Part 4

"Oh, hi there!" Grimer greeted. "I'm Grimer and these are my friends; Mudkip, Torchic, Pichu, and Treecko. We'll here for the Luna Berry, can you tell us where it is?"

"How do I know you're not going to use the berry for evil?" He asked.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about a thing! We won't use it for evil! We're good Pokémon; you can trust us; honest!

"You could still be lying."

"Except we're not!"

"You need to prove yourselves worthy in order to get what you desire."

"Okay, what do we need to do?" Mudkip asked. "Just say something and we'll do it!"

"Please no more riddles!" Treecko pleaded.

"You all must succeed at three challenges. Each challenge test something you must have; challenge one tests your bravery, challenge two is where you must all work as a team and finally you must battle me as your third challenge." Grimer's eyes widened.

"Wait, battle you? But you're so powerful looking; I don't think we can…"

"We must for Charmander." Mudkip reminded him.

"Right! We'll do it Dragonite! Come on, let's get this party started!"

"Alright then." Dragonite said. He flew over a gorge. A rope was stretched across the chasm.

"You will cross this rope without falling." Dragonite instructed them. Grimer went first.

When he neared the rope, he looked down and gulped. It was a long way down to the river. He looked at Dragonite.

"Can't you find another activity for us to do that's about bravery?" Grimer asked. "I mean it is a long way down. If we fall down, we would surely die."

"You can skip this and the other two if you changed your mind and do not want the berry."

"No, we want it; we want it!"

"Then I suggest you not chicken out and do it because there's no other way."

"Hey!" Torchic snapped. "Be nice to our friend. Grimer's not a chicken; I am, a baby chicken! Mudkip whispered to Torchic what Dragonite meant. "OHHHHHH, well that's not nice either!"

"Thank you Torchic." Grimer told her. "You're too kind." Torchic stood proudly.

"You're ready?" Dragonite asked. "You have two minutes to make it across."

"Oh, absolutely." Grimer told him.

"Very well. You may begin." He blew his whistle and started the stopwatch. Grimer went on the rope, careful not to fall or look down. He spread out his arms for balance.

"Okay," He said to himself. "Come on Grimer; you can do it. I believe in me; I believe in me." He then lost his balance. His friends gasped.

"Whoa, I'm going over!" He shut his eyes tight.

Instead of falling, Grimer stuck on. He opened his eyes. He was sticking to the rope!

"Yay for griminess!" He cheered. He looked at Dragonite. "I hope this doesn't count as cheating."

"As long as you make it before time's up." Dragonite explained.

"Sweet; okay griminess, don't fail me now!" He made it to the end without struggling. His friends cheered. Dragonite stopped his stopwatch.

"A minute and a half." Everyone cheered again.

"Yay, I made it with thirty seconds to spare!"

Next, the dragon Pokémon looked at Mudkip.

"You cross next." He looked at the bits of goo on the rope. "But before you go, clean up what your friend left behind." Mudkip stood proudly.

"With pleasure." She assured him. She went to the start of the rope; took a deep breath and sprayed all the goo spots with her water gun.

Seconds later, she was all done.

"There." She said. "All clean like you just bought it from the PokeMart."

"Good, now cross it." Dragonite blew his whistle and started his stopwatch. Mudkip crossed it without a sweat. Dragonite stopped the time watch.

"Impressive! Fifty four seconds!" Her friends cheered as Mudkip gave a bow.

"Thank you!" She said. Treecko rolled his eyes.

"Next!" The dragon type Pokémon called out and pointed at the chick Pokémon. "You're up Torchic." Torchic looked nervous.

"Can I fly across?" She wanted to know. Dragonite looked confused.

"Can you?"

"Well, I can with my hat on."

"Torchic, you can't fly!" Mudkip shouted.

"Doesn't hurt to try."

"YES IT WILL, TORCHIC!" But Torchic had already gone to the edge of the cliff.

"Well, even if you can fly," Dragonite stated. "You can't. I consider that cheating and if you do, you will be disqualified, forcing your friends to not get what you desire and go home." Torchic was dumbfounded.

"What?" She asked. "Grimer can cross the rope with his sliminess, but I can't with my flying? I don't think that's fair. I'll call my lawyer on you!" Treecko rolled his eyes.

"You don't have a lawyer!" He reminded her.

"Oh, then I'll call my lawyer when I'm old enough to have one."

'Just cross the rope." An impatient Dragonite said. He blew his whistle and started the timer.

"The lawyer will sue you and you'll go to jail. Then you'll think twice at questioning my ability to fly."

