Pokémon Tails: A Journey to the East
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or Pokémon.
CHAPTER 15: A Squirtle of a Tail
Team Rocket sat in a small clearing, looking bored and unhappy.
"Grrr, I can't believe the author actually skipped two episodes!" Jessie complained angrily.
"I know, and we haven't even been in the story since chapter ten!" James added, sounding disappointed.
WHAM! WHAM!
Like that, Meowth whacked the two across their heads.
"Would you mugs put a yap in it?" Meowth demanded. "Da Boss'll be calling any minute and we can't have youse two distracted!"
"As if you're one to talk!" Jessie replied as she and James struck back at Meowth.
"Always coming up with brilliant plans — just to fail at the end!" the blue-haired man agreed.
"Would youse two lay off it?!" Meowth demanded.
Just then, their laptop beeped insistently.
"Huh?" Jessie said, turning to face the computer.
"It's the hotline!" James answered eagerly.
Meowth pressed the button, and just like that, the Team Rocket Boss appeared on the screen.
"What do you have to report?" Giovanni said, wasting no with the pleasantries.
"Um, well... really, we have nothing new to report, Boss," Jessie said, embarrassed, as she rubbed her head.
"Just monkey boy and the three twerps heading to Vermilion City!" James ventured.
"Vermilion City, eh?" Giovanni said musingly, stroking his chin as he pondered what they informed him. "Very well. I just got a report back from the lab, and this coincides nicely with one of our plans that are already in the works."
"Oooh, what plan?" James wondered.
"Forget the plan, I'm curious to know what the lab report said!" Jessie said, shoving him to the side.
"Meowth, are you pleased with the work we put in lately, Boss?" the Cat Pokémon asked.
Giovanni nodded, all while stroking the Persian's head.
"Yes, and if you wish to make me really happy, you'll continue tailing the boy," Giovanni said, and then he smirked. "As a matter of fact, this boy may not be the first of his kind that Team Rocket encountered..."
"You mean..." James began.
"There's another one like him..." Jessie went on where he left off.
"Out there somewhere?!" Meowth finished for the redhead.
Memories of their recent encounter with the boy flashed through their heads as an image of another, similar, Gohan-looking Saiyan appeared in their imaginations, cackling maniacally with his tongue sticking out.
"Uh, no thanks," Jessie said, looking nervous.
"I've dealt with enough Saiyans for once in my lifetime, thank you!" James said with nervous agreement.
"Uh, check, please?" Meowth said, popping up into the frame.
"YOU FOOLS!" Giovanni bellowed furiously, making them all wince. "I chose you for this mission precisely you had intimate, firsthand contact with this brat, and now you want to back out?! Fine then. I suppose I can always give your mission over to Butch and Cassidy; I know those two wouldn't fail me, at least."
"Cassidy!" Jessie growled. "Why, that conniving, scheming, two-timing low-life!"
"Who's Biff?" James wondered, with a sweatdrop on his head.
"Boss, you don't have to worry about us!" Jessie said faithfully. "No matter how dangerous this mission gets, we, as loyal members to the always nasty and incorrigible Team Rocket, will see this all the way through!"
Giovanni nodded. "Good. Then, your current assignment is continue tailing the target, and, failing to capture him, then at least get him to Vermilion City with his friends, where you can then rendezvous with the rest of Team Rocket."
"You got it, Boss!" Meowth chirped.
"Just consider it done!" Jessie said excitedly.
Giovanni nodded. "Headquarters out."
"Jessie, what do you think you're doing?" James demanded. "We're no match against that superpowered monkey brat."
"Well, then, we just need to find a way to get past his defenses!" she snarled as she stood up and then she grabbed onto the backs of James and Meowth, dragging the two along. "And I know a foolproof way to nab that persistent little twerp!"
"Wait, do we have to do it at this time of night?" James objected.
"Why can't we get a little rest first, Meowth?" Meowth asked of her.
"You know what they say, the early Pidgey catches the Caterpie!" Jessie cackled.
And she continued dragging them off and into the night...
Below, on a dirt path lined by grassy hillsides, ran Misty, Brock, and Ash.
"Wow, this is feeling a lot easier!" Ash said happily.
"I know, training this much every day is definitely paying off!" Brock said as he swung his arm.
"I can't imagine how strong we'll be when we reach the next level!" Misty shared.
"Pika Pika!" Pikachu said as it chased after the human trio.
Just then, as they running along the road their dream came crashing down — literally.
"WAH!" they yelled as they fell into a hole that had been concealed masterfully under the dirt path.
"CHU!" Pikachu cried, falling down with them.
Suddenly, a golden comet shot down from the skies, landing at the lip of the hole. The gold light dissipated, revealing Gohan, staring down at his friends in puzzlement. Beside him appeared Mew, looking cheerful as always.
"Mew!" it squealed. "Mew, Mew! MEW!"
"Hey, guys, are you okay?" Gohan asked them, sounding concerned.
"Uh... I think I bit my tongue..." Brock complained rather bitterly.
"We're all fine, Gohan," Misty said, rubbing at her hips. "But who on Earth dug a hole way out here?"
"Someone with a terrible sense of humor!" Ash quipped angrily.
Just then, a gaggle of Squirtle all wearing sunglasses popped out of the nearby bushes, sniggering at Gohan and Mew.
He turned to face them. "Hey, did you guys dig this hole here?"
The Squirtles all sniggered with pride at what they'd done.
"That wasn't funny!" Misty complained as she climbed her way out of the hole. "We could've been hurt!"
The Squirtles just laughed some more, seemingly oblivious to her complaints.
"There's nothing funny about endangering innocent people!" Gohan snapped at the Squirtles.
"Mew, Mew!" Mew agreed, twining around Gohan as it always did.
"Squirtle?" the Squirtles said, looking surprised to see the Legendary Mew hovering near an apparently human boy.
Meanwhile, Misty, Brock, and Ash had all worked their way over to Gohan.
"What are a bunch of Squirtle doing out here?" Brock wondered.
Ash pointed his Pokédex at the pack of Water Pokémon.
"Squirtle," Dexter intoned in its typically cool voice. "This Tiny Turtle Pokémon draws its long neck inside its shell to launch incredible water attacks with amazing range and accuracy and its blasts can be quite powerful."
"With my very own Squirtle, Gary will never beat me!" Ash smirked.
"Huh?" Gohan said, glancing towards him. "You mean you wanna catch one, Ash?"
"Well, sure!" Ash said happily. "I can't be a great Pokémon Master without more Pokémon, of course!"
Gohan nodded encouragingly. "Then go for it, buddy."
