AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! I know it's been two weeks, but here is Chapter 21 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through Kanto. It's longer than the other chapters, but the action should make up for it. Cassidy and Butch from Team Rocket, plus Officer Jenny from the anime, and Reina from the games make an appearance in this chapter. Two characters named Jack and Jill make appearances, too. If Romeo and Juliet can make appearances in the anime, I think Jack and Jill can, also. Plus, Shinji Miyazaki's music cues appear as well. As always, all feedback is welcome.

TEASER: Tristan has encountered many roadblocks on his journey, but will he be able to help two young kids retrieve a Cubone and Marowak from Butch and Cassidy? Will the criminals stick around to make the Pokémon Tower their secret base? And what are the true identities of three Ghosts, plus one white ghost?

CHAPTER 21: A GASTLY ENCOUNTER

(Music Cue: Opening 2 1997-1998 M01B)

Tristan has been very successful over the course of several weeks, especially with his latest victory against Erika, the Celadon City Gym Leader. But today, after weeks of intense training since his latest victory, he has now come to an important realization.

"I'm stuck," said Tristan as he sat down to lunch with Pikachu and his younger sister, Hillary one sunny afternoon.

"What do you mean?" asked Hillary. She looked puzzled.

"Well, sis," replied Tristan, "so far, I've earned four badges, and I made many new friends, and we all have been training hard these past few months, but I can't seem to get past the many roadblocks, including the blockade in Saffron City and two sleeping Pokémon on two of the Routes."

"TWO sleeping Pokémon?!" exclaimed Hillary. "I thought there was only one!"

"There's another one west of town," said Tristan. "There's got to be a way past them."

"Don't worry, Tristan," assured Hillary. "We'll get past them somehow."

Presently, they heard two voices.

"Oh, no, not my Cubone!"

"Give back my Marowak!"

Tristan and Hillary immediately turned to see two kids, one boy and one girl, frantically chasing two suspicious people, who had just sped away in a big truck.

"What's going on over there?" asked Hillary.

"Maybe we should go find out," replied Tristan. "Come on."

And they raced off to find out what the commotion was.


When they reached the two kids, they were most shocked at what happened, especially when they tried to understand what they were saying through their sobs.

"Those two people stole your Cubone and Marowak?" asked Hillary.

"Yes," sniffled the young girl. "We held on to our Pokémon as much as we could, but..." Then she started sobbing uncontrollably.

The young boy started sobbing, too.

Tristan and Hillary comforted the two young children.

"We'll get your Pokémon back for you," said Hillary.

"Don't worry, you can count on that," added Tristan.

The two kids stopped sobbing and said, "You'll help us?"

"Of course," replied Tristan. "We'll prove that Pokémon need to be treated as friends and family, not as tools for making money."

The two young kids cheered up. "Thank you so much!" they said as they cried tears of happiness. Then they introduced themselves.

"Hi, my name is Jack," said the boy.

"And I'm Jill," added the girl.

"Hi, guys," said Hillary as she and Tristan introduced themselves. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Hillary, and this is Tristan and Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" greeted Pikachu.

(Music Cue: Let's Run!)

Suddenly, the big truck appeared and charged right toward them.

"It's them!" screamed Jack and Jill together.

"Them who?" asked Hillary.

"Who cares? Look out!" cried Tristan as he and the others got out of the path of the speeding truck.

Hillary was most upset. She threw her fists in the air and exclaimed, "Hey, watch where you're going! Do you want to hurt somebody?!"

Apparently so, for the truck turned around and headed right for them again.

"Not again!" cried Jack and Jill together.

"Hey, you! Get out here and give back the Cubone and Marowak you stole!" demanded Tristan.

"It's no use! They're not stopping!" shouted Hillary.

"All right, Pikachu, try a Thunderbolt!" ordered Tristan.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" it shouted as a yellow bolt of electricity shot out of its body, but Pikachu's attack didn't seem to affect the truck at all.

"Tristan, Pikachu, watch out!" yelled Hillary.

Tristan grabbed Pikachu and got it and himself out of the way just in time, but not without spotting a huge red letter R on the side of the truck.

"Hey, that letter..." said Tristan as the truck started to disappear in the distance.

Hillary saw the letter, too. "That letter R on it...it's Team Rocket!" she realized.

"Team who?" asked Jack and Jill together.

"They're crooks who steal Pokémon and use them for their evil purposes," replied Hillary.

"What do we do?" cried Jill.

"They're getting away with our Pokémon!" added Jack.

"They won't get away that easily," added Tristan as he took out two Pokéballs. "Butterfree, Pidgeotto, I choose you!"

He threw the two Pokéballs as Butterfree and Pidgeotto materialized from the white lights that shot out of them.

"Go after the truck and report back!" ordered Tristan.

Butterfree and Pidgeotto nodded their responses and flew ahead to catch the truck as fast as they could.

Just then, a police car came up and skidded to a halt.

A window rolled down, revealing a woman in police attire. It was Officer Jenny. "Please step aside. We've gotta catch that truck," she said.

"So do we, Officer Jenny," replied Tristan.

"Please let us all come with you," added Hillary.

"Please help us!" sobbed Jack and Jill together.

"All right, get in," replied Officer Jenny as Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, Jack, and Jill quickly got into the car and raced after the truck.