'TORCHIC!" Her friends except Pichu shouted at her.

"Oh, the rope? Okay!" With that, she ran across the rope.

"There!" She said when she was gone. Dragonite stopped the timer.

"Very good." He told her. "A bit slow in the beginning, but very good." Her friends sighed with relief that she didn't fall.

Next was Pichu. Pichu looked down and shook his head nervously.

"No ways!" He said, frightened. "I'm not goimgs across tis thimg. It's too dangermarous!"

"Come on Pichu!" Grimer shouted to him. "Don't be scared, just don't think about it." Pichu looked down again and immediately shook his head again. He looked at his friends.

"I camts! I'm toos afriebs."

The Pokémon all sighed and pondered what to do. Mudkip then got an idea. She looked at Pichu.

"Pichu!" She called. "There's applesauce over here!"

"YAMGS, APPLEMASAUSE!" With that the electric rodent then stormed in a flash across the rope as Dragonite timed. When Dragonite stopped the timer, he was impressed. Pichu crossed the rope in only five seconds!

Treecko's time came. He tried crossing the rope but was distracted by Pichu's and Torchic's cheering.

He fell and grabbed the rope. He sighed in relief and looked at them.

"I can't concentrate with your guys screaming at me." Treecko told them.

"Just ignore them!" Grimer said. "And cross! Come on; you're almost there!" Treecko sighed and went across from underneath.

Treecko panted exhausted when done. Pichu and Torchic ran up and hugged him. He sighed. Grimer and Mudkip cheered as they watched the hug.

"The next event," Dragonite stated. "Is about teamwork. You all have to work together on this."

"What is it?" Mudkip wanted to know. Dragonite pointed to the teeter-totters. They looked at them. The teeter-totters acted like a staircase which led to a platform with a bell on top. On top of the platform was a rope ladder.

"You all must get up there. Figure out a way to get up there safely."

"What about for the last Pokémon?" Mudkip asked. "How will he or she get up?"

"Excellent question! On the platform, there's a rope ladder. Send it down as soon as the other players are up. all the players are at the top, one player rings the bell to finish the game. Any questions?" The Pokémon all shook their heads except Pichu who spoke up.

"Uh, Mr. Dragomite sirs, cam I brimg my applemasause?" Dragonite looked confused.

"What?" He wanted to know.

"He wants to know if he can bring his applesauce." Mudkip translated. The dragon Pokémon looked at Pichu.

"Yes, you may bring you applesauce."

"YAMGS!" The electric mouse Pokémon cheered.

"Now first form a line to decide on the order."

"I'll be first." Mudkip offered.

"Then I'll be last." Grimer said.

"Why can't I be last?" Treecko wanted to know. "That way I don't have to move much."

"Awe, come on Treecko." Grimer encouraged him. "It'll be fun; you need the exercise anyways." Treecko sighed.

"Fine!"

So the Pokémon stood in order.

"Go!" Dragoonite shouted and blew his whistle.

Mudkip rushed off. Grimer went to step on the first board after Mudkip stopped and stood on the other end.

"Okay, come on Torchic!" Mudkip shouted to her.

"Coming!" Torchic said. She ran to her.

"Okay," Mudkip instructed her as soon as she got to her. "Now stay on this end until I say you can move, got it?"

"Got it!" Torchic said. Mudkip ran to the other end. Grimer looked at Pichcu when Mudkip got to her spot.

"Okay, Pichumister!" He said to him. "It's your turn! Show us your stuff!" Pichu went to him, pulled out the applesauce in his ear and showed it to him.

"Here's my applemasause." He said proudly. "Though I dom't kmow why you wamts to see its, youv'e seem it befores."

"Not that stuff Pichu! I meant show what you can do on this teeter totter!"

"Ohhhs! You coulds of beem more specifics, you kmows." Pichu put the applesauce back into his ear.

"Dares! It's all backs im my ear."

"Great, now go! Listen to Mudkip."

"Wills dos!"

And with that, Pichu scurried to the top of the first teeter-totter. When Pichu was almost off, Mudkip shouted to him.

"Stop!" Pichu stopped.

"Why you wamts me to stops?" Pichu wanted to know. Mudkip ignored Pichu and looked down at Treecko.

"Okay Treecko, your turn!" Treecko sighed.

"Fine!" The gecko Pokémon walked on the teeter- totter.

"Come on Torchic, let's go!" She rushed to the top.

"Awe, but I just got here."

"Torchic."

"Coming!" She went up.

"Pichu, come up one more!"

