Chapter 7: Spark-ing Her Interest
As Ash, Nikki and their Pokémon continued on the road towards Miyasa Town and Nikki's first contest the two trainers were engaged in conversation, learning about one another.
"So you really competed in all those Leagues and never finished any worse than 16th? That's impressive," Nikki commented.
"Yeah, but there were times I should have won that I didn't," Ash countered. "Sometimes I find myself wishing I could go back and redo those moments, maybe do things differently."
"Things happen for a reason. Maybe you were supposed to lose," Nikki suggested.
"Maybe, though I'd like to know why," Ash wondered.
"Well, if you had won would you have kept traveling?" Nikki questioned. That was something Ash hadn't considered. If he had won and became a Master would he have kept traveling.
"When you put it that way you do bring up a good point," he admitted.
"(Yeah,)" Pikachu agreed.
"Well there you go," Nikki said.
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Ash said. "If I had won I wouldn't have kept traveling and seen all the regions and Pokémon I have."
"And we might have never met," Nikki added.
"Yeah," Ash agreed. While the two trainers were engaged in conversation the trio of Jessie, James and Meowth were hiding in some nearby bushes.
"Twerps, dead ahead," Meowth reported. Jessie and James looked over his shoulder.
"So, what evil scheme do we employ this time?" Jessie questioned.
"Why not go with a classic," Meowth suggested.
"Ah, the old pit trap," James sighed. "What they say is true… the classics never grow old."
"Well then, let's get digging!" Jessie said. The three of them hurried down the path, making sure to stay out of sight, to prepare their trap.
Ash and Nikki continued down the path lost in their conversation, unaware of what was happening around them. This time it was Ash learning surprising facts about Nikki.
"Your mother is a former top coordinator and your father is a member of the Elite 4... talk about having some steep expectations to live up to," Ash commented.
"You'd think that, but I've never been compared to either of my parents," Nikki replied.
"That must be a load off your mind, not having to deal with the pressure," Ash said.
"It does," Nikki agreed. "It lets me carve my own path instead of making me try to live up to my parents' standards." While the two of them talked Pikachu and Buneary walked ahead of them. Glancing in front of them the two Pokémon noticed something.
"(Hey Ash, Nikki! Take a look at this!)" Pikachu called. The two trainers looked up from their conversation.
"What is it, buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu pointed ahead. Ash and Nikki looked at what he and Buneary had found.
"Hey, it's a Pokémon!" Nikki exclaimed. The Pokémon was a small blue lion cub with a tail that ended with a four-point star.
"That's a Shinx," Ash guessed.
"It's so cute!" Nikki squealed. She immediately whipped out her Pokédex and scanned it.
Shinx, the Flash Pokémon. The extension and contraction of its muscles generates electricity. Its fur glows when it's in trouble.
"Oh, and it's a female," Nikki observed. "I just have to catch her!" Her outburst attracted the Shinx's attention.
"Okay, Buneary! Let's catch that Shinx!" Nikki shouted.
"(You got it!)" Buneary relied. As she bounced out to battle the Shinx the Flash Pokémon furrowed her brow and growled in annoyance.
"Let's start off with Hidden Power!" Nikki called. Buneary focused and seconds later the orbs from Hidden Power began circling her.
"(Comin' at ya!)" she shouted before hurling the attack at Shinx. The Flash Pokémon, unimpressed by the attack, simply jumped to the side to avoid it.
"Drat!" Nikki griped. "Okay, let's try something else! Jump Kick!"
"(Time to put my best foot forward!)" Buneary declared. She jumped into the air and dove down at the Shinx. Just as Buneary got to her the Shinx dodged. By now she was fed up with just avoiding contact and decided to retaliate, charging Buneary with her body glowing blue with electricity.
"That's Spark!" Ash warned.
"Watch out, Buneary!" Nikki shouted. But it was too late. By the time Buneary turned and saw Shinx charging she didn't have enough time to dodge. Shinx's attack hit hard, sending Buneary crashing to the ground.
"No, Buneary!" Nikki cried. While she, Ash and Pikachu went to check on the Rabbit Pokémon Shinx retreated into the forest.
