Rescued by an Old Friend
Episode 4
Recap of the last episode...
"Are you kidding? If I win in a gym battle there I get a badge." He said. "Once I get eight of those badges I can compete in the Hoenn League."
"Me too." Aria replied.
"That sounds great...I guess." May didn't know what to say, but she was still unsure about something.
"Don't you want to compete in the Hoenn League?" Ash asked May.
"I- of course..." May's voice trails of a bit.
...
"This is the Petalburg Gym? This place looks cool." Ash said.
"Let's go inside."
Once they enter they noticed how quiet the place was when they got inside. When they reached the battlefield they noticed that it was empty.
"Hello? Is anyone here?" Ash asked aloud.
"Doesn't seem like anyone's here." Aria said, crossing her arms.
"Can you please keep it down?"
They turned around and noticed someone standing there holding a book in there hands. It was just a kid, probably at the age of 9 or 10 but he was really short too.
"I'm right in the middle of watching a video of the Silver Conference."
"Oh, were sorry." Ash apologized, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry kid."
"Wow! It's really you!" The kid exclaimed, pointing at Ash. He looks over at Aria. "And you're here too! This is amazing!"
"Yes, um how do you know who we are?" Aria asked.
"You both were in the Johto Silver Conference! You both lost in the second round in a tag battle!"
Ash and Aria then fell on the ground, hating to remember that battle.
"Your name, your name is Alf!" He said pointing back at Ash. "And your name is...Aria!"
"It's Ash." He corrected.
"I watched you both compete at the Silver Conference live. I've been watching videos of it every since!"
"Wow..." Ash answered amazed.
"You both lost in the second round. Then you got knocked out by Harrison's Blaziken, and Maria's Skarmory! Your battle was totally awesome! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. That final battle between Charizard and Blaziken was really cool! Both pokemon just keep taking one attack after another! Especially between Skarmory and Ariados! It was amazing!"
Ash and Aria looked over at each other, thinking about their tag battle with Harrison and Maria once again. It was the first tag battle they ever done in a while. But the two of them just couldn't beat Harrison's and Maria's pokemon.
"So...where's the gym leader?" Ash asked, changing the subject.
"That would be me." The kid said, pointing at himself.
Ash and Aria were even more confused.
"Yeah, sure..." Ash said sarcastically.
"What?! You think I'm not good enough?" The kid exclaimed.
"Hey, calm down guys." Aria said, getting in between them.
"What going on in there?"
They turned around and noticed a man standing by the door with a woman next to him and a familiar girl.
"May!?"
"Umm, hi."
...
"This is my mother and father." May said.
"Please to meet you, I'm Norman." The man said.
"Hi, I'm Caroline." The woman greeted.
May points the the young boy sitting next to him. "And this is my little brother, Max."
"You see, our dad is the real gym leader." Max said.
"We really appreciate you both bringing May all the way home." Caroline thanked.
"You really don't have to thank us." Aria said. "Just doing something nice for a friend."
...
"Actually, we've been traveling with some of our best friends, and Pikachu of course."
"Pikachu!" It replied.
"Well that's good, traveling with friends is much easier." Norman said.
"Oh yeah, and it's a lot more fun too." Aria added.
"Dad, Ash and Aria would like to have a gym battle with you." May said.
"Yeah, I hope that's okay." Ash asked.
"Of course. So how many badges do you have?" He asked.
"This is going to be our first one." Aria said.
"So your just getting started."
"Yes. What are rules?" Ash asked.
"Three on three battle elimination."
Ash's eyes widen as Aria looked over at him. "I only have Pikachu with me." He said, placing his hand on his face. "I wanted to start over but I didn't know I would need more than one."
"It's alright, it won't be an official gym battle, what about you Aria?" He asked.
"I have four pokemon." She said. "I have other pokemon I left back at our home. But I got two here and brought two when I arrived here a while ago." She said.
"Alright, Ash, do you mind if I battle with her first?" Norman asked.
"Sure! Go on ahead. This gives me time to come up with a plan for when I battle you!" He said.
...
"Look, Team Rocket's gone." May pointed out.
"My Vigoroth is still here." Norman said.
"So is my Pikachu." Ash said.
"Even Houndoom." Aria replied.
They looked at May and noticed her looking around worriedly.
"What's wrong?" Aria asked her.
"My Torchic's gone!" She exclaimed.
"WHAT!?" They all shouted in disbelief.
...
"Wait! There could be a―!" It was too late when they noticed them fall in a hole that was set up for them. "Trap." Ash finished in a whisper.
"We're coming!" Norman said, running out of the bush too, including with his wife.