As they sped to the east, Tristan and Hillary explained the situation to Officer Jenny.

"I see," she said. "So it looks like Team Rocket has stolen a Cubone and Marowak from these two young kids, and you promised to help them get their Pokémon back."

"That's right," replied Tristan.

"What's so special about them, Officer Jenny?" asked Hillary.

"It's because of their thick skulls," answered Officer Jenny.

"Their thick skulls?" repeated Tristan.

"Right," replied Officer Jenny. "Thanks to their thick skulls, they sell for very high prices on the market. But doing so is illegal, and I'm going to catch them."

Hillary turned her attention to the kids. "Can you two tell us about your Pokémon?" she asked them.

"Well, it all started a few months ago," Jill said as she and Jack began their story. "It was on our birthday."


(Music Cue: Reunion)

"We were just opening our birthday presents," Jack continued, "when suddenly..."

"Cubone, Cubone!"

"We heard the cries for help and got to our front door. We found two Cubone who were badly hurt."

"Then we asked Mom and Dad to help out the poor things," continued Jill. "Thanks to their skulls, their heads were okay, but they needed to be treated in other places."

"Mom and Dad provided the medicine while we provided the bandages for its injuries," added Jack.

"And Mom and Dad let us stay up all night to watch them," continued Jill. "They liked them so much that they decided to stick with us."

"We wanted to practice our battling skills against one another in Pokémon battles, so we did," added Jack. "After weeks of getting stronger, my Cubone evolved into Marowak first."

"Marowak, Marowak!"

"Of course, after that, my sister didn't want to battle me anymore because she always kept losing to my Marowak."


"The bottom line is that we've been friends with these two Pokémon ever since that day," finished Jill.

"That's a great story," remarked Hillary. "I can tell by the way you talked about it that you have close bonds with your Pokémon. It's just another reason why we need to get your Pokémon back for you."

"I want to find out more about those Pokémon," said Tristan as he took out his Pokédex. The pictures appeared on the screen one at a time.

"Cubone: The Lonely Pokémon," identified Dexter. "It wears the skull of its mother. This Ground-type Pokémon has a usual attitude of caring only for itself.

"Marowak: The Bone Keeper Pokémon: The evolved form of Cubone. Despite its small size, its offensive and defensive strength is impressive."

Just then, everyone heard squawking and calling noises coming from outside the police car.

"What's that?" wondered Officer Jenny.

"It sounds like Pidgeotto and Butterfree spotted something," replied Tristan.

Officer Jenny rolled down the window as Pidgeotto and Butterfree flew alongside.

"What is it, guys? Did you find where those crooks are headed?" asked Tristan.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree happily nodded their responses.

"All right, take us there!" commanded Tristan.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree increased their flying speed and went ahead of the police car.

"Follow those Pokémon, Officer Jenny!" said Hillary.

"All right, hang on!" replied Officer Jenny as she stepped on the gas, increasing the car's speed to catch up with Pidgeotto and Butterfree to their destination. Then, she spoke on her radio. "Attention, all units, this is Officer Jenny. Team Rocket's almost to Lavender Town. I have a Trainer at my location and his Pokémon are already following the criminals by air. Assist the oncoming flying Pokémon whenever possible."

"It sounds like you have backup in Lavender Town," remarked Hillary.

"Those crooks won't be getting away," said Officer Jenny. She sounded very confident as she sped straight to Lavender Town.


The residents of Lavender Town were surprised when a huge truck arrived in Lavender Town and sped off toward a spooky looking tower. Some residents were already paying a visit there when two suspicious people stepped out of the truck. One of them had turquoise blue hair while the other had short green hair while the other had gold hair in pigtails. They were Butch and Cassidy, and they appeared to be carrying a heavy sack with them. Little did the visitors know that a Cubone and Marowak were inside, struggling to break free.

"All right folks," said Butch. "It's time for you to go away."

"This tower is ours," smiled Cassidy evilly.

The visitors were horrified.

Cassidy took out a Pokéball and threw it. "Raticate, go!"

A brown rat with big whiskers and oversize teeth materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

"I choose you, Mankey!" shouted Butch as he threw his Pokéball.

A monkey-like Pokémon with a pig's snout materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

The visitors cringed in fear as the two Pokémon prepared to attack.

"We're more than happy to use force if necessary, but we really don't want it to come to that," smiled Cassidy.

"So, if you want to ensure the safety of the Pokémon and yourselves," added Butch, "I highly suggest you go home."

"And don't even think about calling the police," continued Cassidy, "because if you do, the lovely Cubone and Marowak will be forced to do battle with Mankey and Raticate." Then she cooed mockingly, "Now you wouldn't want anything to happen to these cute widdle Pokémon, do you?"

The terrified residents scrambled out of the Pokémon Tower as fast as they could.

Cassidy snickered. "That was easy," she said.

Just then, Cassidy and Butch heard an angry squawk in the sky.

(Music Cue: Raid! (as heard in "Shell Shock"))

It was Pidgeotto, and it was heading right for them with a white line trailing behind it.

Butch trembled. "Aaah! Easy for you to say! We have a birdbrain on our tails!" he quivered. "And it's using Quick Attack!"

"Run for it!" shouted Cassidy.

But it was too late, for Pidgeotto rammed into them in quick succession, causing them to drop the sack.