"Are you okay, Buneary? Are you hurt?" Nikki asked.
"(Just my pride,)" Buneary sighed. "(Sorry I let that Shinx get away.)"
"It's not your fault," Nikki told her.
"Too bad Shinx got away. I think that would have been a great Pokémon for your team," Ash commented. Nikki stood up and looked at him, determination in her eyes.
"Oh, I'm not giving up. That Shinx will be mine," she declared. "Come on, Buneary! Let's go find that Shinx!"
"(Right behind you!)" The two girls dashed into the forest on their hunt for the escaped Shinx.
"Hey, wait for us!" Ash called as he and Pikachu tried to keep up with their energetic traveling partners. Seconds after they left Team Rocket appeared from behind some bushes on the other side of the path.
"So the twerps are chasing down a little Shinx," Jessie commented.
"This might be a good opportunity for us to get a present for the Boss," Meowth announced.
"What would the Boss want with a Shinx?" James asked. That question earned him a slap on the head from Meowth.
"Not the Shinx, you bozo! Pikachu!" he corrected. "While the twerps are hunting for that Shinx we sneak in, nab Pikachu and give him to the Boss."
"Oh," James said.
"And if we play our cards right we may end up with a few souvenir Pokémon of our own," Jessie added.
"Pikachu for the Boss and a bonus for us… I like it," James said.
"Then let's stop talking and start acting!" Jessie shouted. Her companions agreed with her as they all jumped out from behind the bushes… right into the pit trap they had dug earlier.
"Whose bright idea was it to dig a hole here?" Jessie shrieked.
"If memory serves correctly it was you," James groaned.
"That's right. You were the genius who wanted the hole at this very spot," Meowth added.
"Fine time for you two to listen to me!" Jessie argued. The three of them began to quarrel with each other, none of them taking time to figure out how they'd get out of the hole.
Meanwhile Ash, Nikki, Pikachu and Buneary were busy searching for the runaway Shinx with little success. Wherever the Flash Pokémon was she was making sure they didn't find her.
"Come on. She couldn't have gotten far," Nikki groaned. She, Ash, Pikachu and Buneary were looking through some bushes in a rather dense part of the forest.
"I hate to say this Nikki, but I think that Shinx gave us the slip," Ash commented. "I mean, she could be anywhere now."
"Believe me, she's here. She has to be," Nikki argued. "And we're not leaving until I catch her!"
"Is this for your contest? Couldn't you just go in with just Buneary?" Ash asked.
"I have to have two Pokémon to enter the contest," Nikki replied.
"Why? Is it a double performance or something?" Ash inquired.
"Huh? Uh… yeah, it is," Nikki answered. "H-How did you know?"
"I didn't. I've traveled with some coordinators in the past and even entered in a few contests. I just guessed that the only reason you'd need two Pokémon is because the contest is a double performance," Ash explained.
"Ah. I had no idea," Nikki said.
"So, is it just the first contest that's a double?" Ash asked.
"All the contests in Legenda are doubles," Nikki told him. "The contest organizers figured that having all double performances will make the contest scene more exciting so they adopted the rule and applied it to all contests. Even the Grand Festival will be all double performances."
"Hard to argue with that logic," Ash commented.
"Right, so that's why I want to catch this Shinx so badly," Nikki announced.
"Well, I think I may have an idea," Ash said. "Pikachu, do you think you could try to sense where Shinx is using her electric signature?"
"(I could try,)" Pikachu responded.
"Electric signature? What's that?" Nikki inquired.
"Well, according to Professor Oak Electric type Pokémon all emit a unique electric signal, or signature, from their bodies. I want to see if I can have Pikachu find Shinx's so we can track her," Ash explained.
"Wow. That's a great idea," Nikki complimented. "So can you do it, Pikachu?"
"(I'll do my best,)" Pikachu told her. He stood perfectly still, ears up in the air to try and detect Shinx's electric signature. Ash, Nikki and Buneary also remained quiet so they wouldn't break his concentration.
"You can do it, buddy," Ash whispered, making sure not to distract Pikachu.
