasing a singular Venonat. Venonat hadn't had much exposure to the others so he was perfectly okay much like Marill was.

"Venonat!"

"Alright, I suggest you all leave your Pokemon here for the night." Professor Ivy advised. "I have plenty of spare rooms that you can make use of."

The twerps and Team Rocket were quick to thank Professor Ivy with Jessie and James even bowing as they showed her gratitude. "And now that that matter has been resolved, let's talk about the GS ball." Ivy reached into her lab coat.

"GS ball?" Jessie and James shared a brief look of confusion. They stalked around Oak's lab long enough to find out that he'd traveled to the Orange Islands but they never did figure out why he went there. "Oooh!" Money signs appeared in their eyes as Ivy produced a golden Pokeball with the letter's 'G' and 'S' etched into them.

"So that's why you call it the GS ball!" Chloe exclaimed upon spotting the letters.

"It sure is shiny!" Ash exclaimed.

"And looks old..." Brock noted.

"You sure it can't open up?" Ash questioned while reaching out to give the button a quick tap. Though much like Oak had informed them, the ball wouldn't open up!

"Did you try crushing it?" Jessie suggested.

"Arceus no!" Ivy gasped out. "That could harm or even kill the Pokemon living inside! I wouldn't dare try something as extreme as that."

"Well if anyone would know how to open it, it'd be Professor Oak!" James exclaimed.

"Precisely." Ivy nodded. "That's why I requested he pick it up personally, though it appears he's too busy seeing how he sent an errand boy."

"I don't mind, I'm taking the opportunity to challenge the Orange League and grow stronger before the next Silver League season starts!"

"You're competing in the Orange League? Well good luck, our Champion's one tough cookie!"

"And hot." Tracey couldn't help but smirk.

"He won't go down easy, especially that-"

"Hey no spoilers, I don't want to know his team until I'm ready to face him!" Ash shouted.

Ivy giggled out. "Well may I at least recommend which Gym you face first? Mikan Island is not far north of here so I'd recommend you start there."

"Mikan Island? That sounds perfect, I can't wait to meet the Gym Leader!" Ash clenched his fists, excitement briefly appeared within his eyes before shortly fading away as he turned his attention back towards Pikachu. "We'll leave first thing tomorrow." Ash then dropped to his knees and rested his head against Pikachu, he didn't intend on leaving his buddy's side for the night.

"Tree..." Victreebel hopped down from the medical table during the late hours of the night, he shifted a glance around the lab before noticing his trainer resting against the medical table while keeping a considerable distance close to both him and Meowth. Victreebel smiled and lightly ran his vine across James' shoulders before slithering out of the medical room, he wasn't sleepy but he didn't want to disturb his beloved master's sleep.

Victreebel slithered into the garden and cast curious glances towards the Valencian Pokemon forms before pausing in place, hearts formed within his eyes as his gaze locked onto a Valencian Victreebel. "Tree..."

"Tree...?" The Valencian Victreebel happened to be awake and noticed James' Victreebel watching her, a blush spread across her face before she slowly extended a vine towards James' Victreebel while offering it a suggestive expression.

"Treeee!" James' Victreebel's eyes lit up as an ecstatic cry emitted from his throat. The two Pokemon wrapped their vines around the other's in the shape of a heart before bouncing off together.

"Treee!" James' Victreebel affectionately cooed out.

"Tree..." The Valencian Victreebel cooed back.

"Oh no, Victreebel!" The others were rudely awakened by James' panicked shout the following morning. James' hands pressed against the side of his head while his eyes anxiously darted about. "Victreebel where are you?!"

"Quiet James, some of us need our beauty sleep!"

"Yeah put a cork in it, James!" Meowth snapped. Jessie and James swiftly turned towards Meowth before letting out ecstatic laughter as they pulled him into their arms.

"Meowth you're okay!"

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet leaped down and forced his way into the hug.

"Ugh, of course I'm okay! Now how about giving me some personal space?" Meowth grunted out.

"That Meowth just t-Hold up... Team Rocket!" Ash had been sleeping in the medical room so he'd managed to hear everything they said.

"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu's cheeks sparked in a threatening manner as Ash caught onto them.

"Whoa whoa! I'm in no mood to fight you today, Pikachu!" Meowth raised up his paws.

"Yeah, we're not here to steal Pikachu. Not today at least..." Jessie muttered while glancing towards James.

"Victreebel's missing, I'm not doing anything until I find him!" James defensively shouted.

