"I don't know. It sounds belittling to me."

"But it's not! Lookit, my Squad and I go around the city and fight fires. It's what we do. It's our thing."

"But isn't it just exploiting your abilities? Do the humans even care that you fight the fires or do they just like when it gets done?"

"It's a lot better than mindlessly fighting every Pokemon you come across. That's the thing about you. You always question what everyone else's purposes or motivations or WHATEVER are but you don't take the time to ask yourself!"

Pikachu stopped dead in his tracks. "It's because I don't have to! I like to battle! I like to fight! That's what I do! That's my thing!"

"Then how can you belittle what someone else does by that logic!? If you do something just because you 'like to,' doesn't that mean that others can like other things that you don't?"

"I'm not saying that! I'm just asking whether you like what you do."

"And I responded 'yes.'"

"Yes, you did. And I asked whether it was fulfilling or just time-consuming."

"Which is a pretty rude thing to say about someone's profession! I like what I do, not because I feel like it's the best use I can get out of my abilities but because it's what I LIKE TO DO. Every being in existence has a purpose that it has to fulfill. This is mine. Okay?"

"Okay. Fine. So, just to clarify, you answered 'yes' to my question?"

"Yes, I did. Come to think of it, what right do you have asking such an intrusive question like that?"

Pikachu's cheeks sparked in frustration. "I was just asking a question! I can't ask the Pokemon I grew up with what he's been doing for the past six months?"

"You're right. I'm sorry, man. I overreacted. You should have phrased the question a little better, but still."

"Oh my God! Seriously!?" He frustratedly sparked his cheeks again, his fur rising on end from the static electricity. He spun around and stomped off into the bushes. "Even when I WIN, I LOSE!"

Ash was too fascinated by the argument to intervene. This was the first time he had seen his Pokemon interact this way. It was a little unsettling to see them fight, but it was even more reassuring to find out how close they really were. He just hoped that the other Pokemon had the same sentiment.

They were out in vast Pokemon Ranch behind Professor Oak's lab. Ash hadn't been out here much at all, but was counting on his Pokemon to show him around. When they weren't bickering, anyway.

Squirtle turned to Ash and grinned. "I know it's wrong, but he's so easy to set off. It's really not that funny."

"Wait, you mean that whole thing-"

"Basically. What, was it that convincing?"

Ash laughed. "Well...yeah."

"Huh. I must be getting good at this." Squirtle said while half-pondering to himself. "Still, he's nowhere near as easy as Charizard. Seriously, did you know that there are actual phrases that'll piss him off? Just on their own? It's weird, man. Like, trigger words."

"No, but I'm not really surprised. He's always been kind of a hot-head." Ash said. Squirtle slapped his hand to his forehead.

"Did you really just say that? 'Hot-head?' Why is it that I let you tell me what to do again?"

"Hey! It was a joke! Everyone's entitled to at least one stupid pun every once in a while!"

"Yeah, sure. Nice cover, by the way." Squirtle smiled. Pikachu walked out of the bushes covered in dirt and leaves.

"What were you doing?" asked Squirtle.

"You made me so frustrated that I had to run in a circle to let out all my extra energy."

Ash walked over and looked over the bushes into a small clearing. A circular rut had been burned into the ground in the small clearing.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Did you want to get electrocuted again? Because honestly, Ash, you're overdue. Every once in a while, people need a good smack to keep from getting too full of themselves." He turned. "Don't they, Squirtle?"

"Please. Everyone else is just jealous." He stopped for a second in thought, then turned to Ash. "By the way, what are we doing out here?"

"I just wanted to get a look around. Now that I can understand Pokemon, everything gets put into a brand new perspective."

"So you just want to hang out and listen to people?" said Squirtle, scratching his head.

"Toldja he was boring." said Pikachu.

"Hey, I was one of his first Pokemon. You don't need to tell me about the guy."

Pikachu started counting on his fingers. "You were the sixth Pokemon to join the team. WAIT!" He snapped his head over to Ash. "We need a team name!"

"That's...actually a great idea! Team Ash?"

"No! You suck! Stop talking!"

"It's just as a starting point. Team...."

"Fuzzballs."

"What?! No! Why do we need a team name?" asked Squirtle.

"Because no one will take us seriously otherwise!"

"The fact that you're on the team already prevents that!"

"Just help us think of a name!"

"Okay, fine...Team.....Hammerhead?"

"Cool, but a little misleading. Team....Nightmare."

"That's even MORE misleading!"

"But that's so awesome!"

"We're a Pokemon team, not a chop shop!" Squirtle exclaimed.

"A what? Nevermind, tell me later. Uh...Team.....Team.....SHOCKWAVE!" Pikachu shouted excitedly.

"NO! That's so cliché!"

"I don't care! We're Team Shockwave."

"I can live with that."

"But Pikachu's the ONLY electric Pokemon on the team!"

"And he was also my first Pokemon. That gives him precedence."

"Oh, that's SO not fair!"

"I think it is. Man, Squirtle, you're so easy to set off."

This sent Pikachu into a fit of laughter that forced him to limp away to gain his composure. Ash simply looked at Squirtle with a grin on his face.

"I....You son of...." Squirtle sighed and clapped his hands. "Good job on that one. Kudos."

"Thanks. Okay, take me to the rest of the Pokemon!"

"Man, we derailed HARD, didn't we?" said Pikachu.

"No kidding. So guys, where do all the other Pokemon hang around?"

"On any given day? Usually the waterfall. It's right next to the biggest field so all the different kinds of Pokemon can be together. No cooks having to stand in water." explained Squirtle.

"Wait, cooks?"

"Cooks?...Fire Pokemon?..." He paused. "Cooks use fire, Fire Pokemon use...IT MADE SENSE!"