"You think Shinx is too far away to be tracked?" Nikki questioned.
"I doubt it. Like you said she has to be here somewhere," Ash answered. Seconds later Pikachu's ears twitched.
"(Hey! I think he found something!)" Buneary exclaimed. Both Ash and Nikki looked at the Electric Mouse Pokémon.
"Is it Shinx?" Nikki inquired.
"(I think so,)" Pikachu reported.
"Good work. Can you tell where she is?" It took Pikachu a bit more time, but he eventually determined which direction Shinx's electric signal was coming from.
"(This way!)" He bounded off deeper into the forest, Ash, Nikki and Buneary following shortly after. It took them a few minutes, and they almost lost track of Pikachu a couple of times, but they finally emerged in a rather large clearing. The minute we did though…
"(Incoming!)" Pikachu's warning came in time for all of them to jumped out of the way of a stream of electricity.
"What in Mew's name was that?" Nikki shouted.
"I think that was a Charge Beam!" Ash clarified. "But where did it come from?" Seconds later the Shinx came into view, glaring at them.
"(She must have done that,)" Buneary guessed.
"So that Shinx can use Spark and Charge Beam? Now I have to catch her!" Nikki declared. "You ready to try again, Buneary?"
"(Oh yeah!)" With an excited bounce in her step Buneary prepared to square off against the Shinx yet again.
"(Why are you even trying? It'll just end the same way it did last time,)" the Shinx stated matter-of-factly.
"(Won't really know that until I try,)" Buneary countered. The Shinx merely smirked at Buneary.
"(Very well. Don't say I didn't warn you,)" the Shinx warned. The two Pokémon prepared to square off, each one looking for the other to make the first move.
"Okay, Buneary! Let's start off with…" Before Nikki could finish her command a pair of hands shot out of nowhere and grabbed Buneary and Shinx.
"Buneary, no!" Nikki shouted. Before anyone could come to their aid a third hand appeared and grabbed Pikachu.
"Pikachu!" Ash shouted.
"Alright, what's going on?" Nikki demanded. The answer came in the form of sinister laughter and a familiar motto.
"Out of the sky, falling with grace.
A spark in the eye, arriving with haste.
Ready and willing to put twerps in their place.
Jessie!
James!
Meowth's the name!
Team Rocket, burning a trail!
Blazing a path!
Kickin' some tail!
Wobbu Wobbuffet!
Mime Mime Mime Mime!"
"Team Rocket!" Ash yelled. Looking up the two trainers saw Team Rocket's Meowth balloon hovering overhead.
"Can't you three find someone else to torment?" Nikki complained.
"Oh don't worry. Now that we have your Pokémon we won't be bothering you two anymore," Jessie stated. Three metal arms were coming out from a hatch on the bottom of the basket, and at the end of those arms were hands that currently held Pikachu, Buneary and Shinx.
"(Let go!)" Pikachu demanded.
"Pikachu!" Ash yelled.
"(Nikki, help!)" Buneary cried.
"Hold on, Buneary!" Nikki shouted.
"(Release me at once!)" Shinx demanded.
"Complain all you want! We ain't letting you go!" Meowth declared.
"We'll see about that!" Ash shouted. "Cyndaquil! Bayleef! I choose you!" Seconds later the two Johto Pokémon stood before Ash.
"Flamethrower!" Ash instructed.
"(One Flamethrower coming up!)" Cyndaquil complied. He took a deep breath and spat out a powerful stream of fire, burning through the metal arms and freeing the captive Pokémon. With nothing holding them up gravity took over as the trio fell towards the ground.
"Catch them with Vine Whip, Bayleef!" Ash said.
"(Right away!)" She quickly produced two vines that snagged Pikachu and Buneary before they hit the ground. Unfortunately that left Shinx alone to continue to fall.
"(Oh no!)" the Flash Pokémon cried.
"I've got you, Shinx!" Nikki shouted. With an incredible burst of speed she ran towards the falling Shinx and dove for her, catching her right before she made contact with the ground.
"Are… Are you alright?" she gasped, trying to catch her breath.