Ash pointed at the Squirtle. "Go on, Pikachu!"
"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu said as it leapt forward to confront what seemed to be head of the Squirtles.
"Squirtle!" the Squirtle leader said, getting up in Pikachu's face.
"Pika, Pika Pika!" Pikachu said, shoving closer to the Squirtle boss.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" Squirtle said while they circled one another, like predators.
It was a tense little showdown, which was only broken when, a second later, the sounds of police sirens could be heard.
"Squirtle!" the Squirtle leader said as the Squirtles all turned tail and fled.
"Well, that was weird," Misty remarked.
"Aw man, I wanted my own Squirtle!" Ash complained, with his fingers writhing in supreme disappointment at this unexpected move.
Suddenly, the siren stopped as a Jenny on a motorbike sped up near them.
"Are you guys okay?" she asked. "Has anyone been hurt here?"
"Nah, we're doing fine," Gohan reported back to the Officer Jenny.
"Hey, Officer Jenny!" the Pallet Trainer greeted the blue-haired woman.
"Huh? Have we met before?" Jenny inquired of the boy. "Your face doesn't look familiar."
Gohan glanced back and forth between the two with interest.
"We met you back in Viridian City, remember?" Ash pressed her.
"Oh, you mean one of the other Jennies!" Jenny said with dawning comprehension. "My cousins!"
"Um, what cousins?" Gohan said, looking very uncomfortable.
"You see, my cousins work on the police force, we're identical, and we're all named Jenny," Officer Jenny informed them.
"Okay, did not need to know that!" Gohan sigh, now feeling sick.
"What do you mean?" Misty said, blinking in total confusion.
"Never mind, never mind, never mind," Gohan said, not wanting to delve into a very awkward subject.
"Mew!" Mew squeaked, zooming up into sight. "Mew, Mew!"
"Ah! A Mew!" Jenny gasped, now looking completely floored. "Why on Earth is a Legendary Mew following a greenhorn Pokémon Trainer?!"
"Oh Mew chose Gohan!" the fiery tomboy replied. "That's why Gohan became a Pokémon Trainer!"
"And how am I supposed to know that?" Jenny asked, eyeing Gohan shrewdly. "For all I know, what you're telling me could be true and this Mew sought out Gohan, but you have to admit, it is rather unusual... maybe it chose you, and maybe you stole it from another Trainer!"
"But I didn't steal it!" Gohan insisted, reaching up and stroking Mew on its cheek as it chirped happily. "Really! That's the truth!"
"A likely story," Jenny sneered. "You know the one thing every guilty person always says it that they're innocent!"
"What do I have to do to convince you?" Gohan said, now beginning to get very annoyed.
"Oh, wait! I bet you I know what would help!" Ash piped forth as he reached inside Gohan's hip bag.
In a flash, he had pulled out Gohan's Pokédex and flipped it open.
"Hey, what are you doing, Ash?" Gohan asked of his friend, blinking.
Suddenly, however, Dexter's screen now lit up with a bright light.
"I am Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Son Gohan from the area of Mt. Paozu," Dexter told Jenny. "My primary function is to provide Gohan with data on Pokémon and their training and if lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
"A Pokédex!" Jenny exclaimed. "Well, then, that verifies your story. Sorry I came down so hard on you, but I had to be sure."
"No, it's no problem," Gohan said, holding out his hands and sweating. "No harm done, so let's just forget it."
"Well, if we're all done with that, then I need you three to follow me back to the police station," Officer Jenny told them.
"Is there something wrong?" Ash questioned.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu agreed. "Pikachu?"
"Nothing wrong, I just need you to fill out a report about the gang of Squirtle you just encountered," Officer Jenny answered.
The four kids looked at one another and nodded.
A short time later, Jenny brought the group to the local police station.
"That Pokémon gang calls itself the Squirtle Squad," Officer Jenny explained.
"The Squirtle Squad?" Ash repeated, sounding confused.
"I've never heard of a Pokémon gang," Misty noted.
"Well, if they're sentient beings like humans are, then it makes sense they'd do it for the same reasons humans do," Gohan theorized.
"Gohan's got it right," Jenny said. "All the Squirtles on the Squirtle Squad were Pokémon that got abandoned by their Trainers."
"Abandoned?" Ash commented, sounding sad.
"Oh gosh, that's terrible," Gohan said. "I had no idea."
"They don't have any Trainer so they just run wild and play tricks on the whole town, stealing food, tying people up, spray painting houses," Jenny elaborated. "It's really very sad because if they had somebody to care about them like Pokémon Trainers do... well, then maybe they wouldn't have turned out to be the way they are. It's a real shame."
"Maybe there's something we can do for them," Gohan suggested.
"If you can help them in any way, it'd be greatly appreciated," Jenny agreed. "Well, thank you for your report. You can go now."
With that, the group turned and left the station.
"There, I see them!" Jessie replied as she stared through binoculars. "That monkey brat, the Pikachu, and that elusive Mew too!"
"Jessie, team spirit is all well and good, but why couldn't we have got something to eat first?" Meowth whined.
"Capturing that prize brat and those rare Pokémon won't amount to anything if we starve ourselves in the process!" James added.
And thus Jessie whacked them over the heads with a fan.
"How can you two even think about food when the Boss is counting on us to do a good job and capture that Saiyan twerp?" Jessie snarled.
"It's easy," James piped up. "We're hungry!"
And Jessie whacked them again.
"Am I the only member on this ragtag little team who thinks world domination is more important than what we're having to eat?" Jessie growled. "Now, let's focus on what's really important, nabbing that twerp, his Mew, and Pikachu too!"
And then Jessie's stomach rumbled, which caused James and Meowth to shoot her exasperated looks.
"You were saying?" James said shrewdly.
"Well, I guess you can't argue with that!" Jessie declared as she whipped out a picnic basket.
"Yay, we're gonna have a picnic, we're gonna have a picnic!" Meowth cheered.
"Wait, I sense something wrong..." Jessie announced very slowly.
"Meowth, you don't sense things, dat's dat Saiyan twerp's specialty!" Meowth protested.
"If he can do it, so can I!" Jessie snorted arrogantly.
"It's right behind us!" James shouted.
And in a flash, Team Rocket whipped around to find the Squirtle Squad directly behind them.
"And just what are you looking at?" Jessie demanded very rudely.
"Squirtle! Squirtle, Squirtle!" the Squirtles' leader said.
"Meowth, a translation, please?" James asked.
"Dat Squirtle is saying, 'Give us your food or else,'" Meowth said.
"You're threatening us?" Jessie laughed. "We're Team Rocket; we are the ones who threaten! Now buzz off before we get angry!"