"Camt you change your mimbs? First you wamts me to stops, them a mimite laters, you wamts me to go agaims." Pichu obeyed and went up one more.

A few minutes later, they were all up. Treecko almost flew past the platform when Pichu and Torchic cheered so much that they jumped on the end of the last teeter-totter which flipped, causing Treecko to fling. Treecko would've missed the platform if it weren't for the wall he smashed into. He fell down onto the platform.

Mudkip looked down below at Grimer as Pichu and Torchic almost hugged Treecko to death. They withdrew when Treecko told them to knock it off.

"Okay Grimer!" Mudkip shouted down at him. "We're sending down the rope ladder to you!"

"Okeydokey!" Grimer shouted back. The Pokémon on top sent the rope ladder down to where Grimer was. Grimer grabbed it and climbed to the top.

"Okay," Mudkip said. "Who will like to ring the bell?"

"I will!" Torchic volunteered. She went to the bell and rang it by pecking it with her beak. It rang.

"Okay," Dragonte said, flying up to them. "Congratulations, you have passed the teamwork portion." The Pokémon all cheered.

Grimer then saw something from the corner of his eye. It was a lone tree; hanging down from it was the Luna Berry!

"Yay; the Luna Berry!" He cheered. He ran towards it. "Now all we have to do is give it to Charmander and then he can turn into his good ol' sel…" Dragonite flew into his face.

"Halt!" Grimer stopped and looked at him. "You seem to have forgotten the final challenge. "You must all battle me."

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Now do you want us to battle you individually or all together? I mean, Mudkip, Treecko and Torchic are just kids. You don't want to hurt kids, right?"

"Correct. I do not need to fight the children, just you and you alone."

"What adouts me?" Pichu asked. Dragonite looked at him, puzzled.

"You're an adult?."

"Yes sirs! I'ms a fully growms adult!"

"But you're so..so…"

"Cutes, rights?"

"Rigghhht!" He looked at Grimer for an explanation.

"He's full grown." Grimer told him. "Believe it or not, he is."

"An immature grown adult." Treecko added with a groan.

"Alright then." Dragonite flew a few feet, and then turned around. Mudkip, Treecko and Torchic stood on the sidelines to watch.

"May the battle begin!"

Dragonite started off by bombing in on Grimer and Pichu with his Wing Attack.

"Dodge!" Grimer commanded. He and Pichu jumped out of the way.

"I wills attack yous with my thumbers!" Pichu said. Sparks came out of his cheeks.

"Pichu. No!" Grimer warned. But it was too late, Pichu electrocuted himself and fainted.

"Oh Pichu." Mudkip moaned. "You never learn, do you?"

"No." Treecko agreed. "No he doesn't. Unfortunately, I don't think he'll ever learn." Torchic jumped up and down.

"Yay, Pichu's down!" Torchic then stopped when she realized something. "Oh, that's a bad thing."

"Too easy." Dragonite observed looking at Pichu's fainted body. "One electric rodent down, one Grimer left to go." He then released a twister attack.

Grimer ran and hid behind a rock. The twister lifted the rock. Grimer tried to run but the twister picked him up.

"Oh boy!" He screamed as the twister hurled him into the sky. Dragonite then grabbed him and squeezed him tight, doing his wrap attack.

"GRIMER!" Mudkip yelled. The twister picked up Pichu and hurled him out of the way. He landed, still unconscious, by Mudkip, Treecko and Torchic. They all ran to him. Pichu woke up.

"Am I's still ims?" He wanted to know.

"No." Mudkip told him. "You're now out because you fainted. Now it's one on one with Dragonite and Grimer. Come on, let's watch." So they all looked back at the battle.

Grimer tried to squeeze out but to no avail. Grimer then got an idea and used his poison gas. Dragonite withdrew him and winced in pain. He was now badly poisoned!

"Grimetastic, I poisoned you!"

"I may be badly poisoned," He winced in pain again. "But I still can defeat you!" He then did some more wing attacks. Grimer dodged them all. Dragonite winced in pain once more.

Grimer did his sludge bomb and body slams. Dragonite dodged them all.

They fought and fought, using attack after attack. Dragonite's HP kept decreasing because of his poison.

Dragonite swooped down and wrapped Grimer extra tight.

"Can you let me go?" He croaked. "Because you are suffocating me!"

"That's the point. Now to end it!" He opened his mouth, preparing for a Hyper Beam. Grimer gulped. His friends gasped.

Dragonite flew away and released his Hyper Beam. Grimer had no time to escape before the beam hit him.

BOOM! There was a massive explosion. Mudkip and friends gasped when the explosion cleared. There, lying down in the center was a fainted Grimer.