"(Y-Yeah… I-I'm fine,)" Shinx stuttered, still a bit shaken up by what just happened.
"That's a relief," Nikki sighed.
"Hey! We stole those Pokémon fair and square!" Meowth griped as Team Rocket's balloon landed. Hearing this Nikki glared at the trio.
"You bozos! You really could have hurt Shinx with that stunt!" she chastised.
"If you twerps hadn't interfered that wouldn't have happened!" Jessie retorted.
"Maybe if you wouldn't try to steal our Pokémon we wouldn't have to stop you!" Nikki countered.
"This ain't getting us nowhere! Let's just battle them and take their Pokémon!" Meowth suggested.
"Fine by me. Seviper, get them!" Jessie shouted.
"Go, Carnevine!" James added. Both Pokémon appeared from their Poké Balls, though seconds later Carnevine promptly turned around and clamped down on James's head.
"Go get them, not me!" James whined, throwing Carnevine back down towards the battlefield.
"Seviper, Poison Tail!" Jessie ordered.
"Use Bite, Carnevine!" James instructed. They charged towards their targets, Seviper's bladed tail glowing purple and Carnevie's mouth opened wide.
"Bayleef, use Body Slam on Carnevine!" Ash shouted.
"Use Bounce on Seviper, Buneary!" Nikki added. Buneary bounced into the air while Bayleef used her vines to give herself a bit extra height to her jump. Once they reached their desired altitude both Pokémon came crashing down onto their opponents. Bayleef crushed Carnevine beneath her while Buneary planted both feet on Seviper's head before bouncing away. Needless to say both of Team Rocket's Pokémon were feeling the pain.
"Get up, Seviper!" Jessie demanded.
"Come on, Carnevine! Don't let those twerpy Pokémon get away with that!" James urged. Their Pokémon attempted to get to their feet, but Ash wasn't about to let that happen.
"Hit them with Quick Attack, Pikachu!" he shouted.
"(Don't blink! You might miss it!)" With speed that was almost too fast to see with the naked eye Pikachu sped towards the still-recovering Seviper and Carnevine and slammed into them with Quick Attack, sending the two Pokémon crashing into the basket of the balloon.
"And now to send them on their way!" Ash announced. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt! Bayleef, Razor Leaf! Cyndaquil, Flamethrower!"
"Don't forget about me! Use Hidden Power!" Nikki added. The four Pokémon fired their attacks at Team Rocket. Not wanting to be left out the Shinx added her Charge Beam to the assault.
"This is gonna hurt!" the bumbling trio screamed. The five attacks struck the balloon, detonating it in a massive explosion that sent Jessie, James and Meowth hurtling through the air.
"We're blasting off again!" they cried as they disappeared over the horizon.
"And that takes care of them," Ash declared.
"(For now,)" Pikachu added. Meanwhile Nikki and Buneary were with Shinx, making sure she was unharmed.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Nikki asked.
"(Yeah, I'm fine,)" Shinx told her. "(Um… thanks for saving me back there.)"
"Hey, I wasn't about to just stand there and let you get hurt even if you aren't my Pokémon," Nikki explained. Hearing this shocked Shinx a bit. She had no idea there were humans who cared about Pokémon whether they were wild or not.
"Is everyone okay?" Ash inquired.
"Yup. Everyone's fine," Nikki reported.
"That's good," Ash said. "Bayleef, Cyndaquil, thanks."
"(Anytime,)" Cyndaquil said.
"(We're always happy to help,)" Bayleef added. With a smile Ash returned them to their Poké Balls.
"Well, I guess it's time for us to get moving," Nikki said. "Take care of yourself, Shinx."
"What? You mean you're not going to try and catch her?" Ash questioned.
"After everything's that's just happened I think she deserves a break," Nikki explained.
"Yeah, you're probably right," Ash agreed. With their Pokémon in tow the two trainers began walking away. However…
"(Wait!)" They turned around to hear what Shinx had to say.
"(I'd like to join you on your quest,)" she said. This caught them by surprise.
"R-Really?" Nikki stuttered.