"Squirtle!" the Squirtle boss said. "Squirtle, Squirtle! Squirtle!"
"Let's show 'em who's boss around here!" Jessie stated confidently.
"Wait, Meowth!" Meowth said, pulling the two into a huddle. "Meowth's got a plan as to how we can swipe dose Pokémon and the kid too!"
"Oh, now this I've got to hear!" Jessie said, sounding amused.
"Meowth, first we dell the Squirtles we intend to give dem the food in exchange for payment," Meowth suggested, chuckling with suppressed mirth. "With deir help we can distract dat monkey twerp long enough to grab his tail and without him, dose other three twerps won't be able to stop us! We can nab Pikachu, Mew, and gift wrap dem both for da Boss!"
"A brilliant strategy, Meowth!" James praised.
"Hmm, ingenious!" Jessie agreed. "I'm surprised I didn't think of it myself."
The Team Rocket trio turned back to face the gaggle of Squirtles.
"How about this?" Jessie offered. "See, there's this group of kids that are giving us a bit of trouble. If you can help us take them down, then we'll not only give you all the food you want, but make you honorary Team Rocket members! Now how's that?"
"It sounds like a deal you can't pass up!" James ventured forth.
The lead Squirtle looked to be considering it for a few minutes, then waved his arm. "Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle! Squirtle Squirtle."
"What did he say?" Jessie demanded of Meowth.
"The Squirtle said dey ain't interested in joining Team Rocket, just the food," Meowth answered.
"Oh why those rotten little water-gushers!" Jessie snarled, moving forward as though to attack them. "I'll show them...!"
"Wait!" Meowth said, leaping forward and jumping up onto Jessie. As she jerked about Meowth added rather hurriedly, "If you Squirtles help us, we can guarantee you a lifetime supply of food! It'd be like an all-you-can-eat buffet!"
"Squirtle, Squirtle?" the Squirtle said, staring up at Meowth, then it said dismissively, "Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle."
"Oh, but dese two ain't my Trainers!" Meowth objected and then he smirked as he grabbed both Jessie and James and forced them into a kneeling position. "Dey're my pets, my faithful servants... dese two always do whatever Meowth dells dem to do!"
"Squirtle?" the Squirtle leader said, seemingly considering this.
"Now don't you EVER raise your voices to me again, you bad, bad humans!" Meowth said, whacking them over their heads.
"I think the power's gone to Meowth's head!" James whined.
"When this is all over, remind me to shove his face into the mud!" Jessie said, sounding mightily furious.
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" the lead Squirtle said, stepping forward and moving his two hands eagerly. "Squirtle, Squirtle! Squirtle!"
"Great news, dey say dey're gonna help us!" Meowth said with tears appearing in his eyes now.
"Really?!" Jessie and James cried, both looking up from the dirt...
Only to have Meowth whack both of them again, forcing them down into a kneeling position.
"Don't you ever raise your eyes to another Pokémon again, you bad, bad humans!" Meowth reprimanded them.
"We're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry!" the two said, playing the part but seething on the inside.
And so the Squirtle Squad fell for Team Rocket's trick while Meowth hatched his new plan. Dis will all be worth it when we finally catch dat super rare Mew and its Trainer; and of course, dat kid's Pikachu too!
Meanwhile, a couple of miles away, Gohan and friends could be found sitting at a riverbank, just relaxing and taking time off training.
"I'm just saying, I don't get why the idea of identical family members makes you so uncomfortable," Ash pressed.
"Really, Ash, it's no big deal!" Gohan said. "Really. Just forget it."
"I hate to admit it, but I have to agree with Ash," Misty chimed in. "I don't get what the big problem is either."
Gohan turned a deep pink. "Well, it could mean... but I'd rather not think about it..."
"Think about what?" Ash whined like a three-year-old child.
"Pika Pika..." Pikachu sighed, irritated with its Trainer.
"It means..." Gohan stated, blushing as deeply as ever. "Their family tree might... er, well... it... it probably goes up."
"What do you mean, up?" Misty wondered, blinking confusedly.
"You know, it goes up," Gohan said insistently, now thirty shades of deep red. "Straight up, if you know what I mean."
Finally getting it, Misty blushed just as intensely as Gohan was as suddenly, Brock got up in Gohan's face.
"Are you insinuating that those gorgeous ladies put on this Earth to help maintain law and order are inbred?!" Brock demanded.
Gohan felt uneasy. "Sorry, Brock, I just call them as I see them."
And Brock grabbed onto Gohan's shoulders as he began shaking him over and over.
"Apologize!" he pressed. "Apologize! Say you're sorry right now!"
"All right, all right, all right, I'm sorry!" Gohan said in an effort to get the shaking to stop.
"You're hopeless," Misty said with a very annoyed sigh. "No matter how good they get, boys will always be boys."
"Aw come on, Misty," Gohan said, staring at her with his trademark puppy-dog eyes. "You know I'm not some sick pervert. That's just how it'd be in my world; maybe here, it's different. And even if they are, they're still people with real feelings."
Misty felt herself crumbling under the force of those eyes.
"Please don't tell me you're mad at me," Gohan pleaded. "You know I could never bear it if you were mad at me."
Misty sighed. "All right, I'll forgive you, but just don't let it happen again, mister!"
"Promise!" Gohan chirped happily.
And now, Misty flashed him a genuine smile. Oh Gohan, I could never hate you, not in a million years.
Reaching into her bag, she pulled out her fishing rod.
"Well, since we're by the river, I think it's time to do a little Pokémon fishing!" she declared eagerly.
"Wait, what's that?" Ash said suddenly as he reached forward.
"Huh, hold on, what's what?" Misty said, holding it out of his grasp.
"That thing right there!" Ash stated. "Come on, give it to me!"
"No, it's not yours, stop that!" Misty said. "Ash, quit it, just go away!"
But Ash eventually grabbed the item she had been holding and he held it up for all of them to see.
"A Gohan-shaped lure?!" Ash demanded, sounding like he was on the verge of cracking up.
Indeed it was, a lure with Gohan's head and a little side stick that was clearly meant to illustrate his tail poking out from it.
"I make my own lures, okay?!" Misty snarled as she yanked it out of Ash's hands.
"Well, I think it's kind of flattering, really," Gohan said, even as he blushed like a ripe tomato, sending her a sincere expression that had the redhead blinking and blushing in surprise. "Thank you, Misty."
Misty smiled at the half-Saiyan. "Well, hey, it's no problem, Gohan."
"Man, I never thought you'd go for all that mushy stuff!" Ash chuckled.
WHAM! And Misty bopped Ash, leaving him with a large bump on his head.