The sack opened up, releasing Cubone and Marowak from the sack. They made a break for it by entering the Pokémon Tower.

Butch and Cassidy picked themselves up and thought of another plan.

"We have no choice but to go after the Pokémon while we make our way to the top," grumbled Cassidy, "especially since we have two Pokémon that act like this place is their territory!"

"They won't get far," replied Butch as he and Cassidy raced to the top with Butterfree and Pidgeotto right on their heels.


Officer Jenny and her backup team of officers arrived in Lavender Town with the children just as Butch and Cassidy disappeared inside the tower.

"Those criminals got away," said Officer Jenny.

"Now what should we do?" asked Hillary. "Team Rocket must have been here."

"They must have gone into that creepy tower," shivered Jill.

""We've got to do something!" added Jack.

"But what can we do about it?" asked Officer Jenny.

"I'll tell you what we do," replied Tristan. "We'll bust in, stop the crooks, get Cubone and Marowak back, and help Butterfree and Pidgeotto."

"Then let's go," said Hillary as she and Tristan along with Jack and Jill ran off toward the Pokémon Tower.

"Please be careful in there!" called Officer Jenny as the kids disappeared inside.


(Music Cue: Pokémon Tower M61A))

Inside the tower, Jack and Jill were trembling with fright.

Although Tristan and Hillary weren't as afraid as they were, they still felt a nervous chill.

"I don't like this place," shivered Hillary. "It gives me the creeps."

"I know what you mean," replied Tristan.

Even Pikachu felt scared, so it climbed on Tristan's shoulder.

Pidgeotto and Butterfree, who had been chasing Team Rocket inside the Pokémon Tower earlier, somehow lost their trail, so they decided to meet up with Tristan, and found him a few minutes later.

"Hey, guys!" said Tristan, who was greatly relieved. "It's good to see that you're both okay. Were you able to get Team Rocket?"

They both shook their heads.

"That's too bad," said Tristan, "but I'm sure you two did your best."

"Plus, I'm sure that Team Rocket won't find a safe way out of here without running into us first," added Hillary.

Presently, a little girl dashed into the tower, panting as she went. "You guys, please help me!" she begged.

Tristan, Hillary, Jack, and Jill turned around to see her coming toward them.

"What's the matter?" asked Hillary.

"Two people in black uniforms just went into the tower and are using it as their base!" she panted. "The visitors got scared and ran off because of them!"

"Team Rocket," said Tristan.

"Who are you?" asked Jack and Jill together.

"My name is Reina," replied Reina. "It's nice to meet you all."

"I'm Tristan," said Tristan as he introduced himself and the others. "This is my sister, Hillary, that's Jack and Jill, and that's Pikachu."

"Pikachu!" greeted Pikachu.

"We're trying to get our Cubone and Marowak back from that awful Team Rocket," informed Jill.

"Cubone and Marowak are like family to us, and we love them very much," added Jack.

Just then, everyone heard a spooky sound that seemed to come from above.

"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

(Music Cue: A Creeping Threat)

"Wh-what's...that?" trembled Hillary.

"It must be the wind," gritted Tristan.

"I th-th-think it's a call from the d-d-dead!" shivered Reina.

"Please, Reina, do you have to mention 'dead?'" trembled Hillary.

The spooky sound echoed again. "Ooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

"You d-d-don't believe in gh-ghosts, do you, Jill?" asked Jack nervously.

"N-n-now that you mention it..." Jill began.

Then suddenly, a white sheet with black eye holes made itself known to Tristan and the others.

"AAAAAAAAAH! A GHOST!" screamed Hillary. "RUN!"

Then, everyone else screamed and ran in the opposite direction of the ghost, but suddenly, the ghost began laughing in a boy's voice. He sounded very cocky, indeed. The ghost took off the sheet and revealed what appeared to be a Trainer with spiky brown hair.

It was Blue, Tristan's rival. "Gotcha!" he laughed.

Tristan was very angry at Blue's prank. "That wasn't funny, Blue!" he shouted. "You really scared us! I hope you're happy."

"Nope, you're all too easy," replied Blue. Then he changed the subject. "So, what brings you here, guys? Your Pokémon don't look dead. I can at least make them faint! Let's go, Tristan!"

"You can't be serious!" exclaimed Hillary.

"Yeah, we don't have time for a battle with you right now, Blue!" added Tristan. "We have to find Team Rocket and rescue a Cubone and Marowak for these two young Trainers!"

Blue didn't believe them and said, "Likely story. Go, Sandshrew!"

(Music Cue: Kanto Wild Pokémon Battle)

He threw Sandshrew's Pokéball and Sandshrew materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

"It doesn't look like you're leaving me much choice, are you?" said Tristan as he took out a Pokéball and threw it. "Wartortle, I choose you!"

Wartortle materialized from the white light that shot out of the ball.

"Is Tristan going to be okay, Hillary?" asked Jack worriedly.

"Don't worry, Jack," replied Hillary. "If I know Tristan, he'll easily scare Blue out of this place."

"Sandshrew, use Scratch attack!" yelled Blue.

Sandshrew sprung forward and proceeded to scratch Wartortle with its short claws.

"Wartortle, Withdraw now!" ordered Tristan.

