Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Here's to making 2013 as awesome as possible.
Chapter 35: The Root of the Problem
"Not so fast, twerps!" Once again Ash and Nikki found themselves in the midst of a typical standoff with Team Rocket.
"Leave us alone!" Nikki demanded.
"We will as soon as we get what we want," Jessie stated.
"And that's your Pokémon," James declared.
"We're not giving you our Pokémon!" Ash refused.
"We don't want you to. It's so much more fun to take them by force," Meowth said.
"You're not going to do that either!" Ash declared as he and Nikki readied their Poké Balls. In response Team Rocket did the same.
"Seviper, Magcargo! Let's go!" Jessie shouted.
"Carnivine! Tropius! You too!" James called. Four Poké Balls flew through the air. Three of them opened. Seviper and Magcargo stood at the ready while James had to pry Carnivine from his head.
"Can't you attack the right targets for once?!" he griped. Once he got Carnivine under control he looked out and saw that Tropius's Poké Ball remained unopened.
"I'm getting real tired of this, Tropius!" James yelled. While James complained about his disobedient Pokémon Ash and Nikki sent theirs out.
"Swablu, Vulpix! Help us out!" Nikki called.
"Go, Sceptile and Meganium!" Ash shouted. As Ash and Nikki's Pokémon emerged Tropius's Poké Ball began to shake. Upon hearing Meganium being sent out the Fruit Pokémon finally emerged from his Poké Ball.
"It's about time you decided to show up when I call you!" James shouted. What he didn't know was that, even though Tropius appeared the Fruit Pokémon was not listening to him. All Tropius cared about was Meganium. When he spotted her his heart soared, but just as quickly his overjoyed demeanor turned venomous once he saw who she was standing next to…
His archrival… Sceptile.
The mere sight of the Forest Pokémon was enough to make his blood boil. In his mind Meganium belonged with him and him alone, and he wouldn't let any other Pokémon come between them.
"Seviper, Poison Tail! Magcargo, Flamethrower!" Jessie ordered.
"Carnivine, Vine Whip! Tropius, Magical Leaf!" James shouted. Seviper, Magcargo and Carnivine sprang into action, but Tropius remained motionless.
"What are you waiting for, Tropius?! I said use Magical Leaf!" James yelled.
"Swablu, use Featherdance, and Vulpix, you use Flamethrower!" Nikki instructed.
"Meganium, use Protect! Sceptile, X-Scissor!" Ash called. The Pokémon sprang into action as a flurry of attacks was unleashed. Swablu dodged Seviper's Poison Tail and then sprinkled him with Featherdance, weakening him considerably. Vulpix meanwhile canceled out Magcargo's Flamethrower with her own. Meganium used Protect to guard herself from Carnivine's Vine Whip while Sceptile jumped over the attack and struck him with a super-effective X-Scissor. During all this, though, Tropius refused to engage in the battle, his eyes never leaving Sceptile.
"Come on, James! We're getting creamed out here! Get that Tropius in the game!" Meowth demanded.
"I'm trying, but he's not listening!" James protested.
"Time to end this! Use Vine Whip!" Ash shouted.
"Vulpix, use Iron Tail!" Nikki called. Meganium dropped her Protect and used her Vine Whip to grab Carnivine and throw him into Tropius. Meanwhile Vulpix used an Iron Tail to send Seviper crashing into Magcargo. All four Pokémon landed in a heap in front of their trainers.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash called.
"Buneary, Hidden Power!" Nikki added. The two projectile attacks hit home, resulting in an all-too-familiar explosive sendoff for Team Rocket.
"We're blasting off again!"
"Alright! Good work, everyone!" Ash praised. The Pokémon were all beaming with pride. Out of the corner of his eye Sceptile glanced at Meganium. A smile crossed his face once he saw how happy she was, but then he saw her turn her gaze to him. As quickly as he could he looked away, but even that did little to hide the blush that was on his cheeks. Meganium smiled once she realized what just happened. Perhaps she would see where things between her and Sceptile would go from here.
Miles away Team Rocket's trip came to an abrupt, and painful end. Groans of agony and pain shared the air with complaints of their most recent failure, with the majority of the blame focused on one Pokémon in particular.
"This wouldn't have happened if your Tropius had pulled his weight back there!" Jessie accused.