"No, of course I changed my underwear today, Mom," Ash said dazedly, stunned from the impact.
Brock just grabbed his face in despair but said nothing.
"Pika Pikachu," Pikachu sighed, feeling the same.
A short time later, Gohan, Ash, and Brock were laying on the river bank enjoying some desperately needed downtime from the intense training schedule Gohan had been putting them all through lately.
Suddenly, Misty's lure bobbed in the water.
"Hey, I caught something!" the tomboy exclaimed.
"Oh, what is it?" Gohan asked, sitting upright.
And just then one of the Squirtle Squad poked their head out of the water, spraying them all with Water Gun.
"Aw man, I'm soaked!" Misty complained sadly.
"Me too," Ash agreed, looking confused at what was going on.
"Was that one of their practical jokes?" Gohan wondered.
Just then Pikachu jumped down closer to the river bank, obviously going to confront the Squirtle.
"No, wait, Pikachu, don't!" Gohan cried.
But too late, as Pikachu threw waves of electricity at the Squirtle, which the swift Water-type was able to evade but did have the very unfortunate side effect of shocking Gohan, Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"Pikachu, stop that!" Gohan said, grabbing Pikachu around the middle.
"Pi?" Pikachu said, ceasing its Thunderbolt attack and blinking in confusion.
"Wet clothes conduct electricity," Brock moaned in agony.
And Pikachu rubbed the back of its head, now looking embarrassed.
"Oh, thank you, Gohan," Misty said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Man, you're strong, Gohan," Ash said stupidly. "I can't believe you weren't affected by that."
Gohan chuckled self-consciously. "Well, thank you, Ash."
Just then the Squirtle who had been in the water jumped up on the shore.
"What's it doing?" Gohan inquired.
"I think it wants to battle!" Misty pointed out smartly.
"Hmph!" Ash declared, turning his hat aside. "If that's the case, who am I to refuse a Pokémon battle? Go, Pikachu, I choose you!"
Pikachu leaped forward, but the Squirtle, obviously not wanting to compete with its Electric attacks, retreated into its shell while it spun towards Pikachu, slamming it into the river where another Squirtle was busy chasing a Goldeen — straight toward the now-helpless Pikachu!
"Goldeen, Goldeen Goldeen," it chanted. "Goldeen..."
"Oh, Pikachu needs help!" Misty said, throwing a glance at Gohan.
Gohan nodded in determination. "Right, Misty! I'm on my —"
And just like that, Gohan seized up as he fell to the ground, a dazed look now on his face.
"Oh... oh..." he whimpered. "Oh, I... I feel so... so dizzy, ugh..."
"Hey, what's the matter, Gohan?" Misty questioned.
"So... tired..." Gohan groaned, his head lolling to one side.
"Ah, his tail!" Brock shouted suddenly at his friends.
And then Misty and Ash turned to find the Squirtle Squad leader with his paw wrapped around it squeezing the furry appendage firmly.
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" the Squirtle Squad boss giggled mischievously.
"But how on Earth could they have known about Gohan's tail?" Misty said furiously, making to advance on the lead Squirtle...
Then suddenly the rest of the Squirtle Squad appeared, wrapping a bunch of ropes around Ash, Misty, and Brock.
"They... they've got us!" Brock remarked worriedly.
"Pikachu!" Ash said, squirming within his restraints. "No, Pikachu!"
He turned his head back towards the lake, where Pikachu was desperately swimming towards shore.
"Hurry up, Pikachu!" Misty called, also concerned for it.
"Just get to shore!" Brock urged the Electric Rat.
"It's getting closer!" Ash snarled, kicking his legs about wildly. "Pikachu, no! PIKACHU!"
And just then, Pikachu cried out from intense pain as the Goldeen slammed into Pikachu with its Horn Attack, sending the Electric-type flopping back onto the dry river bank, gasping and wheezing for breath at the hit it had just endured, while to the side Meowth stepped from behind a tree.
"Ha ha!" Meowth laughed. "You're not gonna Squirtle out of dis one!"
"Grrr, I should've known!" Misty growled. "It's Meowth!"
"Meowth?" Brock said angrily.
"But then that must mean Team Rocket's involved!" Ash commented.
"Well, no duh!" Misty said, shooting the Pallet Trainer an annoyed glance.
And then the Squirtles surrounded the four captive Trainers with evil grins on their face as Meowth cackled loudly...
Hours later, the group was dragged to a tiny cave, where Ash, Misty, and Brock were tied up as Meowth kept hold of Gohan's tail.
"Oh, please... please just let go..." Gohan muttered, trying to fight through the pain. "I've got... to help... my friends..."
"Ha! Not likely, little boy!" Meowth stated, twisting the tail fiercely within his grip as Gohan winced from pain. "You're in Team Rocket's control now, and Team Rocket don't show any mercy, not even to brats like you!"
"Oh, but please... please..." Gohan moaned.
"Why are you even listening to Meowth anyway?" Misty demanded, hoping to talk some reason into the Squirtle Squad. "He's the bad guy! He's part of Team Rocket and they just want to capture all of you!"
"Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle!" the Squirtle boss said.
The other Squirtles muttered their assent with their leader.
"The Squirtles says they know Pokémon can be trusted, but humans can't!" Meowth snorted triumphantly.
"Hey, Ash..." Brock muttered in a low tone. "Pikachu's in pretty bad shape."
"Oh, there's just gotta be something we can do!" Misty said helplessly.
"Can't we heal it with the Super Potion Gohan bought?" Ash asked.
Brock shook his head. "Uh-uh, no good. We used the last of the Super Potion on Clefairy the other day, remember?"
"Oh, that's right!" Ash said. "Clefairy scraped its knee during training and Gohan used it all up."
Brock nodded. "Exactly. We gotta get some more Super Potion."
"But where do we get some?" Ash questioned, now more worried than ever about his Pokémon.
"There's probably a shop in town that sells some," Misty ventured, then she sighed, "but the question is how to get there."
Ash turned back to face the various Water Pokémon surrounding him. "Squirtle Squad, please, you've gotta let me go back to town. If I don't get some of that Super Potion, well then, Pikachu's really gonna be in big trouble!"
"Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle Squirtle!" the Squirtle leader said.
"They said they know that you're only trying to escape," Meowth translated for them.
"Trust me, I won't run away," Ash vowed. "Just let me go. Please. As soon as I get the Super Potion, I'll come back, I promise."
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" the Squirtle boss said, waving a hand dismissively.
"Squirtle says promises are cheap!" Meowth snickered.
"Ash... it's... it's no... n-no use..." Gohan ground out weakly through the pain flooding his entire body.