Wartortle's head and limbs disappeared into its shell as it glowed in a blue color.

All Sandshrew did was scratch Wartortle's hard shell, giving it no damage as a result.

"Now blast it with your Water Gun, Wartortle!" commanded Tristan.

Wartortle's head and limbs shot back out of its shell as a powerful stream of water shot out of its mouth.

"Quick, Sandshrew, use your Slash attack on the water and strike it down!" shouted Blue.

Sandshrew extended its claws furhter than when it did than when it used its Scratch attack. It furiously thrust the water away and struck Wartortle hard, much to its and Tristan's surprise.

"Wartortle!" gasped Tristan.

"Wow, that Sandshrew's Slash attack packs quite a punch!" exclaimed Reina.

"Yeah, but Tristan'll figure something out," replied Hillary.

Wartortle slid backward on its feet, but was still in the battle.

"Okay, Wartortle, slow Sandshrew down with your Bubble attack!" ordered Tristan.

A stream of powerful round blue bubbles shot out of its mouth and scored a direct on Sandshrew, stopping it in its tracks.

"Quick, Wartortle, use Water Gun before it can recover!" commanded Tristan.

Instantly, Wartortle shot another stream of water from its mouth and scored an effective hit on Sandshrew, knocking it out.

"Yeah!" cheered Jack and Jill together.

"Looks like Blue's plan for a quick victory got all wet," added Hillary.

"Sandshrew, return!"called Blue as Sandshrew de-materialized into red energy and shot back inside its Pokéball.

"Tristan has trained his Wartortle well, hasn't he?" remarked Reina as she looked on.

"Tristan's been training hard for quite some time," replied Hillary.

"Okay, pal," Blue said to Tristan, "it's time to reveal the first of many surprises I have in store for you!"

He threw his second Pokéball and out came what appeared to be a black pearl-like Pokémon encased in a spiky blue-violet shell as it materialized from the white light. It had round eyes and a tongue sticking out.

"Hey, that's new," remarked Tristan as he scanned the Pokémon with his Pokédex.

"Shellder: The Bivalve Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Its hard shell can withstand any attack. However, when its shell is open, its tender body is exposed."

I'll have to be careful, thought Tristan. Wartortle's had a difficult time dealing with Sandshrew's Slash attack, so I will need to use another Pokémon. "Wartortle, return!" he called as Wartortle de-materialized into red energy and shot back inside its Pokéball.

Pikachu leaped off of Tristan's shoulder and asked him if it could battle Shellder.

"Sure, Pikachu, go on out there," replied Tristan.

Pikachu ran in front of Tristan and readied itself for battle.

"Pikachu, Thundershock now!" yelled Tristan.

(Music Cue: Kanto Champion Battle)

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" it shouted as a yellow stream of electricity shot out of its body toward Shellder.

"Shellder, use Withdraw," instructed Blue.

Shellder immediately closed its shell, and as Thundershock struck it, the hard shell nullified the attack, causing Shellder to take no damage at all.

"Oh, no!" gasped Tristan.

"Shellder, Supersonic!" commanded Blue.

Shellder opened up its shell again and emitted a loud screeching sound. As it did, thin blue circles came out from its shell, causing everyone except Blue to cover their ears.

"That's a very loud sound!" bellowed Reina.

"What?" shouted Hillary. "I can't hear you!"

The noise was so loud that it even reached the top floor where Butch and Cassidy covered their ears, too.

"Someone's got some nerve to scream their heart out!" bellowed Butch.

"I think there's a battle going on down below!" shouted Cassidy.

"Shellder, hit Pikachu with your Tackle!" yelled Blue.

Shellder charged toward Pikachu and hit it head on in the blink of an eye, but thanks to its spiky shell, Pikachu was dealt even more damage.

"Pikachu!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Uh-oh," said Hillary. "Those spikes must have really hurt."

"Don't give up, Pikachu!" cried Jack and Jill together.

Pikachu managed to get back on its feet with some difficulty after Shellder's surprisingly powerful Tackle.

"Now smack it with your Clamp attack, Shellder!" commanded Blue.

Shellder charged again, but this time it clamped tight on Pikachu's tail and wouldn't let go.

"I'm glad I'm not Pikachu," remarked Reina, "because this tale is taking a turn for the worse."

Pikachu tried hard to shake Shellder off its tail, but the harder it shook, the tighter Shellder clamped on.

"Ha!" laughed Blue. "Shake as hard as you want, Pikachu, but you'll never be able to withstand Shellder's unbeatable clamping power!"

"Shellder may be clamping hard, but it certainly isn't unbeatable," said Tristan to Blue. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt attack!"

It was then that Blue found his mistake. "Quick, Shellder, get away!" he cried.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as it zapped Shellder at close range with its electricity.

Nobody knew if it was Pikachu's natural instinct or Tristan's command, but nevertheless, it was too late for Shellder to get away from Pikachu's Thunderbolt.

"Shellder!" cried Blue.

Shellder released Pikachu's tail from its grip and collapsed. It had been knocked out.

"Are you okay, Pikachu?" asked Tristan.

Pikachu nodded as it gently held its tail after that experience.

"Shellder, return!" called Blue as he aimed the Pokéball's button at Shellder, who transformed into red energy and shot back inside. "Looks like I underestimated your skills, but here's another little surprise." He took out his third Pokéball and threw it. "Go, Vulpix!"