"That's right!" Meowth agreed.
"I know, I know. I just don't know what's gotten into him lately," James replied. The Pokémon in question has his back turned to the rest of the group, seemingly not interested in what was being said, even though it was about him.
"You have a lot of explaining to do, Tropius. Why didn't you listen to me back there?" James questioned. The fruit Pokémon simply ignored the question.
"I'm talking to you!" James yelled, growing a bit agitated. Again Tropius ignored him. The constant disrespect Tropius had been showing James over the past number of weeks was starting to get under the blue-haired Rocket's skin.
"Tropius!"
"Just let it go, James. It's obvious your Pokémon isn't going to respond," Jessie said. "Let's just return them to their Poké Balls for now. We have to give our report to the Boss." She then proceeded to return Seviper and Magcargo. Likewise James did the same with Carnivine and Tropius, but soon after being returned Tropius forced his way out of his Poké Ball.
"I didn't tell you to come out!" James yelled. He returned Tropius again, and again the Fruit Pokémon forced his way out.
"Great. Now Tropius doesn't even want to stay in his Poké Ball anymore," Meowth sighed.
"I'm getting real tired of this!" James seethed.
"Just leave him, James! We're already late with our report as it is," Jessie stated. James was fed up with arguing, so he did as she suggested and left Tropius out of his Poké Ball.
"We're not through," James stated.
"Watch our things, Meowth. We won't be too long," Jessie instructed.
"I know the drill already," Meowth griped. As his colleagues left Meowth turned his attention to the rebellious member of their group.
"Man, you've really turned into a handful lately. Just what's gotten into you?" the Scratch Cat Pokémon wondered.
"(… Love.)" Meowth's question was more him thinking out loud than wanting an answer from Tropius, which is why the Scratch Cat Pokémon was so shocked when Tropius actually answered him.
"Wait… love? You don't mean that Meganium, do you?" Meowth questioned.
"(Why not? She and I are a perfect match,)" Tropius stated.
"But it'll never work. She's a twerp Pokémon, and we don't associate with twerp Pokémon," Meowth argued.
"(You're starting to sound like James,)" Tropius spat.
"Because he's right," Meowth countered. "Look, I know you don't want to hear this, but…"
"(Listen, Meowth. I'm not in the mood to argue,)" Tropius interrupted. "(Right now I need a favor.)"
"Um… okay," Meowth replied.
Later in the day Ash and Nikki came across a Pokémon Center. Even though their Pokémon didn't exert too much energy in the scuffle with Team Rocket earlier the two trainers were looking forward to sleeping that night with a roof over their heads. After checking in with Nurse Joy the trainers headed out behind the Pokémon Center, where a large field greeted them.
"Okay, guys. We 're going to get our room and make a few calls, so you just hang out back here," Ash said to the Pokémon.
"We'll be back to check on you later," Nikki added. A chorus of calls soon followed as the Pokémon left to enjoy themselves. Bordered by the forest they were currently traveling through the field was easily large enough to accommodate all of them. Some of the Pokémon took this opportunity to rest while others played. Sceptile had decided the downtime was the perfect opportunity to speak with Meganium, but as he approached her a voice called out to him.
"Hey, buddy. Come over here." The voice seemed to be coming from the trees.
"(I wonder who that could be.)" As he headed towards the mysterious voice he didn't notice Meganium was watching him.
"(Where's he going?)" she wondered. She decided to follow him just to make sure he wasn't walking into something he couldn't handle. Meanwhile Meowth was beginning to regret granting Tropius's request.
"Run that by me again. It almost sounded as if you wanted me to deliver a message to the twerp's Sceptile," Meowth said.
"(That's exactly what I want you to do,)" Tropius stated.
"Have you lost your mind?! Why would I deliver a message to one of the twerp's Pokémon?! There's every chance in the world I'll be attacked on sight!" Meowth protested.
"(Just tell them you're not there to fight,)" Tropius advised.
"I doubt if that'll matter. When it comes to the twerps it's usually attack first, and if we're still standing attack again," Meowth sighed.
"(You're just going to have to find some way to get the message to him,)" Tropius stated. The more Meowth listened the less he liked agreeing to Tropius's request. At the same time he could see how desperate Tropius was, and in the end that was enough to get him to continue with the request.