"Wait, their could be another trap!" Aria told them, but they already fell in a hole across from them. The two siblings facepalmed as they were the only ones who didn't fall into one.
"Looks like you fell for it!" A voice answered mockingly and walked out from behind the hot air balloon.
"Thanks for dropping in!" James laughs.
...
"Oh Torhic, I'm so glad to have you back." May said, hugging her small pokemon.
Ash and Aria smile and saw the bright smile on Max's face.
"So this is the bond between pokemon and trainer, right Alf?" He asked.
Ash facepalmed.
"It's Ash." He corrected.
"And yes, this is how it is." Aria finished for him.
...
"Your brother does know a lot about pokemon." He said. "And he just might be a big help to you."
"And a lot less worry for me." Caroline added.
"Ash, would it be too much of a bother if Max traveled along with you, May and Aria?" Norman asked.
"It's alright. Aria, Pikachu?" He asked.
"I'm cool with it." Aria said with a bright smile.
"Pikachu!" His pokemon said.
"This is going to be awesome!" Max exclaimed in happiness. "I have something I need to get the three of you." Norman said, holding out something to the three trainers. "A badge case to hold your winning gym badges."
They each take one and stare down at it.
"Wow, thanks a lot Norman." Ash thanked.
"Thank you." Aria said.
"And son, this is for you." Norman hands Max a small device in his hands.
"Oh wow! A Pokemon Navigator!" He exclaimed, turning it on.
"With one of those you'll know exactly where you're going." Norman explains. "I suggest you travel to the closest gym here which located in Rustboro City."
"Okay." Ash, Aria, and May said at the same time.
They waved their goodbyes to the two as the three trainers tried to catch up to Max.
"Hurry up you slowpokes!" Max told them.
"We're coming!" Ash said.
"We're right behind you." May said as they started to take the next trail to Rustboro City, where they can earn their gym badge.
"So, when are we going to be stopping for lunch?" May asked.
"But I haven't seen one pokemon yet!" Max exclaimed.
"Pokemon don't always have to show their faces." Aria said, coming to a stop. "Pokemon have to stay close to their homes to protect it."
The others stopped and looked at her.
"It's true." Ash said, agreeing with her.
"Seriously, can we eat now?" May asked again.
"But I want to check the forest for pokemon!" Cried Max.
"Ugh! Stop!" Ash shouted.
The two were now silent because of Ash's shout.
"Ash, calm down." Aria said, shaking her head. "We can stop for a quick lunch break, then we can take another route to see so pokemon. Okay?"
"Alright!"
A kid from pallet town with a brand new world to see
I don't know what's ahead but it won't get the best of me
There's so much to learn and battles to be won
I've advanced so far and still there's always more to come
Take a step and I'm on my way gonna start all over again
I want to be hero (hero!)
Pokemon advance
I wanna be a hero (hero!)
Give it just one chance
And the future will decide
If there's a hero buried deep inside
I wanna be a hero!
Pokemon!
"So wait, did anyone pack the lunch?" Ash asked.
"I thought I gave it to you Ash." Aria said.
"I didn't get it. May?"
"No..." She answered.
"Me either..." Max said.
"Oh great."
They all sat down beside rocks and was staving.
"So I'm the only one who brought the pokemon food?" Aria opens her back and held a can in her hand. "Here Pikachu, take it."
Pikachu smiles brightly before taking the can and opening it to see a bunch of pokemon food inside of it.
"I wish Brock could have come with us." Ash said, looking over at Aria.
She nodded. "Same."
"Brock?" May said confused.
"Who's Brock?" Max asked.
"A friend we were traveling with before." Ash explains. "Knows lots about pokemon."
"But he really really knows how to cook well too." Aria added.
"Hey guys, look." Max pulls out a small box out of his bag.
"Isn't chocolate!" Cried Ash.
"We can split it so we all can get one." May said.
"Great, let's do it!"
But before Max, could, something flew in and snatched it out of his hand, leaving everyone dumbfounded. They looked up in the air to see a pokemon flying away from them, but they couldn't tell if it was holding something.
"That pokemon stole our chocolate!" May exclaimed.
She got up and started to run after it, including with her younger brother.
"Guys! It's just―!"
"We can't get separated from them. Lets go!"
Ash runs past Aria leaving her alone. She grumbles before catching up to the others. When she noticed them she came to a stop behind and noticed them looking up at the pokemon who stole the chocolate.
"It's a Taillow." She said.
"You know, we can always find more food in the forest, their bond to be food in the trees." Ash said, looking over at May.