A red-brown quadruped fox-like Pokémon with six beautiful tails materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

"Vulpix may look beautiful, Tristan, but looks can be deceiving!" called Blue.

"Let's see what Dexter has to say," said Tristan as he scanned Vulpix with his Pokédex.

"Vukpix: The Fox Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Vulpix's fur and tails are extremely beautiful. As it grows and evolves, it grows even more tails. Vulpix uses powerful Fire attacks."

"So it's a Fire-type," said Tristan as he put his Pokédex away. He turned to Pikachu. "You'd better take a little break, Pikachu. You battled hard, especially after that last battle with Shellder."

Pikachu came back to Tristan as he petted it on the head.

Tristan took out another Pokéball from his pocket. "Charmeleon, I choose you!"

Charmeleon materialized from the white light that shot out of it. It looked much stronger since it evolved several weeks before.

Reina was confused. "Why did Tristan choose Charmeleon?" she asked. "Wartortle would have been a better choice."

"I know," replied Hillary. "But I suspect that Wartortle had a difficult time in its battle with Sandshrew, so he wanted to go with somebody fresh. But I know Charmeleon will do just as well as Wartortle would have done."

"Okay, Charmeleon, I know this won't be easy, but I wouldn't have chosen you if I didn't think you can do it," said Tristan. "We'll win this match together."

"Charmeleon," nodded Charmeleon.

"So, Charmander finally evolved, huh?" said Blue. "Let's just see how well it can handle Vulpix's Quick Attack!"

(Music Cue: Rocket Powered Disaster)

Vulpix sped straight toward Charmeleon with a white line trailing behind it. It scored a hit, but Charmeleon easily shook it off.

"Charmeleon, Scratch attack!" ordered Tristan.

Charmeleon ran toward Vulpix with its razor sharp claws as the driving force. However, Vulpix's speed allowed it to dodge Charmeleon's attacks.

"That Vulpix is impressive, too," said Reina. "I can see that he's raised it well."

"Charmeleon's got to get a hit in sometime or it'll never win," added Hillary.

"Vulpix, get it with your Ember attack!" commanded Blue.

Vulpix fired multiple fireballs from its mouth, and seemed to hit Charmeleon, but it just stood there as if nothing happened.

"Charmeleon, use your Flamethrower attack!" shouted Tristan.

Charmeleon fired a stream of fire out of its mouth and scored a hit on Vulpix.

Even though Vulpix was a Fire-type Pokémon like Charmeleon, it seemed to struggle to hang on while still being caught in the fire.

"Vulpix, use that fire and give it another Quick Attack now!" commanded Blue.

Vulpix charged toward Charmeleon with a white line trailing behind it again, but this time it used the power of Charmeleon's own Flamethrower against it. It successfully landed a clean hit on Charmeleon, giving it heavy damage.

"Hang on, Charmeleon, don't give up!" encouraged Tristan.

"Wow, I never thought that Vulpix could use a Fire-type Pokémon's attacks against them before," remarked Hillary. "I have to admit, that last tactic was very creative."

Charmeleon struggled to its feet, then suddenly it got very angry.

"What's going on with Charmeleon?" asked Tristan to himself.

Charmeleon stomped on the ground, and its flame got bigger with each stomp.

"Do you think Charmeleon is getting ready for another attack?" asked Jack nervously.

"Maybe Dexter can tell us," replied Hillary.

"Then let's check it out," added Tristan as he took out his Pokédex.

"Rage: One of Charmeleon's special attacks," identified Dexter. "It gets more powerful the more it is attacked. It will continue to battle until its opponent is defeated."

"Wow, this is so awesome!" said Tristan. "All right, Charmeleon, Slash attack!"

Charmeleon lunged forward with its claws as the driving force again, but this time, it repeatedly struck Vulpix with them again and again.

"Vulpix!" cried Blue.

"Now, finish it off with Flamethrower!" shouted Tristan.

Charmeleon shot a more powerful stream of fire from its mouth than it did the last time. Vulpix's fur was singed due to the more powerful attack. It then collapsed and fainted as Charmeleon stood proudly over its defeated opponent.

"That's the way, Charmeleon! Good job!" praised Tristan.

Charmeleon nodded its head, despite the injuries it received.

"Vulpix, return!" called Blue as he aimed the Pokéball's button. Vulpix transformed into red energy and shot back inside.

"How did you like that, Blue?" asked Tristan.

"Aw, you lucked out on that one," replied Blue. "But now, let's see how you handle Eevee again. Go!"

Blue threw Eevee's Pokéball and it materialized from the white light that shot out of it. Its fleece was nice and shiny.

"It looks like Eevee's been groomed as well as it's been raised," remarked Hillary. "It looks like it's going to be tough to beat."

"You'd better rest for awhile, Charmeleon," advised Tristan as he aimed the Pokéball's button at Charmeleon.

Charmeleon transformed into red energy and shot back inside.

Tristan held Charmeleon's Pokéball close and said, "You were great. You battled hard." He put it away and turned to Butterfree, who was standing by. "Are you ready to go, Butterfree?" he asked it.

Butterfree nodded and flew in front of Tristan, ready to face Eevee in battle.