"Okay… I'll go through with it," Meowth relented.
"(Thank you,)" Tropius said. "(Now before we continue you have to promise not to tell anyone about this, especially James.)" This was something that Meowth wasn't sure of.
"You want me to keep this from James?! But…"
"(You CAN'T tell him no matter what! If he found out he'd just try to stop me!)" Tropius shouted. "(Under no circumstances can you tell James! Promise me!)" Despite what he felt in his gut Meowth agreed to Tropius's terms.
"Alright. So, what's the message?"
"How in the world did I get roped into this?" he groaned. He could only hope that Sceptile would give him the opportunity to speak before trying to beat him into the ground. Fortunately for him (though in his mind it was more unfortunate) Sceptile made his wait a short one.
"(Hello? Is anyone here?)" the Forest Pokémon called. Meowth froze when Sceptile walked into view.
"Please don't be hostile, please don't be hostile, please don't be hostile…" Unfortunately his prayers weren't answered, for the minute Sceptile spotted him the Grass type went into attack mode, powering up a Leaf Blade.
"(What are you doing here?!)" Sceptile demanded. Meowth quickly threw his hands up in defense.
"Hold on! I'm not here to cause trouble!" he pleaded.
"(As if I'd believe that! You, Jessie and James are all about causing trouble!)" Sceptile argued.
"I promise I'm not here to cause trouble! I even came alone! You have to believe me!" Meowth pleaded. He was sure Sceptile was about to painfully send him on his way, but after a while he dropped his hands and looked at the Forest Pokémon. Surprisingly his stance wasn't as aggressive anymore, and he had since powered down his Leaf Blade.
"(Okay, I'll let you talk, but make it fast,)" Sceptile said. A sigh of relief left Meowth's mouth.
"Okay, here's the deal. I'm here to…"
"(Sceptile? You over there?)" The panic Meowth felt mere moments ago had returned tenfold. He only wanted to speak to Sceptile, so he was not expecting to have to deal with Meganium as well.
"Now what do I do?" he thought. Before he could come up with an answer Meganium appeared.
"(There you are. I was wondering where you…)" She stopped mid-sentence, for her eyes soon fell on Meowth. Just as Sceptile before her she prepared for battle.
"(What's he doing here?!)" she growled.
"Please don't hurt me!" Meowth begged.
"(He claims he's not here to cause trouble,)" Sceptile explained. Meganium then turned her attention to her Grass-type colleague.
"(And you believe him?)" she spat.
"(Not entirely. I'm going to let him tell me why he's here, but I'm not dropping my guard for a second,)" Sceptile replied. "(You hear that, Meowth? If I think you're trying to trick us I'll send you on a blast-off you won't soon forget. Got it?)"
"I got it, I got it!" Meowth hastily replied.
"(Good. Now, what are you doing here?)" Sceptile questioned.
"I've got a message for you from Tropius," he said.
"(From Tropius?)" Meganium asked. Just hearing that name was enough to make Sceptile's blood start boiling.
"(What does he want?)" Sceptile spat.
"He's issuing a challenge to you, Sceptile. He wants to face you in a one-on-one battle. Just the two of you. No trainers," Meowth explained. This intrigued Sceptile. There was nothing more he wanted to do than to soundly defeat Tropius in battle, but something told him there was more to this than what Meowth was telling them.
"(Why does he want to battle me?)" the Forest Pokémon inquired.
"He says whoever wins get her," Meowth replied, pointing at Meganium. Meganium was visibly shocked by what Meowth had to say, but Sceptile wasn't. He already has his suspicions, but now they had been confirmed.
"(So let me get this straight. Tropius wants to battle Sceptile over me?)" Meganium questioned.
"That's right," Meowth confirmed. "You may not have realized this, but Tropius has fallen for you hard. You're the only thing that's been on his mind for a while now and he feels the only way to win you over is to take down Sceptile."
"(Well if you think Sceptile's going to accept his challenge then…)"
"(When and where?)" Sceptile questioned.
"(S-Sceptile!)" This was not the response Meganium was expecting. She fully believed there was no way Sceptile would agree to this, and yet he just proved her wrong.
"There's a clearing near here. He says he'll meet you there," Meowth replied. Sceptile was aware of the clearing Meowth spoke of. Ash and Nikki passed by it on their way to the Pokémon Center.