Ash looked down, with tears now streaming down both cheeks.
"I'm begging you," Ash whimpered. "Please trust me. Please. Just let me help my Pokémon. Please."
The Squirtles seemed to reconsider it, and then slowly, the boss Squirtle nodded.
"Is anyone else seeing spots?" Gohan wondered with a moan.
In short order Ash was untied and now standing in front of his friends again, with the Squirtles in front of him.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle," the boss told Ash.
"Squirtle says that if you're not back here by noon tomorrow the redheaded girl gets the ax," Meowth translated.
"No, M-M-Misty..." Gohan whimpered.
"Kill me?!" Misty growled, trying her best to get Meowth. "Why, you scruffy flea-bitten fur trap! Come over here and say it to my face, why don't you?! When I get out of this, I'm gonna wrap your tail in a —"
"Misty, don't worry!" Ash vowed. "I'll be back, okay?"
And he turned and ran out of the cavern into the daylight.
"So long!" he called back to them. "Be back in a flash!"
"No..." Gohan groaned, both muscles and limbs wobbling from sheer protest as he tried to stand up, tried to do something, anything to get his friends out of the current mess which they were all stuck in now.
I... I can't... the pain... too strong... no! No! he thought. I gotta do something! I can't let my friends die!
"Ha, it's no use!" Meowth grinned. "Dis tail's your weakness, and you ain't ever getting out of Meowth's grip, puny Saiyan!"
Slowly, slowly, with his arm shaking and quivering he reached back towards his tail.
"Gohan!" Misty and Brock said.
"Gohan, just give it up!" Misty said, concerned for her friend. "Let Ash handle this!"
Wow... I can't believe I just said that! Misty thought. If Ash doesn't come back, I'm doomed!
"H-H-How can you... can you say that?" Gohan moaned, his eyes now fully open and almost semiconscious. "I won't let you die!"
"Oh, Gohan..." Misty said, both very touched and highly annoyed by such obstinate behavior.
Suddenly, to Meowth's horror, Gohan latched onto the base of his tail.
"Hey, what you doing?" Meowth questioned, blinking confusedly.
"No... I won't... I won't!" Gohan growled, straining and struggling and fighting through the pain as he clutched his tail as tight as he could.
And then, to the surprise of everyone there, he started pulling!
"Oh no, you don't!" Meowth said, twisting the tail even more firmly within his grasp.
"Ahhh!" Gohan cried out, his grip temporarily weakening, but... the thought of Misty, his friend, being thrown some dark crevice intruded upon his thoughts, and with eyes flashing open from determination, Gohan kept pulling.
"Come on, tail, come on!" Gohan screamed determinedly. "COME ON!"
"Oh, Jessie and James, where are you?!" Meowth said, panicking.
And then, with an almighty cry, Gohan fought through the agony and in a swift motion, ripped out his own tail!
"Gohan!" Misty cried, now horrified.
"Wow, he did it!" Brock said.
"AHHHHH!" Gohan yelped as he jumped up and down, crying and carrying on the pain of his severed tail. "Oh God, it's sore! Ow, ow, ow, ouch, ouch, ow! Ahhhhh! Oh my tail! My tail! Ow, ow, ouch!"
"Gohan, your tail..." Misty said sadly. "It's gone."
Finally Gohan seemed to come to his senses as he turned to face the Squirtle Squad, now rubbing his backside in the place his tail had only just been, and Meowth stood there, transfixed, watching in complete terror as he held Gohan's tail stump in his paws.
"You monsters!" Gohan snarled. "Why on Earth did you have to go and bother us? We weren't doing anything to you!"
He took a step forward and in unison, the Squirtle Squad backed up against the cave wall, looking scared.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle!" the lead Squirtle said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.
Gohan took another few steps forward, a look of furious rage on his face.
"You think you can just back away after everything you've done?" the half-Saiyan demanded angrily. "Well, think again!"
And with that said, he rushed at the Squirtle Squad with a loud kiai, but before he could get close to them...
"Gohan, stop!" Brock begged. "You can't do this!"
Gohan stopped a few inches from the Squirtle Squad, now blinking in surprise.
"Gohan, please, stop this," Brock said simply. "Remember what Officer Jenny told us a few hours ago..."
"Officer Jenny?" Gohan said, still blinking, and then he gasped as he remembered.
"All the Squirtles on the Squirtle Squad were Pokémon that got abandoned by their Trainers..."
And now he stared at the Squirtles with a newfound understanding as Meowth stood to the side, looking uncertain.
"It's not their fault, Gohan," Misty said sincerely. "They're not evil, they've just got broken hearts."
And slowly, feeling guilty for how he had acted earlier, Gohan made his way over to the Squirtle Squad, who winced and backed up further against the cave as he approached, but then, he knelt down next to them as he patted the lead Squirtle on the head.
"Hey, listen... I'm sorry for losing control, all right?" he told them earnestly. "I was just worried for Misty. She's right and I was wrong. You're not monsters. But you can't go around judging all humans because of the behavior of a few."
"Squirtle?" the Squirtle Squad boss said, tilting its head to the side. "Squirtle, Squirtle?"
A distance away, Meowth came to a decision. I know just how to deal with this stubborn boy, he thought with a smirk as he reached towards a bag nearby and slowly crept up towards the unsuspecting Gohan...
Gohan nodded. "Yes. Can you honestly tell me it's right to be doing what you're doing just because your Trainers hurt you?"
"Squirtle?" all the Squirtles asked.
Just then, Misty noticed something. "Hey, Gohan, look out!"
Gohan turned to face the incoming danger... but too late.
"Meowth's got you now!" Meowth gleefully shouted as he threw a handful of dust on Gohan, who coughed.
"What are you doing?" Gohan demanded. "Are you nuts? Now I've had enough of... enough of..."
And suddenly, his eyelids started drooping, and the hybrid let out a huge yawn.
"I... I've had... had enough..." he whimpered sleepily.
And, just like that, Gohan fell to the cavern floor, snoring like a baby.
"Gohan, no!" Brock said before turning a furious glare on Meowth. "What did you do to him?"
Meowth laughed haughtily. "Meowth! You got to got up earlier in da morning to trick Team Rocket! Dat was our special, patented, one-of-a-kind Sleep Powder dust, gathered from da leaves of a Vileplume!"
"I swear, somehow, I'm gonna get you!" Misty promised as she kicked her legs some more under the ropes.
"Dere, you see?" Meowth stated as he swept his arm grandly. "Dey don't care about you! You can only trust other Pokémon!"