"Don't let Eevee's looks fool you, Butterfree," advised Tristan. "I'm sure it's gotten stronger."

"You're darn right, it has," replied Blue. "Eevee, Quick Attack now!"

(Music Cue: Chaos)

In the blink of an eye, Eevee charged toward Butterfree with a white line trailing behind it, and scored a clean hit almost immediately.

"Wow, that's fast!" exclaimed Tristan. "Butterfree, String Shot attack!"

Butterfree shot a sticky line of string from its mouth and wrapped itself around Eevee.

"Eevee, try and hang on!" encouraged Blue.

Eevee tried to stand up, but every time it did, it collapsed on the ground again thanks to the string wrapped around it.

"That lousy string is trouble!" grumbled Blue.

"Butterfree, give it a Psybeam!" ordered Tristan.

A mysterious colored beam of energy shot out from between Butterfree's antennae. It struck Eevee squarely in the face and broke the string that entangled it.

Eevee slid backward, but when it opened its eyes, it had a confused look in them.

"Eevee, try another Quick Attack!" commanded Blue.

However, instead of attacking Butterfree, it banged its head on the ground again and again, much to Blue's frustration.

"What are you doing, Eevee?" yelled Blue. "Snap out of it!"

"Why is Eevee acting weird?" asked Reina

"Is that the side effect of Psybeam?" added Jill.

"I learned that Psybeam can confuse an opponent in battle," replied Hillary. "That may be why it's attacking itself instead of Butterfree."

"Butterfree, Tackle attack!" shouted Tristan.

Butterfree charged at Eevee with all its might and rammed into it with such force that it knocked it out.

"Eevee, return!" called Blue as he aimed the Pokéball's button at Eevee, who transformed into red energy and shot back inside. "Well, Tristan, it looks like you haven't been slacking around after all. But now it's time for my final Pokémon."

"Is it your Raticate?" asked Tristan.

"Nope, not this time," answered Blue. "Raticate deserved to have some time off, especially after its last battle with Pikachu, and besides, I needed to catch some new Pokémon and train them for this moment. So I left it at Professor Oak's laboratory."

"Then, what's he going to use?" asked Jack nervously.

"Go, Fearow!" shouted Blue as he threw his last Pokéball.

A brown avian Pokémon materialized from the white light that shot out of it. It looked much bigger than Spearow, and it had a long, thin beak and had a coxcomb on its head. Its wings looked powerful, too.

Tristan was very shocked. "What is that?" he gasped as he took out his Pokédex.

"Fearow: The Beak Pokémon: The evolved form of Spearow," identified Dexter. "It's large, powerful wings allow it to fly for an entire day. The crushing power of its beak is tremendous."

"That Spearow must have evolved," said Hillary.

"It sure looks nasty," added Jill nervously.

"I sure hope Tristan knows what he's up against," finished Reina.

"Butterfree, return!" called Tristan as he aimed the Pokéball's button at Butterfree, who transformed into red energy and shot back inside. He then turned to Pidgeotto, who was standing by. "Okay, Pidgeotto, let's go."

Pidgeotto flew in front of Tristan and readied itself for battle against Fearow, but just then, they heard screams from the top of the tower.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"What was that?" asked Tristan.

"I don't know, but maybe we should go check it out," replied Blue. "Let's go, Fearow!"

Blue proceeded up the stairs, followed closely by Fearow.

"Come on, guys, let's go, too," advised Tristan.

"Right!" everyone else said, as they, Pikachu, and Pidgeotto followed Tristan up the stairs after Blue.


At the top, Cassidy and Butch were trembling at the sight of what appeared to be three purple floating ghosts with hands.

"Cassidy, I'm scared!" quivered Butch. "I don't know what those things are or what they want from us!"

"Maybe they'll leave us alone if we brought them some Pokémon to play with?" suggested Cassidy.

"Like that Cubone and Marowak! Great idea!" replied Butch.

"It's Team Rocket!" shouted a voice.

Cassidy and Butch turned around to see that voice belonged to Tristan. The others were standing beside him.

Hillary was clearly disgusted. "It's Cassidy and Batch again!" she fumed.

"Ugh! The name is Butch!" shouted Butch. "Don't you remember my name?!"

"You're the no-good crooks who were abusing Bulbasaur back in Cerulean City!" exclaimed Tristan.

"Give back our Cubone and Marowak, you robbers!" demanded Jack and Jill together.

"We'd love to do that, but they aren't here right now," replied Cassidy.

"This isn't funny! What have you done with them?!" demanded Hillary.

Presently, two voices came from just down the stairs, and they were racing up to the top as fast as they could. Two bipedal Pokémon with thick skulls and bones in their hands came into view.

"That's my Cubone!" cried Jill happily.

"And Marowak!" added Jack.

"That's the Cubone and Marowak?" asked Tristan and Hillary together.

Jack and Jill hugged Marowak and Cubone, respectively. They were greatly relieved to see them unharmed.

"But why would they wander the tower?" asked Reina.

"It's all thanks to that stupid Pidgeotto!" shouted Cassidy, pointing at Pidgeotto.


(Music Cue: A Formidable Opponent Appears)

"After we stole the Cubone and Marowak, we made our way to the tower and scared off the visitors, but as soon as we got there, that birdbrain acted territorial and attacked us, causing us to lose them!" fumed Butch.

