In this chapter, our protagonists are going to drive Team Shadow out of the Slowpoke Well. However, as Larry explains, they have bigger plans than the Slowpoke Well. They haven't seen the last of them.

Afterwards, they're going to get to face Bugsy.

Chapter 15: Only The Beginning

Since Sentret was clearly out of the picture, Jake realized that he was going to have to use a different Pokemon to beat Sandshrew.

But what Pokemon should he use? It wouldn't help him if he made bad decisions when fighting a Pokemon trainer.

Perhaps there was a Pokemon that he could use that would be a good match for Sandshrew.

Suddenly, he remembered something that was important.

Didn't he have a Wooper?

"Why didn't I think of this before?" inquired Jake. That would have been a good choice to take on Sandshrew...Sentret didn't seem to have what it took to get past his defenses.

Jake sent out Wooper.

"Wooper!" exclaimed Wooper.

"A Wooper?" questioned Sarah.

Hmm, it looked like Sandshrew had a type disadvantage now. And physical defense wasn't the same as special defense, so his hard shell wouldn't protect him from water attacks either.

Well, he already beat one of Jake's Pokemon, so perhaps he could beat another one.

"Sandshrew, use Scratch!" ordered Sarah.

Sandshrew nodded and proceeded to do just that to Wooper.

Wooper ended up being scratched on the face.

However, Wooper was about to do something that Sandshrew would not like.

"Wooper, use Water Gun!" ordered Jake.

Wooper nodded and hit Sandshrew in the face with Water Gun.

"Sandshrew!" exclaimed the shrew Pokemon. That water was cold. It made him shiver.

Adding to that, he was soaked.

"Now use Mud Shot!" ordered Jake.

Jake's Wooper nodded and shot mud at Sandshrew.

Sandshrew tipped over. He had lost his balance.

"Oh no! Sandshrew!" exclaimed Sarah.

"Try using Water Gun again!" ordered Jake.

Jake's Wooper nodded again. As soon as he hit Sandshrew once more with Water Gun, Sandshrew fainted.

Sarah sighed. It looked like Jake won this round.

It was time to send out another Pokemon...one that would do better against Wooper.

"Go, Ekans!" exclaimed Sarah.

"Ekans!" shouted Ekans.

Ekans sank his teeth into Wooper.

"Wooper!" exclaimed the water Pokemon. He was lucky that this Ekans was rather young.

Even so, being bitten by the snake Pokemon made him feel rather woozy.

Meanwhile, Lucy was facing off against Larry.

"You think a young girl can defeat me? You're surely mistaken..." remarked Larry.

"I'm more than just a young girl!" exclaimed Lucy.

"Clefairy!" agreed Lucy's Clefairy.

"Zubat, use Supersonic!" ordered Larry.

Zubat immediately used Supersonic, screeching very loudly.

It was a good thing there wasn't a Hypersonic move...right?

However, it appeared that Mareep had wool in her ears. She didn't hear the Supersonic attack.

She shook her head and the wool came out.

"How did that get in there?" questioned Lucy.

Mareep wasn't sure.

"Dang it!" exclaimed the Team Shadow admin.

Mareep then hit Zubat with another Thundershock.

"Zubat!" exclaimed the flying Pokemon.

He fell on the floor, and it was pretty clear that he had fainted.

"What? You defeated my Zubat? You've got to be kidding me...but my Koffing will still beat you!" shouted Larry.

Larry recalled his Zubat and sent out his Koffing.

"Koffing!" shouted Koffing.

"That's a lot of smoke coming out..." noted Lucy. Perhaps it would be best not to inhale it.

Mareep attempted to zap Koffing with lightning.

However, Koffing moved out of the way.

He then released some smog from his body.

Mareep was poisoned.

"Mareep..." murmured the sheep Pokemon.

"That's better!" exclaimed Larry. He was surprised that a little girl could defeat his Zubat, but now it appeared that he was gaining the upper hand.

"That's not good..." noted Lucy. Would Mareep still be able to fight?

"Use Thundershock!"

Mareep nodded and zapped Koffing with lightning.

"Koffing!" exclaimed the smoky Pokemon. That Thundershock really hurt.

However, Koffing followed with a Tackle.

Mareep fainted.

"Oh no! Mareep!" shouted Lucy.

"I guess you should have kept your Mareep at the farmhouse..." noted Larry.

"I don't live at a farmhouse, actually." answered Lucy.

Lucy decided to send out her Clefairy.

"Clefairy!" shouted Lucy's Clefairy.

"Sending out your starter Pokemon, eh? I'll have you know that this Koffing was my starter Pokemon...and I'm pretty sure it's going to beat yours!" exclaimed the Team Shadow executive.

"He is so arrogant..." noted Lucy.