"(Okay. Tell him I'll be waiting,)" Sceptile stated.
"Alright." As Meowth walked back into the forest Meganium looked at Sceptile, a look of shock on her face.
"(What are you thinking, Sceptile?! Why did you agree to battle him?!" she questioned.
"(To put an end to his obsession of you,)" the Forest Pokémon responded.
"(But how do you know that'll do it? If he's really as obsessed with me as you think a simple battle won't solve anything. If anything I'll need to tell him myself that I'm not interested in him,)" Meganium stated.
"(If it were that simple he wouldn't have demanded a battle,)" Sceptile retorted.
"(But if you lose…)"
"(I won't. I can't afford to,)" Sceptile interrupted. There were still lingering doubts floating around in her mind, but once she looked into Sceptile's eyes and saw the confidence that filled them she began to believe that he would succeed in defeating Tropius.
"(Go. Take care of this,)" she said.
"(I will. I promise I'll defeat him once and for all, and then he'll have no choice but to leave you alone.)" As Sceptile left for the clearing Meganium stood there and watched him leave.
"(Don't make a girl a promise you can't keep,)" she whispered. After waiting a few moments she decided to follow him. If this was a battle over her then the least she could do was witness it with her own eyes.
"The Boss is really getting fed up with all our recent failures," Jessie sighed. Both she and James were feeling down after Giovanni came down on them for their continuous blunders.
"We need to get back on track or the Boss will have our heads," James said.
"Well the first thing we need to do is get that Tropius of yours under control. His disobedience has been a lingering problem lately," Jessie stated.
"I know. I just don't know what's come over him as of late," James commented. "It's gotten to the point where I don't think he wants to be my Pokémon anymore."
"Whatever the problem is it needs to be taken care of, and soon," Jessie said.
"I know, but what can I…"
"(So he agreed?)"
"Yeah." The two of them paused upon hearing the voices.
"That sounds like Tropius and Meowth," Jessie said.
"What are they talking about?" James wondered.
"Let's hide and listen in," Jessie suggested. The two of them ducked into some nearby bushes and managed to get close enough to the two talking Pokémon to overhear their conversations.
"He's probably there waiting for you right now," Meowth said.
"(Good. Once that Sceptile's been defeated Meganium and I can finally be together,)" Tropius declared.
"I still think you need to take a moment and think about what you're doing," Meowth advised.
"(The time for thinking is over. Now is the time for action,)" Tropius declared. It soon became clear to Meowth that no amount of reasoning would make Tropius change his mind.
"Okay, Tropius. Do what you gotta do," Meowth said.
"(I knew you'd understand,)" Tropius said. He prepared to take off but paused for a moment.
"(Meowth… if this really is the last time we'll see each other… I want to let you know it's been fun traveling with you guys… and that I'll miss you.)" Without waiting for a response the Fruit Pokémon took to the skies, leaving Meowth behind to watch him leave.
"So long, kid. I really hope you get the girl," the Scratch Cat Pokémon said. With a tear in his eye Meowth turned around… and came face-to-face with Jessie and James.
"Gah! How long have you two been there?!" he panicked.
"Long enough to hear what Tropius was planning," Jessie answered. "How could you just let him go like that?"
"I couldn't say no to him. You know how bad he's got it for the twerp's Meganium," Meowth argued. During this time James kept his eyes on the sky in the direction Tropius flew. Then, without warning, he started running in the same direction.
"Hey! Where are you going?!" Jessie called.
"I'm going to find Tropius!" James replied.
"Wait! You're not supposed to know!" Meowth stated.
"He won't know I'm there!" James retorted. With those final words James continued on his way.
"This can't end well," Meowth sighed.
Sceptile had been waiting patiently for Tropius to arrive. He knew the Fruit Pokémon had developed a crush on Meganium, and he was going to put an end to it. As he waited the sudden snapping of a twig behind him caught his attention. Whirling around he saw Meganium approaching.
"(Meganium? What are you doing here?)" he inquired.
"(This entire situation is because of me, right? I might as well be here to see it through,)" she explained.
"Well now. I didn't expect this.)" The two Grass types looked in time to see Tropius land in the clearing.
