Fighting the urge to freeze in terror, Misty tearfully ran to the end of the cliff and peered down, dreading what she might see. To her immense relief, she saw Ash dangling above the ground far below, grasping Pikachu with one arm, whilst using the other hand to hold onto a tree branch sticking out of the side of the cliff.

"Ash! Hold on!" called down Misty, as Professor Birch and May caught up with them.

"Don't worry, I will!" replied Ash, as Pikachu gave off another electric burst.

Professor Birch quickly pulled out a strong rope from his satchel and secured one end around one of the trees, then tossed the other end down to Ash.

"Quick, Ash! Grab the rope!" Birch urgently called down to Ash.

"Okay!" replied Ash.

Letting go of the branch, Ash just managed to grab the rope and avoid falling down with Pikachu to their respective dooms. Then, he began to climb up the cliff-face, with the others pulling the rope at the top, but his progress was impeded by a still struggling Pikachu, who desperate to get away.

"Pikachu, hold still! It's okay," Ash tried to reassure Pikachu.

But Pikachu instead gave off another electric burst, before it then bit Ash on the arm! Ash winced in pain, but he did not loosen his grip on Pikachu one bit.

"Pikachu..." groaned Ash imploringly.

At last, the haze of confusion seemed to lift from Pikachu's mind, and it quickly realised who it was that was holding it. Abashed at its behaviour, Pikachu stopped struggling and relaxed in Ash's grip, enabling the young trainer to climb up the rope without any further obstruction. Finally, Ash and Pikachu managed to reach the top of the cliff and clamber onto the grassy edge, before collapsing on the ground in exhaustion.

"That was close," gasped May, as they all tried to catch their breath.

"You gave us a right scare there, Ash Ketchum!" said Misty with a relieved expression. "I thought I had lost you both!"

"Thanks a lot, you guys," said Ash gratefully, before turning back to Pikachu, who had thankfully calmed down. "Pikachu, what'd you say we get back to the lab and get you all better?"

"Chuuu," said a tired Pikachu as it apologetically licked the sore spot where it had bitten Ash.

"I'm fine," Ash smiled reassuringly at Pikachu. "I know you didn't mean it, little buddy."

Suddenly, there came a loud crash from behind them all, as a huge robot, resembling a giant battery with large mechanical arms and hands, stomped onto the scene. Standing on top of the robot, were the unwelcome figures of Team Rocket.

"Prepare for trouble," began Jessie with a dejected tone. "Oh what's the use? Oh well..."

"And make it double," continued James with much more enthusiasm in his voice.

"Here we go again with the motto," moaned Misty wearily. "Can't you losers think of anything better to do?"

"She's right," sighed Jessie miserably, utterly derailing the Team Rocket motto. "What's the point?"

"Professor Birch, that's Team Rocket and they keep trying to catch Pikachu," explained Ash seriously.

"Team Rocket? Who are they?" asked May.

"I never heard of them," said Birch.

"Trust us, they're always up to no good," added Misty bitterly. "They're the reason Pikachu's ill in the first place!"

"So, Pikachu's got itself a cold or something?" remarked Meowth, as Team Rocket jumped through a hatch in the robot's head and took their place at the controls inside.

"That'll make it even easier for us to capture it," chuckled James.

"Especially since I've come up with a way to beat Pikachu's thunderbolts," boasted Meowth. "This machine, that I designed, can absorb the volts of any attack Pikachu will try against us!"

Meowth pressed a button on the control panel, and a mechanical claw emerged from the robot's body, which then shot forward and snatched Pikachu right out of a startled Ash's hands! The claw then lifted Pikachu towards the robot, which then raised its arms and attached its suction cup hands to the Pokémon's two electric red cheeks.

"Commence absorption, James!" commanded Meowth.

"Yes sir! Absorb away," said James happily, as he pulled a switch on the panel and the robot began to drain Pikachu's electricity into its own storage unit.

"Haha! What an electrifying moment for Team Rocket!" gloated Meowth.

"Shocking!" agreed a grinning James, as the power gauge rose closer and closer to the 100% mark.

"It took a while, but I'm pleased to announce that we've finally come up with a winner!" smirked Meowth.

"If it actually works," muttered Jessie, expecting defeat at any moment.

As the mechanical monster continued to absorb energy, Pikachu began blazing with more electric power than before, sending out electric blasts so bright that everyone had to shield their eyes.

"Now that's power!" remarked May in amazement.

"Pikachu's output is incredible!" remarked the Professor.

"Hey, is it just me or is Pikachu starting to look better?" said Misty.

Pikachu was indeed looking as though it was getting its strength back, and back inside the robot, the control room began to spark as the power unit began to overload!

"Heh heh, don't worry," said Meowth nervously.

"Do I look worried? said James with a scared expression.

"Oh well, here comes another blast off," groaned Jessie.

As the last of the excess electricity was drained out of it, Pikachu abruptly perked up and grinned, before it began blasting the entire machine with an enthusiastic thunderbolt! As everyone watched on in astonishment, one stray bolt accidentally hit May's bicycle, reducing it to a smoking wreck!

"Argh! My bike's barbecued!" shrieked May.

Back in the robot's control room, Team Rocket were getting zapped by the immense thunderbolt along with the rest of their mechanised monstrosity. James and Meowth reacted in dismay, but Jessie seemed strangely happy about their electrifying experience.

"We haven't been wasting our time after all!" she said jubilantly. "This amazing Pikachu is the only thing the boss will want!"

"But have we captured..." began James.

"...too much of a good thing?" completed Meowth, with a supporting cry from Wobbuffet, as it popped out and got electrified as well!

Jessie sniffed the air as smoke began to billow out of the machinery.

"Do you smell something burning?" she asked.

"I think we're about to blow up!" exclaimed James.

And they did. The next second, the entire robot exploded, blasting the charred Team Rocket right into the sky!

"Quite a thunderbolt," groaned Meowth.

"It has renewed my energy and passion!" said Jessie, the only one of them who was happy about the whole thing.

"Wobbuffet!" said Wobbuffet, as they all flew further and further into the distance.

"Here we go again," muttered James, before they all called in unison:

"Looks like Team Rocket's blasting off again!"