Lucy's Clefairy nodded. Perhaps that would lead to his undoing.

"Use Smokescreen!" ordered Larry.

Koffing nodded, and used smoke to obscure Clefairy's vision.

However, Lucy had an answer for that.

"Clefairy, use Metronome!" ordered Lucy.

Clefairy nodded and used Wing Attack to blow away the smoke. And yes, she used the wings on her back.

"What?!" shouted Larry.

Lucy sighed in relief. It seemed that Clefairy could prevent Koffing from filling up the arena with smoke and putting her at a disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Jake was still fighting against Sarah.

"Ekans, use Wrap!" ordered Sarah.

Ekans nodded, and wrapped the oxygen out of Wooper.

Wooper fainted.

"I guess my Wooper did his best..." noted Jake.

Jake returned his Wooper to his Pokeball.

He then sent out Grimer.

Ekans tried to wrap around Grimer, but he was too slippery.

"Uh-oh..." said Sarah.

Grimer then tossed a Mud Bomb at Ekans.

Ekans fainted.

"I guess I'll have to send out Totodile now..." noted Sarah. Would he be able to do the job?

"Totodile!" exclaimed Sarah's Totodile.

Jake noted that Lucy's Clefairy wasn't the only Pokemon that preferred not to be in a Pokeball.

Sarah's Totodile used Water Gun on Grimer, making him soaking wet.

However, he retaliated by tossing sludge at Totodile.

"Totodile!" exclaimed Sarah's Totodile.

Now he was covered with gunk.

Totodile attempted to bite Grimer, but he then stopped when he realized what a nasty flavor Grimer would have.

Grimer hit Totodile with a Mud Bomb, and Totodile fainted.

"Darn it! I let my superior down!" shouted Sarah. She sure hoped that she didn't get fired for this.

Meanwhile, Larry was still facing off against Clefairy.

Unfortunately for him, Lucy was about to end the fight right then and there.

"Clefairy, use Pound!" ordered Lucy.

Clefairy nodded and used Pound to strike down Koffing.

Koffing fainted.

Larry stamped his foot on the ground in frustration. He could not believe what just happened.

However, he ultimately decided to admit defeat. He may have lost to a little girl...but at least she was a strong Pokemon Trainer, though he wouldn't openly admit it.

"Fine, you win...but keep in mind that Team Shadow has much bigger plans that this well! Now if you excuse me we're going to be returning to our hideout..." stated Larry.

"Hey everyone! It's time for us to bail! Take all the Slowpoketails you can and go!" shouted the Team Shadow executive.

The Team Shadow Grunts nodded and proceeded to evacuate the well.

Sarah followed as well, though in the process she tripped and fell.

"Did we win?" asked Lucy.

"I guess so...still, I don't think that we've seen the last of them...didn't they mention something about their hideout?" inquired Jake.

"Yeah...I wonder where it could be..." answered the girl.

"I don't know but we should probably keep an eye out...I remember Team Rocket's Hideout being hidden in Celadon City...but it might not be in a city..." noted the boy.

"That place gave me the creeps..." remarked Lucy.

"Yeah...it's certainly not a place for innocent Pokemon trainers..." said Jake. Fortunately, from what he had heard, the Celadon Game Corner was no longer run by Team Rocket. Now its funds were going straight towards the Pokemon League.

At that very moment, Kurt showed up.

"Hey, Kurt, is your back feeling better?" inquired the girl.

Kurt nodded.

"You can think a kind young girl for that..." answered Kurt.

"I wonder who that girl was..." questioned the boy.

"She had pink hair..." stated the man.

"Huh?" asked Lucy. That sounded like Sarah...but why would she help him out?

"Let's get back to my house, shall we?" inquired Kurt.

A few minutes later...

Inside Kurt's house, Maizie was delighted to have her Slowpoke back. She was running all over the house.

Now that Team Shadow was gone, Kurt could continue making Pokeballs. They came in a variety of flavors for people that wished to catch specific ones. Heavy Balls worked wonders against Snorlax.

Slowpoke simply yawned. However, she was also glad to be back home. Team Shadow scared her. And who would want that many Slowpoke tails anyway? Were they really that valuable?

Her tail had been cut off...but that was only a setback. Slowpokes could grow back their tails surprisingly quickly.

"Have all the Slowpoke been accounted for?" asked Kurt.

"All of them have...except for one." answered Maizie.

Kurt raised an eyebrow.

"Did the Slowpoke belong to anyone?" inquired the man. If so, they should try searching Azalea Town for him.

"Nope, he was just a wild Slowpoke that liked to hang outside the well..." stated the girl.

"I see...still, I wondered what happened to him." answered the man. He sure hoped that he was alright.

"Beats me." stated Lucy.