And that seemed to do the trick as the Squirtles nodded among each other, though the boss Squirtle still seemed to be focusing on Gohan's words as it tilted its head to the side, now more puzzled than ever...
Hours later, the Squirtles had all decided to get some sleep with the lead Squirtle volunteering to watch after Gohan to make sure he didn't wake up and cause them all trouble again. The Tiny Turtle Pokémon approached Gohan, staring at him as he dozed like a baby.
And then suddenly, a voice broke in on the Water Pokémon's thoughts. "Thinking deep thoughts?"
Squirtle whipped around, shocked, as he noticed Brock now staring down at him with a little too much understanding in his eyes.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle!" the lead Squirtle said, waving its arm dismissively.
"You know Meowth's just trying to trick you, right?" Misty chimed in.
"Yes, she's right," Brock replied, nodding his head in agreement. "He and Jessie and James are bad news — they've tried to capture Pikachu and Mew before and that's the only thing they're interested in now."
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" Squirtle said, sniffing imperiously.
"Hey, Squirtle, you don't have to be afraid of humans," Brock said. "Officer Jenny told us all about you. You and the rest of your friends here were abandoned by your Pokémon Trainers, isn't that right?"
"Squirtle?" Squirtle said, turning back to face Brock as he had now its total, complete attention.
"I know that's gotta be a rough experience," Brock said. "I'm sorry. You must have loved your Trainers very much."
"Squirtle, Squirtle..." Squirtle said, and for the first time, it appeared to show genuine emotion with sorrow and regret shining both in equal measure behind the dark tint of those sunglasses that concealed the window into its soul.
"I won't lie, Squirtle, I agree there's some rotten human beings out there," Brock went on firmly but gently. "People who don't care about anyone or anything but themselves. But there's also a lot of strong, noble, and compassionate people out there too."
"Squirtle?" Squirtle said.
Now it was Misty's turn to nod in agreement. "He's telling the truth, Squirtle. Gohan could have killed you all when he broke loose, but he didn't, did he? He cared enough about you to try and talk to you — why would he do that if we didn't care about Pokémon?"
"I know how you feel, Squirtle," Brock went on. "When you've been hurt, it's easy to blame the world and everyone in it. But think about it — are we really that bad? Isn't there something good to find in us?"
For several seconds Squirtle just stood there, obviously torn between its own past and its own sense of morality, whether to just let them go or keep them tied up, until finally the Water-type nodded its decision.
A smile lit up Brock's face.
"Thank you, Squirtle!" Misty said gratefully.
As it moved to untie the two Trainers, however, a voice piped up from behind.
"Eh, Meowth, what do you dink you're doing?!" it demanded.
Meowth was standing there with a horrified expression on its face.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" the Water Pokémon responded.
"What?!" Meowth said, now sweating bullets. "What do you mean you had a change of heart?!"
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" Squirtle said as it jumped up to untie the ropes restraining the two Gym Leaders.
"Fine den, Meowth's hightailing it outta here!" Meowth said.
And with that, the Normal Pokémon whipped out a bazooka-like apparatus and shot two long cords around the sleeping Gohan and Pikachu. Once they were securely connected, he turned and ran.
"No, Gohan!" Misty shouted. "We gotta stop him!"
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" Squirtle said loudly, calling to its friends.
And the Squirtles were jolted awake, now glancing around with confused expressions.
"Squirtle? Squirtle? Squirtle?" they said.
"Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle Squirtle!" the Squirtle boss told them all urgently.
Every one of them now adopted determined frowns as they nodded.
"Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" they said and they took off and ran down the side passage after Meowth.
"Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" Squirtle said as it undid their ropes.
Now free from the bindings, Misty and Brock chased after the Squirtle Squad and the rapidly retreating Meowth.
After a few minutes, they suddenly found themselves outside again, blinking in the golden glare of the rising sun. Dawn had come, and off in the distance, Meowth was dragging Gohan and Pikachu away at a fast pace.
"Oh no!" Misty growled. "You're not getting away that easy!"
"Squirtle!" Brock said, glancing down at the Turtle Pokémon. "Use your Water Gun to stop them!"
Squirtle blinked in complete surprise, and then, nodding its approval, the Water-type leaped up into the air.
"Squirtle, Squirtle, Squirtle Squirtle!" the lead Squirtle said.
And with that, it blasted a path of water right at the fleeing Meowth. Seeing what their leader had done, the other members of the Squirtle Squad all opened their mouths and shot several jet streams of water right at Meowth.
Meowth had a split second to glance back before the combined water wave smashed headfirst into him, sending the Cat Pokémon flying at a high rate of speed as it slammed him into a rock wall, causing him to fall back to the ground, now thoroughly soaked.
Meowth sat back up, coughing and spluttering, only to find a shoe suddenly set down in front of him; the talking Pokémon looked slowly upward, and to his horror, he found Misty, Brock, and the Squirtle Squad standing there gazing down at him in judgment.
"Give it up, Meowth!" Brock said.
"It's the end of the line!" Misty agreed with one hand on her hip.
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" the Squirtle Squad chimed in, nodding their heads.
"Hey, dis isn't fair!" Meowth whined. "You got me outnumbered!"
"Just like you, we'll take any advantage we can get!" Brock smirked.
"Now give us back Gohan and Pikachu!" Misty said, sounding mad.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them, and Brock and Misty glanced up to find the Team Rocket balloon floating over their heads.
"Hahaha!" Meowth laughed. "I'd love to, but unfortunately, I have a balloon to catch!"
And with that he grabbed the rope that had suddenly descended as he hauled himself up into the balloon.
"To protect the world from devastation," Jessie intoned.
"To unite all peoples within our nation," James added.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love," both said. "To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Meowth, let's just skip da motto and get out of here!" Meowth piped in.
Suddenly a stream of Water Guns rocked the Meowth balloon from side to side, and it was then that Jessie and James looked down, and in unison, they turned to face Meowth, now looking furious at him.
"Meowth, why haven't you put all the Squirtles to sleep?" Jessie demanded.
"You idiot!" James berated the cat, grabbing him roughly by the collar and shaking him up. "You were supposed to use the Sleep Powder dust on them so that we could get away with Pikachu, the Super Brat, and those Squirtles to present to the Boss!"
"Look, I ran into some complications, okay?!" Meowth insisted.
"Enough of this!" Jessie yelled. "We got the brat, we got Pikachu, let's just cut our losses and scram!"
"Uh... right!" James and Meowth said as they turned to one another and nodded.
And so they soared higher and higher away from the incoming Water Guns.
"No, Gohan!" Brock cried. "Pikachu!"
"We just gotta get Gohan awake!" Misty said, gritting her teeth.