"Pika! Pikachu!" Ash turns to his electric mouse pokemon and saw it pointing at a tree.
"Guys look! There's a bunch of fruit in these trees!" He exclaimed.
"Great! Lets get some of them." Aria said.
"Pikachu helps us out and knock down some of that fruit."
Pikachu nods and uses Thunderbolt to zap the fruit off the branches. They saw fruit falling down from each ends of the tree, at least, until more Taillow flew out of those trees and caught the fruit, glaring at them.
"Oh no, this is bad." Ash said.
"They almost look like their about to attack." Max pointed out.
"They got their fruit back so what's the problem?" May asked.
"We must be in their territory. They're probably mad because we were going to eat some of their fruit." Aria said, holding a poke ball in her hands. "We're going to have to battle our way out of this one. Electrike, come on out!" She commanded, throwing the poke ball out of her hand as it appeared next to Pikachu.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt." Ash commanded.
"And use Spark Electrike!" Aria commanded hers.
The two electric pokemon obeyed and launched their attack at the flock of Taillow. The attack managed to do a lot of damage to them that they all fell to the ground.
"Alright!" Ash said happily.
"Flying types are weak to electric types like Pikachu and Electrike." Max explains.
"That will hold them off for a while." Aria added.
But what shocked them was that they were getting right back up.
"Maybe not!" Ash exclaimed.
"But how could they have recovered so quickly!?" Max questioned.
"Electrike Discharge!" Aria commanded.
Electrike nodded, launching the far range attack everywhere and hits the flock of Taillow again, but they only shook it off and kept consciousness.
Electrike looked dumbfounded as its attack did nothing to the flock.
Only more Taillow started to show up which made it now impossible for them to escape.
"Forretress explosion!"
Ash and Aria instantly remember that voice as if they heard it before. They then noticed a pokemon stand right in front of them before it glowed and blew up right in front of them, causing a large explosion to happen.
When the smoke cleared, they saw someone standing in front of them.
"BROCK!" Ash and Aria exclaimed.
"We'll be safer outside of the forest." Brock said, leading the others to the creek.
"Thanks Brock, we were lucky you came by." Ash said.
"Well you sure really thank Forrestress." He said, kneeling down to Pikachu. "It's good to see you again Pikachu." He said.
"Pikachu!" It greeted, smiling brightly.
"Looks like you and Electrike both got hurt. Here." He takes out a potion and sprays it on Pikachu's arm, and then on Electrike's leg.
It strung a bit which made the pokemon blow on the wound.
"So, Brock, what are you doing here? I thought you were going home." Ash asked.
"I did go home." Brock said, getting up. "Everything is fine, so I decided to come back out. And then Professor Birch told me that you and Aria were heading to Rustboro City. So I decided to come out here and see if I could find you."
"Does that mean we're going to travel together again?" Aria asked, a smile appeared on her face.
"Yeah, if you don't mind."
"That's the best news we heard all day." Ash said.
"Let me introduce you to our new friends, this is May and her young brother Max. They're from Petalburg City" He said. "And this is our friend Brock, he's training to become the world's best Pokemon Breeder."
"Hi there." May greeted.
"It was so cool being a breeder huh?" Max asked.
"Yeah, I still got a lot to learn though. But, hi." Brock said.
"When we met Brock he was the gym leader in Pewter City." Aria explains.
"Wow you were?" Max said shocked.
"Our dad is a gym leader too." May said. "Isn't it true what Aria told us that you were a good cook?" She asked.
Brock looks over at her.
"It's true, you still practicing?" He asked.
"Of course! How could I forget how to cook from a great teacher?" She said.
Brock smiles, looking over at others. "Alright, I should have something we can all have a bite on." He opens his bag and looks for the food he brought with him, but he couldn't find it at all.
"T-there're gone!" He exclaimed. "There were 5 sandwiches in my backpack!"
"Brock, is it possible that you ate all of them?" Max asked.
"No! But I was just about to eat one when I heard the Thunderbolt and ran to see if it was Pikachu." He said.
"So they disappeared during the battle." Ash said.
"Then the other Taillow ate them. I'm so hungry." May complained.
"Taillow do tend to travel in flocks to find food and devour if they happen to come across. As you probably notice they're very territorial and pretty aggressive so other pokemon usually run and hide whenever they hear a flock of Taillow coming." Brock said.
"That explains why we could find any pokemon when we first got to the woods." Max said.
"And why the flock attacked us when we were trying to get some food." Aria added.
"But forget about the sandwiches, I can make something else for us. Aria, can you help me out?" He asked.
Aria nods, "Sure!"
"How do you feel now Electrike?" Aria asked, rubbing the top of her pokemon's head.