Jake shrugged.

"Do you have any Apricorns for me?" asked Kurt.

"My parents have stocks in the Pokeball market, so yes!" exclaimed Lucy.

Lucy gave Kurt some Pink Apricorns.

Kurt went to his workshop to make some Pokeballs.

A few minutes later, he returned with some Love Balls.

"Typical for you to have Pokeballs like that..." noted Jake. Her heart was full of love.

"I know, right?" answered Lucy.

"Here are your Love Balls..." stated Kurt. Normally it took him a day to make Pokeballs...yet he was feeling pretty motivated after saving all those Slowpoke from Team Shadow.

"Thank you!" exclaimed the girl.

Meanwhile in the Ilex Forest...

After healing her Pokemon at the Pokemon Center, Sarah decided to send out her new Pokemon.

She was curious as to its fighting potential. Since it was a Pokemon it would be a good fighter...right?

Now that she thought of it, this Pokemon seemed to be rather lazy.

"Slow...poke." answered Slowpoke.

On the other hand, it seemed happy that Team Shadow had stopped cutting off Slowpoke tails and selling them for money. That was rather cruel.

Togepi seemed rather happy as well. Apparently, now that the citizens of Azalea Town were happy to have their Slowpoke back, it was happy too.

"You sure seem excited..." noted Sarah.

Togepi nodded. Of course, as long as she was with her Pokemon trainer, she always felt cheerful. She had looked after her while she was just an egg, so she knew that she was in good hands.

"Slowpoke..." murmured the water Pokemon.

"He sure doesn't seem energetic, does he?" noted the girl.

Totodile shook his head. Personally he wished that Slowpoke would be more energetic, just as he was.

Suddenly, Togepi began to shiver.

"What's the matter?" asked Sarah.

"Hey, Sarah! Remember me?" inquired Jerry.

Sarah looked around, and discovered her rival.

"You again?" asked Sarah.

"Yes, it is I! I want payback for you costing me those valuable baseball cards!" exclaimed the youngster.

"But they didn't belong to you..." answered the girl.

"My new Pokemon and I are going to wipe the floor with you!" shouted Jerry.

Jerry pulled out a Pokeball.

Sarah wondered what new Pokemon Jerry had.

"Go, Heracross!" exclaimed Jerry.

"Heracross!" shouted Heracross.

Personally Sarah felt sorry for the Pokemon that were under Jerry's care. She heard rumors that Jerry didn't treat them well.

"Er, do you want to fight this Pokemon, Slowpoke?" inquired the girl.

Slowpoke nodded. This youngster was disturbing him while he was trying to rest.

"Your lazy Pokemon can't beat me! Let's get 'em!" shouted Jerry.

"Heracross..." murmured Heracross. Why did he end up stuck with this Pokemon Trainer again?

He could disobey him...but Jerry threw a temper tantrum whenever he refused to do so.

Perhaps it would be best to keep him satisfied for now.

Back at Azalea Town...

Chris and Ned returned from their trip from Ilex Forest. However, they quickly noticed that something had changed.

"What's with all the Slowpoke?" inquired Ned.

"I'm not sure..." answered Chris. They weren't there the last time they were there.

"Slowpoke..." said the Slowpoke.

Curiously, it seemed that someone had cut off his tail...however, it seemed to be growing back.

"What happened here?" asked the boy.

"Hey, Chris! We drove off Team Shadow!" exclaimed Lucy.

"You did? Wasn't Sarah a member of Team Shadow?" asked Chris.

That would explain why she was selling Slowpoke tails...right in front of the Azalea Town Gym.

"Yes...she left along with the rest of the Team Shadow Grunts...I'm not sure where they're headed now...but their leader mentioned something about heading back to their hideout..." answered Jake.

Curious, Chris noticed that there was nobody standing in front of the entrance anymore.

"Yes!" cheered Chris.

Immediately, Chris opened the door to the gym and stepped inside.

She was looking forward to battling the Gym Leader.

"I got an Exeggcute..." noted Ned.

However, he got the feeling that he shouldn't use it against the gym leader...he was a bug type specialist and Exeggcute was both a grass AND a psychic type.

On the other hand, a flying or a fire Pokemon would work rather well.

Perhaps he should check his PC to see what Pokemon would work best. He had a lot of Pokemon that he could use.

"Let's see now..." said Ned.

Suddenly, he remembered something...didn't he have a Hoothoot?

Hoothoot would be a good choice against the Gym Leader, though she had yet to evolve.

"This should help..." noted Ned.

Immediately, he followed Chris into the gym.

Lucy and Jake decided to enter the gym as well.

Now that Team Shadow is out of the picture, it seems that they can challenge the Gym Leader. Three of them will win, but one of them will lose. I'm not saying which one...