"(Yeah, but first I want to see how good you are,)" Shinx announced, taking a battle stance. Nikki's eyes went from surprised to focused in a split second.
"If it's a battle you want then it's a battle you'll get!" she declared. "Let's go, Buneary!" The Rabbit Pokémon bounded out to face Shinx.
"Good luck, you two!" Ash called.
"(You can do it!)" Pikachu added.
"Okay, let's start off with Hidden Power!" Nikki shouted. Seconds later Buneary was surrounded by the glowing white orbs from her Hidden Power.
"(Catch this!)" she challenged before sending the attack at Shinx. The Flash Pokémon smirked right before her body tensed, small streaks of electricity dancing over her.
"Watch it! She's using Charge!" Ash warned. Unfortunately there was nothing Nikki or Buneary could do. As soon as the Hidden Power reached Shinx she unleashed her Spark attack and charged, tearing through the Hidden Power.
"Quick, Buneary, use Charm!" Nikki shouted.
"There's not enough time!" Ash shouted. He was too late, for seconds later Buneary tried to charm the charging Shinx. Unfortunately Shinx was too close for the attack to take effect. Shinx's attack hit full-force, knocking Buneary to the ground hard.
"No, Buneary!" Nikki cried.
"Spark hits hard enough, but with Charge adding to its power the attack was even stronger," Ash observed.
"(That Shinx is crafty,)" Pikachu commented.
"That she is," Ash agreed. The two continued to look on, eager to see how Nikki and Buneary would recover.
"Come on, Buneary! I know you can beat her!" Nikki cheered. Though she was still recovering from Shinx's super-charged Spark Buneary managed to get to her feet.
"(It's… not over… yet,)" she gasped. "(I've… still got… some tricks… up… my sleeve.)"
"(Then you'd better be ready to use them!)" Shinx challenged. She then fired her Charge Beam at the tired Buneary.
"Tell Buneary to dodge, Nikki!" Ash shouted. But the young coordinator had other ideas.
"Hidden Power!" Nikki instructed. The orbs once again began forming around Buneary. Moments later Buneary hurled the attack at the incoming Charge Beam. The Hidden power did nothing but swirl around the powerful Electric attack, adding that much more destructive power to it.
"What are you doing, Nikki? Wasn't that Charge Beam bad enough on its own?" Ash shouted, questioning the girl's logic.
"Just wait. I know what I'm doing," she told him rather calmly. He wasn't sure about that, but rather than argue Ash decided to do as she asked and wait. By now the Charge Beam was almost on top of Buneary.
"Now send it back with Jump Kick!" Nikki instructed. Buneary leaped towards the Charge Beam/Hidden Power combo attack and delivered an accurate Jump Kick. The kick deflected the attack right back at Shinx, who wasn't expecting this at all.
"(What the?)" she gasped. That was all she got out before the combo attack hit. The two attacks exploded on contact with her, sending her tumbling across the ground.
"Poké Ball, go!" Nikki shouted. Without wasting any time she hurled an empty Poké Ball at the weakened Shinx. The ball struck, turning Shinx into red energy before sucking her inside. Now the waiting game began as Nikki watched the red light on the front of the Poké Ball continually blink.
"Come on… stay in… stay in," she pleaded. The blinking continued for a few more seconds before finally stopping, signaling that Shinx had been successfully captured.
"We… did it. We did it. We really did it!" Nikki cheered. "We caught our first Pokémon!"
"(Alright!)" Buneary joined in.
"Congratulations, Nikki," Ash said.
"(We knew you could do it,)" Pikachu praised.
"Thanks, guys," Nikki said. She then walked over and picked up Shinx's Poké Ball. She held it in her hand and just stared at it, still in shock that she was able to catch her.
"Look at it, Buneary… the first Pokémon we've ever captured," Nikki sighed.
"(Hopefully the first of many,)" Buneary said.
"Yeah," Nikki agreed. With Nikki and Buneary's first successful capture things are certainly looking up for the group.
The day ends with Nikki adding a new member to the family. This, of course, is the first of many new members that she and Ash will encounter. Who will be the next new family member? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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