"We tried hard to find them, but it seemed like they just disappeared without a trace," added Cassidy. "Those two seemed to be very good at hiding."

"But a few minutes after we got to the top, these ghosts came out of nowhere and just wanted to torture us for the rest of our miserable lives!" trembled Butch.


"Please help us get rid of them!" pleaded Butch and Cassidy.

"And why should we help you after you caused a whole lot of trouble for these two young kids?" asked Hillary suspiciously.

"And why should I discipline my Pidgeotto for doing exactly what needed to be done?" added Tristan.

"Please help!" begged Butch and Cassidy.

The ghosts kept surrounding the two terrified Team Rocket members.

"What do you say, guys?" whispered Tristan. "We can't just leave them here."

"Well, if you're not going to take action, I will!" said Blue. "Let's go, Fearow!"

Fearow charged for the ghosts, but stopped dead in its tracks because the ghosts now turned their attention to Fearow and were torturing it with spooky sounds.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!" they cried.

"Go on, Fearow, attack them!" ordered Blue.

But Fearow was too scared to move.

Even Pikachu cowered behind Tristan's legs.

"It seems like anyone who tries to battle the ghosts somehow gets tortured," said Reina.

"Do something!" begged Butch and Cassidy.

"Hold on," said Tristan as e dug through his backpack. "I'll use this!" He found the Silph Scope that Giovanni had given him earlier on his journey and put it on his head.

"That must be the Silph Scope," said Cassidy. "The Boss must have handed it to him."

"But why would he do that?" wondered Butch.

Using the most advanced technology available, Tristan used the Silph Scope to unmask the ghosts' true identities. They were three Pokémon in disguise. One of them was a spherical Pokémon with gas surrounding it. The second Pokémon had a round head with disembodied hands. And the third Pokémon had a dark purple body with red eyes and a sinister grin.

Tristan took out his Pokédex and scanned them, one at a time.

"Gastly: The Gas Pokémon," identified Dexter. "Some researchers believe this Pokémon is a multidimensional being."

"Who's the Pokémon with the floating hands?" trembled Jack and Jill.

"Haunter: The Gas Pokémon," continued Dexter. "After evolving from Gastly, Haunter can learn the Dream Eater and Psychic attacks."

"I really don't like that sinister grin on the last Pokémon," shivered Hillary.

"Gengar: The Shadow Pokémon: The evolved form of Haunter. Details about this Pokémon are unknown."

"Details unknown?" said Tristan nervously.

Suddenly, the Ghost Pokémon's eyes glowed red and a dark crimson beam shot out from them, causing everyone to step back.

"What are they doing now?" asked Hillary.

"They're using Night Shade!" exclaimed Reina.

"Pikachu, use your Thunderbolt attack!" ordered Tristan.

"Pikachuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" shouted Pikachu as a bolt of electricity shot out of its body. It didn't hit the ghosts, but they obviously got spooked enough to stop attacking.

After the Thunderbolt stopped, Pikachu tried talking with the Ghost Pokémon, convincing them that everyone came as friends, not enemies.

Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar understood what Pikachu was saying, and they started to float back down the stairs to try and spook some more guests another time.

"Well, it looks like the Ghost Pokémon listened to Pikachu," said Hillary.

"That's a relief," replied Reina.

Just as Cubone and Marowak happily looked on, Butch and Cassidy grabbed them from behind and put them in the sack again, much to everyone's shock.

"Hey, give our Pokémon back!" demanded Jack and Jill together. as they stomped up and down.

"That reaction is just priceless!" laughed Cassidy. "I'd love to see how this turns out, but we've gotta go."

"See ya!" laughed Butch as he and Cassidy started to run off.

"We'll see about that," said Tristan as he turned to Pidgeotto. "Pidgeotto, stop them with your Quick Attack!"

Pidgeotto raced off after the fleeing Rockets with a white line trailing behind it. It quickly got ahead of them and blocked their way.

"You're not going anywhere!" shouted Tristan.

"Give back our Pokémon right now!" demanded Jack.

"Or you will be sorry!" added Jill.

"Pika-pika!" added Pikachu.

(Music Cue: Team Rocket Kanto Motto M20B (as heard in "The Fortune Hunters"))

"Maybe you should prepare for trouble," advised Cassidy.

"And then we'll make your trouble double," added Butch.

Then they recited their motto.

"To infect the world with devastation."

"To blight all peoples in every nation."

"To denounce the goodness of truth and love."

"To extend our wrath to the stars above."

"Cassidy!"

"And Butch!"

"Team Rocket circling earth all day and night!"

"Surrender to us now, or you'll surely lose the fight!"

"Raticate!" chimed a rat-like Pokémon, who stood in front of Butch and Cassidy.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time, you losers?!" fumed Tristan.

"Listen, kid, do you honestly enjoy trying our patience?!" shouted Cassidy. She was clearly annoyed at Tristan's insult. "If you won't leave us alone, then we'll just have to force all of you out! Raticate, go!"

(Music Cue: Kanto Trainer Battle (as heard in "Showdown at Dark City"))

Raticate charged in front of Cassidy and prepared for battle.

"Go, Mankey!" commanded Butch as he threw a Pokéball.

Mankey materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

"I'll join in, too," said Blue.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang attack!" yelled Cassidy.

