"Lt. Surge, prepare for the beating of your lifetime!"

Katsu and Lt. Surge were standing at opposite sides of the arena, each gripping a Pokeball in their hands. Lt. Surge was a tall man, and he had yellow spiked hair and was also quite muscular. Katsu was a toddler compared to the huge brute that stood before him.

"Don't expect me to go easy on ya, kid! Raichu here can beat anyone." He patted his Raichu on the head as he snickered, while I watched on from the stands. "I doubt a little child like you could ever defeat a strong gym leader such as I."

Katsu glared, releasing his Poochyena whose fur immediatly bristled up at the sight of Raichu. He let out a low growl, his fierce yellow eyes seemingly intimidating the electric rat standing a few feet away. My rival chuckled and stroked his Pokemon behind the ears lightly. "Enough chit-chat, Surge! Let's battle!"

Not waiting for his response, Katsu ordered his Poochyena to do an attack. "Poochyena, Double Team!"

Dozens of copies of Poochyena surrounded the Raichu who looked on in confusion. Each one of them looked so real - but which one really wa - CRUNCH. "CHUUUUU!" The electric mouse felt a searing pain in his neck where the Poochyena had bitten into him. Katsu was now holding his sides as he busted out in laughter while Surge clenched his fists in rage. "Raichu! Thunderbolt!"

And in a flash, the whole room was filled with an eye-burning bright light and a deafening CRACK! When I opened my eyes, Poochyena was lying on the ground, completely blown away by one hit. Lt. Surge pumped his fist into the air. "Yeah! One-hit-KO! Had enough, little boy?" he smirked as Katsu returned Poochyena angrily.

"Not quite, Surge. I will defeat you. Go, Shuppet!" Out popped that familiar Shuppet again, floating in the air, looking at Raichu. Not glaring. Just... looking.

"Shuppet?" he said quietly, cocking his head at the Pokemon before him. "Shuuuu?" He floated over to Raichu, seeming to inspect him. "Shup, shup... Uppet."

Katsu crossed his arms impatiently. "What are you waiting for, Shuppet? Attack that thing!" Shuppet turned back to his trainer... and glared. Eyes glowing with rage, he screamed an angry "SHUUUUUUPPET!" before lifting Katsu into the air using telekenises and dropping him to the floor.

"Augh! Shuppet, what has gotten into you! It's me, Katsu! Your trainer!" he cried, rubbing his shoulder where he had landed. The Shuppet ignored him and spun around, facing Raichu again, seemingly talking to him.

"Shup, shuppet, upup!"

"Raaaaaiii..."

"Shuppet! Shup, uppet."

"Chu! Rai rai rai!"

"Shuppet."

"Chuuuu... Kyahh?"

"Shup... Shuppet shup!"

After Shuppet's last words, he was shocked by a lightenening bolt so strong it could have killed him - he was, however, fainted immediatly and looked to be badly injured with burns. Katsu gasped and ran over to his Pokemon, shaking it. "Shuppet! Shuppet, are you okay? Say something, Shuppet!" He pleaded and pleaded, but Shuppet would not wake. No matter how man revives he gave him, he wouldn't wake up.

"R- Rune? What happened to Shuppet?" I asked nervously, looking down at Rune who was seated in the bleachers beside me. "Is he dead? And what were they talking about?"

Rune looked stunned as he continued to watch Shuppet refuse to wake, but snapped out of it when I talked to him. Shuppet will be fine... he's just badly injured, but it's nothing a trip to the Pokemon Center won't do...

"Well, that's fine and dandy," I replied crossly, "But why would Raichu shock him so bad?"

Rune himself sounded disbelieving when he answered me. He... he asked if Raichu would join Team Rocket.

-----

"Shuppet? A Rocket recruit? Yeah, right!"

Tatsu defiantly wasn't taking this very well. He was glaring and me and Rune as he cradled Shuppet gently in his arms. "Shuppet would never do something so evil and greedy like that. He's a goodhearted Pokemon! All Shuppets are!"

I stared at him sadly as I flipped out my Pokedex and recorded the information for Shuppet. "He may not be what you think, Tatsu. Read this." I shoved the Pokedex into his hand as he read it out loud, his eyes widening and his voice sounding angrier by the second.

"This Pokémon roams about deep in the night seeking such negative emotions as grudges and envy. It retreats to its nest when the sun begins to rise." Katsu read slowly. He shoved the Pokedex back into my hands, crossing his arms. "No, it isn't true. My Shuppet is different. Why would he be a Rocket's Pokemon?"

"Because he's smart, that's why!"

We both turned around to see a tall man dressed in all black, and a distinctive red "R" on his shirt. His hair was blonde, blue eyes, and four Pokeballs were hung on his belt. "Smart Pokemon know to join Team Rocket. The stupid ones are left to be ordered around by whiny little brats like you!"

I clenched my fists in anger. "I think you've got the words 'smart' and 'dumb' mixed around, you evil Rocket! Go, Sandshrew!" I let Sandshrew out from his Pokeball, but suddenly realized it wasn't such a great idea when he looked at the Rocket, then at me, and crossed his arms and turned up his nose.

The Rocket laughed. "You expect to beat my Arbok," he released a tall, purple cobra-like Pokemon, who was towering above him now, rippling with strength. "With that puny thing? Especially when it won't even listen to you!" He chuckled, watching as the Sandshrew was now tugging at my backpack, apparently trying to rip it to shreds. The Rocket grunt laughed again.

"Your wimpy little Sandshrew could never beat my... AUGH!" I heard a scream and my mind flicked to attention as Katsu and I bust out with laughter at seeing Kin attack the Grunt's face without mercy, slashing at it with his little claws. "Shrewwww! Sand!" Apparently he didn't appreciate being called wimpy.

"Get this runt off of me, you little brats! AUGH! Arbok! Iron Tail him!" he shouted, and his Arbok immediatly responded - but not quick enough, as Kin jumped off his face just in time... leaving the Rocket exposed to the Arbok's rock-hard tail.

"OH MY GOD!" he clutched his face in pain as chased after his Arbok angrily, but not before pointing an accusing finger at us and saying, "I'll be back for you twerps! Just you wait!"

The moment he was just a speck in the distance, my rival and I were rolling around in the grass laughing uncontrollably. "WE didn't have to do a thing! That guy beat himself!" cried Katsu as he wiped away tears.

Neither of them had noticed that Shuppet had disapeared.