"Electrike!" It responded happily.
Aria smiles. "Great to know you're feeling better after that attack." She held out a poke ball. "Return."
Brock decided to continue to do the rest of the cooking so that Aria could check up on her pokemon before they ate something to fill their empty stomachs.
"Oh no! It's that same Taillow that ate the chocolate!" Aria heard Ash exclaim.
She turns around and saw it land on a rock right in front of Pikachu.
Taillow started to talk to Pikachu trying to tell it something.
"Can you tell what it's saying?" Max asked.
"That Taillow came back here to fight." Ash said.
"How come?" May asked.
"Because Pikachu and Electrike had such powerful attacks that it wanted Taillow to battle it." Aria explains.
"Alright, we accept!" Ash said grinning.
May looked at Ash blankly. "I don't get it, what's the point?"
"I guess Taillow wants to prove which pokemon is the best." Brock said. "A strong opponent always makes Tailllow want to battle. I'm guessing it wants a clear winner to decide it in a battle with Pikachu."
"Ash, you have to catch Taillow." Aria said.
"What, why?" He asked.
"Look at it. You can see how brave Taillow is but it's only getting hurt and wants to keep on battling! It won't last much longer if you keep it up." She said.
"Alright, if you say so." He takes out an empty poke ball. "Poke ball go!" And throws it at Taillow. The poke ball lands on the ground, flashing a bit and shaking. The others waited silently wondering if he caught Taillow or not. But when it stopped shaking and the flashing stopped, a smiles appeared on Ash's face.
"Alright, I caught it!" Ash picks up the poke ball and calls out Taillow.
When it appears it was breathing heavily and nearly passed out.
"Poor Taillow, it's exhausted from the battle." May said.
Brock takes out a potion and sprays it on Taillow.
"A shot of that and some rest and you'll be as good as new in no time." He said.
Taillow nodded, looking at the others and smiled.
"Alright, Taillow you're my first pokemon I caught in the Hoenn region, welcome to the group!" Ash said, holding out his arm for Taillow to climb on.
Taillow grins and climbs on and smiles brightly. But it only faded when it heard something.
"What is it?" Ash asked.
They turn around and saw the flock of Taillow again, and now there were a bunch of them flying in their direction.
Taillow then flew out towards the flock, trying to get them to listen to it.
"You won't talk them out of it Taillow!"
Taillow was confused and looked down to see a three people standing behind the flock. And once again, they started their motto.
"Not you guys again!" Max exclaimed.
"Now listen up Taillow, the more you battle the more sandwiches you get." Jessie said to the flock.
"Now hold on a minute!" Brock started. "You mean sandwiches like the five here an hour ago?"
"Well well, look who it is. The biggest twerp made a comeback." Meowth said.
"Well if you came back for lunch you're a little too late." James said.
"Yes, I already know that! They were my sandwiches!" He shouted.
"So what you're trying to say is that they were 'yours'?"
"I knew it was you!"
"Give them back!" Ash demanded.
"Yeah! We're starving!" May exclaimed.
"ENOUGH! Taillow go!" Jessie commanded.
The flock started to surround Pikachu, but Taillow got in front of it and tried to tell them that Pikachu is on their side. But it was interrupted when a timer went off.
"The food is ready." Brock said.
"And I'm ready to eat it!" May said.
The flock and the others stood by the pot of food and stared down at it, while Team Rocket stood a far distance away, dumbfounded.
"Pikachu! Use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu nods, turning to Team Rocket and launching the attack at them.
"Sorry about that Team Rocket but this time you're the ones who are too late. Pikachu already ate Brock's pokemon food." He said.
Team Rocket then was flying high in the sky once again until you couldn't see them anymore. So the others sat down and started to eat the great food that Brock was making. And the flock got to eat some of the pokemon food too.
"Ash and Aria weren't kidding, you're an awesome cook." May said.
"You should see what Aria can make." Brock said, patting her on the back. "Her cooking is as great as mine."
"Thanks Brock." She smiles.
The flock was already finished eat the pokemon food that it was time that they had to head back to their home.
Taillow then flew over to the flock, telling them its goodbyes and that it would miss them.
"Looks like your Taillow is saying goodbye to all of it's friends." Aria said.
"Guess so, but it's time for us to get moving. Let's head out to Rustboro City." Ash said.
"Great, but let's do the dishes first." Brock said.
The others grunted as Pikachu and Taillow were laughing at them for having to do the dishes. Aria however didn't mind at all. She was glad after all that Brock was back on a journey with her and Ash and now they can explore more places in Hoenn together.