Chapter 12

The Oak Ranch

The group all landed in Pallet Town.

'Red!' a voice called out.

'Mom!' Red called back. Red's mother ran up to Red and squeezed him tightly.

'Why are you back soon?' she asked.

'It's a long story,' Red said. 'Team Rocket's back and they're in Kanto. We have to go and protect Professor Oak's lab.'

'Be safe then,' she said. 'But I have some very important news.'

'Can it wait?' Red asked.

'I'm afraid it can't,' his mother replied, 'Your father came back yesterday.' This was a shock to all the Kanto group but especially Red. His father was only an image to him. He never knew him too well.

'I want you and Misty to come when you're done in Oak's lab,' Red's mother said.

'Mrs Ketchum,' Misty said. 'We could be in there a very long time.'

'I'll send him over to help,' Mrs Ketchum said. She then walked back home and Red was standing still in one spot without even moving his eyes.

'Come on.' Misty's voice even sounded distant to him. 'Red.' She said again.

'Huh?' he said. Red looked around and saw the rest of the group walking over to Professor Oak's Lab. He still couldn't believe it, his father coming back. He didn't talk all the way. He didn't even look at Misty, which was a rare thing when they were together.

'Here it is,' Blue said. There was the familiar set of stairs that led all they way up to the Lab. They ran up and knocked on the door.

'Blue, Red, Leaf,' Professor Oak said. 'You're all back earlier than I thought. Brock, Misty, good to see you two again. New faces, what are all your names.'

'Gramps,' Blue started, 'Can we all come inside? We have a lot to talk about.'

'Come in,' Oak said.

'Firstly these are all friends we met in Hoenn,' Blue said, 'Brendan, May, Wally, Marcus and Flannery. The other thing is that Team Rocket's back and they're worse than ever. They were operating in Hoenn and they arrived in Kanto this morning. We came with them.'

'That is some very serious news,' Oak said sternly. 'Is that why you're here?'

'We're here because they broke into my dad's lab and we didn't want to see it happen to you,' Brendan said.

'Are you Professor Birch's son at all?' Oak asked.

'I am,' Brendan replied.

'I knew you were familiar from somewhere!' Professor Oak exclaimed. 'The truth is unlike Brendan's father I don't actually have a secret garden. My starters live in the Sevii Islands so I have assistants who catch them and send them here. My real concern is my ranch which has all of Red's, Blue's and Leaf's Pokémon.'

'Professor Birch doesn't keep all our Pokémon,' Marcus said. 'We send ours to the farm May's parents have outside Petalburg City.'

'Let's go,' Brock said. Everyone except Red got up and went out the back.

'You okay Red?' Oak asked.

'Yeah,' Red lied.

'It's about your father,' Oak just said seeing straight through Red's lie.

'I'm kinda nervous,' Red said. 'I haven't seen him in eighteen years. What if he doesn't think I'm good enough.'

'Of course you're good enough,' Oak said. 'You were the only trainer since him to be allowed to climb Mt. Silver.'

'Really?' Red seemed to relax after that. He followed the others outside and ran into Misty on the way. She said to him smiling, 'If you're not good enough for your dad you'll always be perfect for me.' She gave him a kiss and they went outside together. It was already too late.

'Prepare for trouble.'

'Make it double.'

'To protect the world from devastation!'

'To unite all peoples within our nation!'

'To denounce the evils of truth and love.'

'To extend our reach to the stars above.'

'Jessie!'

'James!'

'Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!'

'Surrender now or prepare to fight!'

'Meowth, that's right!'

'Go Arbok!' Jessie called. The vicious looking serpentine Pokémon attacked. Red was about to call Espeon when a Steelix appeared at his side.

'Steelix!' Red said cheerfully. 'Good to see you, Use Earthquake!' Steelix lifted its metal tail and slammed it to the ground causing it to shake and make Arbok faint.

'Go Weezing!' James said, 'Weezing's levitation render's your Earthquake useless twerp.'

'Go Gardevoir!' Wally said. 'Confusion!' Gardevoir's eyes glowed and Weezing fainted. A Scyther suddenly zoomed past and flipped Meowth.

'Grab that Scyther!' Meowth ordered.

Jessie then ordered, 'Go Wobbufett!'

'Scyther! Take this!' Red said. Red threw a Metal Coat to his Scyther. Scyther caught it and suddenly started glowing white. Its shape changed and it was now red rather than green. It had evolved into Scizor.

'X-Scissor!' Red called. Scizor used its claws to cut at Wobbufett and make it faint.

'Go Victreebel!' James said. The first thing it did was bite down on his head.

'Go Magcargo!' Flannery said. 'Flame Wheel!' Victreebel dodged the attack and bit down on Leaf and Misty trapping them. Nobody saw this so they kept attacking.

'Steelix use Slam!' Red said. Steelix hit them all hard with its tail and sent them all flying with the usual, 'We're blasting off again.'

It was then they realised that Leaf and Misty were missing. They couldn't be found anywhere near the lab and then Marcus recalled seeing Victreebel jumping in Misty's and Leaf's direction. To make things worse they sent out all their Pokémon before they were taken.

'Go Pidgeot!' Blue said. 'Find Team Rocket!'

'Snorlax, Espeon,' Red started, 'I want you two to stay here for a while. Steelix, Scizor you're both coming with me.'

Team Rocket were still screaming until they landed. They landed somewhere near Viridian City. They quickly found a phone and made a call.

'What is it?' Giovanni's voice was altered as he spoke. His face was hidden just in case he was being spied on.

'Sir, we failed,' Jessie said sadly.

'You fools had better have a very good excuse for me this time,' Giovanni said angrily.

'It was that twerp Red,' James said.

'And his band of twerpy friends,' Meowth said.

'I could beat Red easily in battle,' Giovanni roared.

'But sir you are the boss,' James said.

'Perhaps I could send in Butch and Cassidy instead,' Giovanni said. 'They didn't fail in Birch's lab.'

'Don't send those arrogant rats in!' Jessie quickly said. 'We're much better than them.'

'Well you had better prove that to me because I really don't see it,' Giovanni said. 'Ariana is coming to collect you three now.' Giovanni's Persian purred as Giovanni stroked it gently. He then hung up the phone.

'I hate that Persian,' Meowth said sadly.

When they were on the helicopter James tried recalling his Victreebel. But he couldn't. He had a look and when Victreebel bit on his head he saw Leaf and Misty. He jumped out and said with glee, 'Look Jess. We caught ourselves some twerpettes.'

'Of all the people I could be trapped with,' Leaf said angrily.

'Red will save us,' Misty said.

'He'll save you,' Leaf said.

'Shut up twerps!' Meowth ordered. 'The boss will be so happy!'