"GRIMER!" The mudfish Pokémon screamed. She and her friends ran to his side. Dragonite landed beside them.

"You have failed!" He started. The Pokémon looked at him. "You do not get what you desire for you are not worthy." Mad, Torchic ran to him.

"You big bully!" She snapped at him. She did her peck attack repeatedly on his belly. "You big jerk; you killed Grimer!" Grimer then woke up. Torchic looked back at him. "Oh never mind, but still; you big bully!" She resumed pecking at his belly.

Dragonite blew her away. She tumbled back to them. The dragon Pokémon then flew off.

"Please!" Grimer begged. "Give us another chance; we have to get that berry! I don't want my friend to be in a coma forever" Tears began to sting Grimer's eyes as he began to cry. "Please! That berry is the only thing to help him! Can you find it in your heart and help us?" Dragonite turned to face them.

"I want to help," He said. "Come back tomorrow and train hard so you can prove yourselves worthy!" He then began to fly away again.

"NOOO!" Grimer cried and cried. Mudkip went to comfort him. She too, had tears in her eyes, and so did the others.

"WAIT!" Shouted a familiar voice. Dragonite, Grimer and friends looked to see whom the voice belonged to. It was Phanpy! He ran to Dragonite from the cave followed by his mother.

"Please Mr. Dragonite!" Phanpy pleaded. "Spare them!"

"These brave Pokémon saved my son!" Donophan told him. Dragonite looked at her, Phanpy, then at Grimer and friends.

"You saved Phanpy?" He asked. Grimer and his friends nodded.

"From a boulder." Grimer pointed out.

"Perhaps I misjudged you. You are worthy!" Grimer and friends brightened up and cheered as Dragonite flew to the tree and took off the berry. He flew back to them and gave it to Grimer. Grimer grabbed it and put it in the basket. Grimer looked at Phanpy and his mom.

"Thanks." He said.

"Don't mention it." Donphan said back. "When we saw that Dragonite said that you weren't worthy enough for the berry to save your friends, we just had to step in!"

"We couldn't let him get away with it. Think of it as our second reward to you for saving me!" Donphan looked at her offspring.

"Okay champ, bed time!"

"Aw mom, do I have to?"

"Sleep is really important kid." Grimer spoke to him. "You need it so you can start the next day off right!"

"But I'm not tired at all!" Phanpy then yawned. Donphan chuckled.

"Oh, yes you are!"

"Rats! Curse me and my yawn." Donphan looked at Grimer.

"Well bye." She told him. "I hope you cure your friend."

"Thanks, it was nice meeting you!"

"Bye!" Phanpy chimed and followed his mom into the cave.

"Bye!" Grimer and friends all shouted and waved goodbye.

"Cute kid." Grimer observed as soon as they were gone. He looked at Dragonite.

"Can you take us back home to Kanto?" He questioned.

"I will in the morning." Dragonite answered. "It's late and…" He yawned. "I'm tired." The kids and Pichu yawned too.

"Well," Grimer yawned. "Can you take us to the Pokémon Center where we can sleep for the night and get us in the morning?"

"I got a better idea." The dragon Pokémon told them. "You all can sleep here."

"Oh thank you!"

So they all slept on the mountain underneath the tree. Torchic was sleeping with her teddy bear.

The next morning, they awoke to Treecko's cellphone.

"Whose cell is ringing?" Grimer asked.

"Mine." Treecko replied.

"I didn't know you took your cell phone on this trip.

"Well, I did." He then took it out of the basket and answered it. "Hello? Uh huh. Uh huh. "Okay, I'll tell them right away." Treecko hung up and put it away in the basket.

"Who was it?"Mudkip wanted to know.

"Was it your girlfriend, Snivy?" Torchic guessed.

"No!" Treecko said to her.

"I bets it was Smivy." Pichu told her.

"No, it was just Uncle Psyduck. He said that Charmander was kidnapped by The Tribe of the Sharpened Blade and said that if we don't give the berry to them soon on Sky Pillar, they're going to do something bad to Charmander."

"Oh, okay." Grimer said. Seconds later, his eyes grew wide in realization. "OH MY GOSH! WE GOT TO GO TO SKY PILLER AND SAVE HIM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!" He looked at Dragonite.

"Change of plans," He told him. "Can we make a a pit stop first at Spear Pillar?" Dragonite nodded.

"Of course." He replied. "Just hop on when you're ready."

"Gee thanks!"

So, once they were all packed they hopped on Dragonite's back and Dragonite flew off.