"Hold up, your Victreebel's a normal colored Victreebel isn't he?" Ash questioned.

"Hey Victreebel may look like a regular Victreebel but he's different, he's special to me!" James shouted.

Ash nervously sweated while thumbing towards the greenhouse section. "Well there's only one Kantonian Victreebel here, I think that one might be yours..."

James shot a glance out the door before uttering an ecstatic cry as his eyes landed upon his beloved Victreebel. "Victreebel, there you are!"

Meowth and Jessie peered out after James before gasping out as they saw James' Victreebel holding another's vines.

"James wait!"

"Yeah, wait up! There's another Pokemon with-"

"TREEEE!" The Valencian Victreebel saw James rushing towards them and acted in self defense, launching several razor sharp leaves from her body.

"Treee!" James' Victreebel quickly leaped forward to tank the blow causing the Grass type to grunt out before relaying James' identity to her. "Treee!"

The Valencian Victreebel flashed a guilty expression before giving James an apologetic bow. "Tree..." She muttered an apology.

"She says she's sorry she attacked ya," Meowth informed. "She thought that you were going to attack her and her mate-Arceus almighty, James' Pokemon found a mate before I did?!" Meowth face faulted to the floor and groaned out, his expression matched that of Brock's when he experienced heartbreak or rejection.

"James' Pokemon got laid?!" Jessie's eyes widened.

"...Tox?" Toxel questioned while looking towards Pikachu for understanding.

"P-Pika!" Pikachu turned pale and quickly turned towards Ash. "Pika pika, Pikachu pika!" He rubbed his belly while pleading Ash to take them to the others so they could eat breakfast, hoping that Toxel would forget about what he'd just heard.

"Huh? Oh, now that you mention it I am rather hungry..." Ash gave the Rocket trio a glance. They didn't appear to be causing trouble so he was going to give them the benefit of the doubt today. "Let's go find Brock and Chloe!"

"Tox tox!" Toxel eagerly cried while licking his lips, quickly forgetting all about what he'd heard that day.

"Pika..." Pikachu sweated while feeling a great sense of relief.

James' eyes widened, his jaw dropped as he stood in complete silence. His head lowered to hide tears as they began forming within his eyes. Pokemon fell in love much easier and quicker than humans and he just didn't have it in him to tear Victreebel away from his mate. Sure they could try and steal the Valencian Victreebel but Team Rocket wasn't the right setting to raise a baby Pokemon! James began experiencing flashbacks of the time he first met Victreebel back when he was just a Weepinbell, the time he rescued Weepinbell from Butch and Cassidy's Daycare operation to find that he'd become a Victreebel and all the good times and 'hugs' they shared together since that day.

James sniffled loudly causing Meowth and Jessie to give him looks of concern.

"James..."

"Are you okay?" Jessie placed her hand on his shoulder.

James slowly reached for Victreebel's, his hand nervously shook before forming a tight grip on Victreebel's ball as he removed it from his belt. The ball began to slip from his grasp and fell towards the ground where it was shortly crushed by James' foot.

"Tree...?" Victreebel began to tear up as he knew this was where his and James' paths would diverge.

"G-Goodbye Victreebel..." James ran forward and gave Victreebel a hug, Victreebel wrapped his vines around James and held him for a bit before letting James go as he felt his master pulling away from him. "L-Let's go..." He was afraid he'd change his mind if they waited around.

"Right..." Jessie, Meowth and Wobbuffet all nodded while tearing up lightly as they gave Victreebel a wave of farewell before following James as he bolted out of the lab, making a dash back towards the submarine.

"Tree..." Victreebel cried out before calming down as his mate nuzzled against him with an affectionate coo, assuring him that James would be alright.

Team Rocket may have left a friend behind that day but they're sure to make plenty of new ones as the journey continues!

Yeah, Victreebel's gone. Fearow may be the only planned release for Ash but that doesn't mean it's the only one happening in general, Team Rocket's farewells are the only post-original series ones I enjoyed as they were sad and tear jerking but the Victreebel one never sat well with me as Meowth and Jessie were quite rude in that. So I decided to edit it and mix it in with the acquisition of the GS ball. I was stuck on what else I could do, simply saying "Ash got the GS ball, see ya next time!" would be an abrupt end. His part may have ended after it but hey, the Orange Islands is mostly his story so him taking a seat for a bit won't hurt.

Next time, the first Orange League Gym match! :)