Raticate charged at Fearow with its teeth bared.

"Go, Fearow, Fury Attack!" commanded Blue.

Fearow charged at Raticate and furiously pecked at them with its beak repeatedly.

"Stop that pecking, you feathered birdbrain!" demanded Cassidy.

"Mankey, Thrash attack!" commanded Butch.

Mankey charged at Fearow and stomped it, punched it, kicked it, and combined its ways of hitting Fearow together. It was like it was out of control. Fearow was getting pulverized.

"Fearow!" cried Blue.

"Pidgeotto, hit Mankey with your Quick Attack!" ordered Tristan.

Pidgeotto sped toward Mankey with a white line trailing behind it and scored a clean hit on it.

Mankey was sent flying into Butch and Cassidy, who in turn dropped the sack containing Cubone and Marowak.

They both rushed out to their happy trainers and hugged them.

"Let's join the battle, too, sis," advised Jack.

"You got it!" replied Jill.

"You will do no such thing!" shouted Cassidy. "Raticate, Skull Bash now!"

"Mankey, Thrash attack!" ordered Butch.

The two Pokémon charged toward Cubone and Marowak.

"Ready, Jill?" asked Jack.

"Ready, Jack," replied Jill.

Then they both ordered, "Double Bonemerang attack!"

Cubone and Marowak each threw their bones like boomerangs and struck the two Pokémon, sending them backward into Butch and Cassidy.

Cassidy, Butch, and their Pokémon groaned as they lay in a heap when suddenly, the three Ghost Pokémon appeared in front of them, causing them to scream in terror.

Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar were all clearly annoyed that their home was taken over by two troublemakers, and they wanted to teach them a lesson.

"What are the Ghost Pokémon doing?" wondered Tristan.

"I guess they want to help us out," replied Hillary.

The three Ghost Pokémon's eyes glowed red and a dark crimson beam shot out at them and hit them, causing a huge explosion, which sent them hurtling through the sky.

"Looks like we're blasting off again!" yelled Butch and Cassidy as they disappeared with a twinkle to mark their flight.

DING!

Back at the top of Pokémon Tower, Tristan, Hillary, Blue, and Reina were all impressed with Jack and Jill's Marowak and Cubone, respectively.

"That double Bonemerang was really strong," remarked Tristan.

"It certainly taught those two a lesson the hard way," added Hillary.

"I liked the way that attack worked," finished Reina.

"I guess it was impressive," said Blue.

"Oh, come on, Blue, you know as well as I do that those two Pokémon were impressive," retorted Tristan.

"Well, not as impressive as this Pokémon," said Blue as he took out a Pokéball, which opened as another Cubone materialized from the white light that shot out of it.

"What? How did you...When did you..." Tristan was clearly lost in what he was trying to say.

"That's right, kiddo, I just caught a Cubone, too!" smirked Blue. He returned his Cubone and his exhausted Fearow to their Pokéballs.

"Hey, wait, what about our battle, Blue?" asked Tristan.

"We'll finish it another time," replied Blue. "Anyway, I'd better get going, pal. I've got a lot to accomplish. Smell ya later!" And he started for the exit, leaving Tristan clearly annoyed.

"That Blue," grumbled Tristan. "He's just lucky that Team Rocket showed up and interrupted our battle."

"Never mind him, Tristan," said Hillary calmly. "We still managed to get Jack and Jill's Cubone and Marowak back."

"That's right," added Jack and Jill. "And thank you all so much."

"We were just happy to help," replied Tristan.

"Now, what do you say we get out of here?" suggested Reina.

And they all started for the exit as visitors started coming back inside the Pokémon Tower to pay their respects.


(Music Cue: I Got a Victory Badge! (as heard in "The Battle of the Badge"))

Later that evening, Tristan and his friends were standing outside the Pokémon Tower with Officer Jenny.

"We may not have been able to make any arrests," said Officer Jenny, "however, you managed to drive those criminals out of town. Everyone in Lavender Town is most grateful."

"Thank you, Officer Jenny," replied Tristan.

"We're just glad things turned out okay," added Hillary.

"Especially since we got Cubone and Marowak back for Jack and Jill," finished Reina.

"Thank you so much, you guys," said Jack.

"And to show my gratitude, I want to give you something," said Officer Jenny as she handed Tristan a strange looking flute.

"What's this?" wondered Tristan.

"It's a Poké Flute," answered Officer Jenny. "You can use it to wake sleeping Pokémon."

"Tristan, this Poké Flute may be your answer to getting out of your rut!" said Hillary excitedly.

"I heard that there were sleeping Pokémon on two of the Routes," said Tristan.

"In that case, you should use it on those routes to clear the problem," advised Officer Jenny.

"I'll make sure that he does," replied Hillary.


"Good luck on your journey!" called Officer Jenny as she waved good-bye to Tristan and Hillary.

"Thanks for helping us, guys!" called Jack and Jill.

"Take care!" added Reina.


Thanks to Hillary and Tristan, Lavender Town's residents can visit the Pokémon Tower without fear, except when they see the residing Ghost Pokémon. Not only that, they helped two young kids defeat Butch and Cassidy and get their Cubone and Marowak safely back to them. And now, it's time for Tristan and Hillary to continue to the next Gym.

► TO BE CONTINUED