Brock glanced at the Squirtle leader. "Squirtle, quickly, you and your friends gotta use your Water Gun to wake Gohan up!"
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" Squirtle nodded.
It turned to face its friends and nodded once.
"Squirtle!" they all agreed, nodding back.
The Squirtles' leader withdrew into its shell while the other Squirtles moved into position. Using Withdraw, one of the Squirtles rammed into it with its Spinning Tackle attack, sending the Squirtles' leader flying through the air.
Team Rocket looked back in horror.
"What's that Squirtle doing?" James wondered.
"It can't hit us from this range, don't worry!" Jessie said, trying to reassure herself as much as the others.
"Are you sure?" Meowth asked with extreme worry.
"SQUIRTLE!" the Squirtle Squad boss said as it unleashed a massive stream of water directly at their balloon, drenching them all as gravity took its hold once again, and the Squirtles' leader plummeted to the ground like a stone.
Team Rocket laughed in triumph.
"What did you dink you were gonna do, get us wet?" Meowth laughed.
"All the aim in the world can't help you if your attack isn't strong enough!" James gloated gleefully.
While Jessie flipped her eyelid open and stuck her tongue out at them. And then, suddenly...
"Hey, what's going on?" a sleepy voice demanded.
Now seized up, terrified beyond their wits, Team Rocket glanced back to find Gohan sitting there, eyes half-lidded from his awakening.
"Da... da... da twerp's awake!" Meowth said timidly.
"What do we do?!" James yelped. "We're no match for him!"
"Quickly, toss him overboard!" Jessie ordered loudly.
James and Meowth looked shocked.
"But what about da Boss...?" Meowth began.
"JUST DO IT!" Jessie roared, scaring them.
And they approached Gohan, who glanced up at them sleepily.
"Hey, don't I know you?" he inquired, yawning widely.
And just then, they grabbed him around the middle, heaved him up, and carried him over to the side.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Gohan demanded as his senses now slowly returned.
And, just like that, they all tossed him over the side of the balloon!
"Gohan!" Misty cried in concern.
Now fully aware and totally awake after his short nap, Gohan frowned and caught himself in midair, gently settling down next to the two.
"Gohan, you're okay!" Misty cried as she threw her arms around him.
Gohan blinked in confusion, and then Misty quickly let go, turning away as she blushed like a ripe tomato.
"Um, what happened?" Gohan questioned, looking confused.
"Gohan, Team Rocket is getting away with Ash's Pikachu!" Brock told him. "You have to stop them!"
Gohan turned his head skyward as he caught sight of the Team Rocket balloon, and his frown morphed into a furious expression.
"Them again?" he said, and then scoffed. "They just never learn, do they? Don't worry, guys, I'll save Pikachu."
And with a loud cry Gohan took off into the skies, just as Team Rocket looked back in horror.
"Something bad's gonna happen to us!" Jessie whimpered.
"Yes, and we know what it's gonna be!" Meowth added pathetically.
"I feel a running gag coming on!" James agreed, closing his eyes.
And in a quick flash Gohan shot a ki beam at their balloon, passing right through the Meowth shape as it exploded, sending the dastardly trio rocketing away into the morning sky with resigned expressions etched on their faces.
"I'm starting to think we need a different career!" Meowth moaned.
"This sure isn't working out well for us!" James said, turning to look at the Cat Pokémon.
"But it's the only thing we're good at!" Jessie yelled, whining like a child.
"Awww, just shut up and say it with me," Meowth sighed.
"TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!"
And they disappeared into the golden glow of the early morning sky.
Meanwhile, Pikachu was falling, and Misty and Brock were running, hoping to try and catch it.
"We're not gonna make it in time!" Brock said fearfully.
"Pikachu!" Misty cried out for it, as if that could somehow stop its fall.
Just then, a blazing blue comet sped in front of Pikachu, grabbing it before the Electric-type could hit the ground. That blue resolved itself in the form of Gohan, who settled down in front of Brock and Misty.
"Gohan, you did it!" Misty said with eyes shining. "You saved Pikachu!"
Gohan rubbed the back of his neck, blushing. "Aww, hey, well, you know, I couldn't let Pikachu get hurt."
Removing Pikachu gently from his arms, Brock set it down on the dirt floor.
"Ash should have been back already with that Super Potion!" Brock said tensely. "What's taking him so long?"
"Hold on, I'll check!" Gohan put forth, and he shut his eyes, reaching out with his ki sense.
For several minutes, he was silent as he tracked the Pallet Trainer's location, and then suddenly, his eyes shot open.
"Got him!" he said. "He's right outside the cave. I'll go get him!"
And with that, he placed two fingertips to his forehead and vanished.
"I swear, I'm never gonna get used to that," Brock sighed wearily.
"Oh come on, Brock, where's your sense of adventure?" Misty stated lightly.
A few seconds later, Gohan reappeared with both Ash and, to the surprise of everyone there, Officer Jenny.
"Officer Jenny?" Misty asked, blinking. "What on Earth are you doing here?"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Officer Jenny answered, looking as surprised as the others were, though for very different reasons as she now glanced toward the half-Saiyan. "How did you do that? Are you some kind of psychic?"
"Something like that," Gohan said.
As Ash handed Brock the Super Potion to attend to Pikachu, Misty turned to face him.
"So, Ash, what took you so long?" Misty inquired.
"I'll tell you about it later," Ash promised the redhead.
Misty nodded and let the matter drop... for now.
Just then, as the Super Potion took effect, Pikachu looked back up, blinking.
"Pi... Pika... Pikachu?" the Electric Rat said, glancing around.
"Oh, Pikachu, you're better!" Ash cried, now feeling quite relieved.
"Pika?" Pikachu said. Upon catching sight of Ash, its face spread into a wide smile and it jumped at him. "Pika, Pikachu!"
And Ash enfolded it in a very warm hug, looking happier than Gohan had seen him a while.
"And we have the Squirtle Squad to thank for this!" Brock added.
"Oh, really?" Officer Jenny said, looking interested. "Is that right? The Squirtle Squad helped you out?"
"Yes," Brock agreed. "If it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have gotten out of that cave, or stopped Team Rocket."
"Well that settles it then!" Officer Jenny announced dramatically. "I'm hiring you, the Squirtle Squad, as members of the police force!
"Squirtle? Squirtle? Squirtle?" the Squirtle Squad, looking surprised.
"I know we've had some run-ins in the past, but if you can overlook that, I think you'd make a fine addition to the firefighting branch of the Hawkstone Town police department!" Jenny told them all cheerfully.
The Squirtles glanced at one another, seemingly very puzzled before finally nodding and looking back to Jenny with very wide grins on their faces, and watching them all interact, Gohan couldn't help but feel a smile of his own knowing these Pokémon had found peace.
It's what you would have wanted, Dad.
After the formalities were settled, Ash, Brock, Gohan, and Misty were back on the road again.
"... and then I jumped across the bridge!" Ash said eagerly. "I'm telling you, all that training's really paying off, Gohan!"
"Excellent!" Gohan said, glad for his friend. "I told you that it would!"
"Mew, Mew!" Mew giggled innocently — Gohan felt the need to let it out of its Poké Ball knowing that the entire problem with Team Rocket could have been solved in three minutes if Mew had been out of the ball.
"Then what happened?" Brock questioned, wanting to know more.
"Then I ran to town but before I could enter the Poké Mart someone slammed the door into me coming out!" Ash said hotly.
"Man, who could be that careless?" Misty mused.
"Pika Pika," Pikachu said, agreeing with her.
"Whoever it was, I didn't wake up till morning," Ash said. "I got the Super Potion and started running back but on the way, I came across Officer Jenny. She drove me to the bridge... we just barely made it across before it broke."
"Then what?" Gohan inquired, tilting his head to the side.
"Mew?" the Legendary Pokémon chirped, looking just as interested.
"Then we came to the mouth of the cave, where you suddenly appeared, Gohan!" Ash finished jovially.
"Well, that was around the time we defeated Team Rocket!" Brock said.
"You mean when Gohan defeated Team Rocket," Misty said, giving him a very shrewd look.
Brock laughed in agreement. "True. When Gohan defeated them."
"Now your tail's gone because you were trying to defend Pikachu," Ash said sadly. "I'm sorry, Gohan."
"Pika Pika," Pikachu said, sounding guilty at all which transpired.
"Hey, don't sweat it!" Gohan replied casually. "My friends' lives are far more important than a tail. And besides, it'll grow back anyway."
"You mean that?" Misty said hopefully.
Gohan laughed. "Well, of course! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it!"
"Mew, Mew!" Mew said, trailing pink arcs through the sky. "Mew!"
Meanwhile, Misty's eyes shone with emotion at the knowledge that a part of who Gohan is wasn't lost to him forever.
"That's great news, Gohan," she said softly.
The half-Saiyan nodded, and then suddenly he looked back.
"Hey, what's that Squirtle doing?" he asked his friends.
The other three humans and their two Pokémon turned to find the Squirtle Squad boss trudging up the trail after them all.
"I don't know," Brock said, tilting his head.
"Pika Pika?" Pikachu said, looking similarly perplexed.
"Mew?" Mew said, halting its midair aerobics.
"Squirtle!" the Squirtle Squad boss said, taking off its sunglasses.
"Hey, I know!" Gohan burst out. "I betcha Squirtle wants to come with us as thanks for everything we did for it!"
"Do you really think so?" Misty said, glancing sideways at Gohan.
Gohan nodded certainly. "Uh-uh. I'm almost positive of it!"
And with that, the Squirtle leader tore up the road, whipping up tons of dust as it did so, before, finally, it came to Brock's leg and hugged it tightly. Brock glanced to the side at Gohan, looking very nonplussed.
"Hey, wait, why not me?" Ash said, falling to the side with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Pika, Pi Pikachu," Pikachu said, throwing its arms up.
"But... why, Squirtle?" Brock said, still looking very confused. "Why choose me over Gohan or Ash?"
"Because you were the one who stayed up all night to talk with it, convince it that we meant no harm," Misty, looking towards Brock. "If it hadn't been for you, Team Rocket would have gotten away with Pikachu and Gohan."
"But, I..." Brock said, turning to gaze at Gohan, as though seeking his permission that this was okay.
Gohan nodded encouragingly. "I may have started it, but you're the one who actually got through to them. If anyone out there deserves to capture a Squirtle, you do... go ahead, Brock, just enjoy it, for me."
Brock nodded once, and then opened up a Poké Ball.
"Well, Squirtle, what do you say?" he said eagerly. "Do you wanna come with us?"
"Squirtle, Squirtle!" Squirtle said happily.
Accepting that as an invitation, Brock tossed the ball directly at the Water-type Pokémon, which sucked it inside. The ball shook for a few moments before finally the front button clicked while the light from within died down.
"Yes, I did it!" Brock said, twirling around and making a gesture. "I got a Squirtle!"
"Pi, Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu said cheerfully.
"Oh well," Ash said, recovered now from his earlier fall. "That's just one new member to the team."
"Pika, Pi Pika Pikachu," Pikachu agreed. "Pika Pika!"
"Mew!" Mew giggled, now slicing through the air again. "Mew!"
And as they all stood there beneath the gaze of the setting sun, now filled with memories from the previous day they had gone through, all the four children could think was how good it was to be alive, and in Gohan's case, what a wonderful world he'd stranded himself in.
As long as I stay close to the friends I made here, I'll never be far from home.
Well, well, what do you know? Another chapter of Pokémon Tails is out. Sorry this took so long, but it was kind of hard to get everything set up just exactly the way I needed it to be, like Squirtle choosing Brock instead of Ash. And we all see why that is, right? Gohan's presence meant Team Rocket took a more direct approach in their interactions with him, meaning that Brock felt more compelled to try and reason with the Squirtle Squad along with Misty... and because Team Rocket didn't goof off at that Poké Mart, they got there quicker — and Ash was only just coming up when he ran into Officer Jenny, but he decided he didn't want to reveal his secret training.
In my profile, I now put a list to the requested shipping commission pictures I asked from my good friend on deviantART, hirokada, which I label as AdvanceMoonShipping for Gohan/May. This fanfic will include the shipping I label as CascadeMoonShipping (three guess who this will involve), AdvanceShipping, and AppealShipping. No ContestShipping.
Now, onto the reviews!
Thanks to everyone who was satisfied, like me, to see Damien get some comeuppance. Nothing less than he deserved. XD
Guest: Whoa, slow down there. You gotta give me some time to update, you know? And to whether I will involve Battle of Gods in this crossover... check my profile beneath the list of things I will not use. There's a very specific reason I'm not going to be using Super Saiyan God in any of my fanfics, so sorry to disappoint... but I will be using Bills or Beerus. He's too cool not to. :D
Please review!
Announcer: Hey, why aren't I in this story?
You slow down the narrative too much.
Announcer: But it's my show!
And that's a wrap! Sorry, Mr. Announcer Dude, but my fanfic, my rules.
Announcer: Fine, I'll just go over to Altered Fates and A New Beginning. At least the fans appreciate me there.
KoS