"(I'm actually glad you're here, Meganium. Now you'll get to witness my victory first-hand,)" Tropius declared. "(Once I'm done defeating that Sceptile the two of us can live out the rest of our lives together.)" Unbeknownst to the Pokémon James had also arrived, though he was electing to remain hidden within the trees. He was there for no other reason than to observe the battle, to see if his Pokémon would fulfill his promise to defeat his rival and win the heart of the one he loved.
"(Do you really think it'll be that simple?)" Sceptile questioned.
"(What do you know?)" Tropius challenged.
"(I know that Meganium isn't some prize that can be won through battling, that no matter who wins our battle it's up to her to decide who she goes with, and if you haven't realized that by now then you've already lost,)" Sceptile explained. As she listened a smile appeared on Meganium's face. The fact that Sceptile came into this looking to defend a friend and not win a prize filled her with great joy and admiration for the Forest Pokémon.
"(The only one who's going to lose anything here is you. I WILL win Meganium here, and we WILL live our lives together, and there's nothing or no one who will stop that!)" Tropius declared. With those words he charged towards Sceptile.
"(He's beyond hope now,)" Sceptile sighed. The only thing he could do now was meet the Fruit Pokémon in battle, and so he too charged towards his opponent.
"(Good luck, Sceptile,)" Meganium said, though only loud enough for her to hear. The two combating Pokémon collided head-on and bounced back to their starting positions.
"(Meganium will be mine!)" Tropius declared as he sent out a Magical Leaf volley at Sceptile.
"(That's not for you to decide!)" Sceptile countered. As the Magical leaf closed in he powered up Leaf Blade, the leaves on his arms glowing green and lengthening. Then, with one powerful slash, he blocked the projectile attack. He then went on the attack, charging towards Tropius with X-Scissor. Before Sceptile could land the hit Tropius took to the skies, safely avoiding Sceptile's attack.
"(Strength determines right and wrong, and once I've defeated you I'll prove that I'm right!)" the Fruit Pokémon challenged.
"(Why won't you realize that strength doesn't determine everything?!)" Sceptile shouted.
"(Strength is everything!)" Tropius argued.
"(No it's not!)" Sceptile retorted.
"(It is, and I'm going to prove it!)" He followed that up with a steep dive towards Sceptile, attempting to damage him using Fly. Sceptile, though, was much too fast and easily dodged the attack. Then, using his superior speed, he reversed direction and charged Tropius, X-Scissor at the ready. The Fruit Pokémon had no time to act before he was struck by the high-power attack. On the sidelines Meganium was inwardly cheering at the sight of Sceptile taking the lead in the battle.
"(You talked about strength being everything, and yet now all the strength you have isn't doing you any good. Tell me, do you still believe in your own words? Do you still believe strength is the answer to everything?)" Sceptile challenged. Tropius shook off the damage from the attack and glared at the Forest Pokémon.
"(I do. I do still believe that… and now you'll see why!)" A sudden surge of strength filled Tropius as he went back on the offensive, sending another Magical leaf volley at Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon once again used Leaf Blade to defend himself, but what he didn't realize was that the Magical Leaf was just a front, a distraction from the real attack. As he prepared to strike back he suddenly found himself being struck by Tropius's wing as he flew by with Fly. As Sceptile tried to recover Tropius flew by and struck him again from behind.
"(Oh no,)" Meganium said. The two straight super-effective attacks did a number on the Forest Pokémon, but Sceptile refused to fall.
"(It'll take more than that… to bring me down,)" Sceptile panted.
"(Trust me, I plan on bringing more!)" Tropius declared. He once again took flight and charged Sceptile. The Forest Pokémon readied X-Scissor once again. Once Tropius was in range he swung, but the Fruit Pokémon twisted his body so the attack missed. He then struck Sceptile with his wing before flying past. Sceptile stumbled forward and tried to regain his balance, but before he could he was struck from behind by Magical Leaf. Sceptile swung around with Leaf Blade only to be met by Tropius diving head-first into him. The hit knocked the breath out of Sceptile, forcing the Forest Pokémon down to one knee.
"(Just give up! You can't match my strength!)" Tropius gloated. At one point Sceptile did consider forfeiting, but then he looked in Meganium's direction. The look of concern on her face gave him a surge of strength. He forced himself back to his feet and glared at Tropius.
"(Not… on your life!)" he refused. "(There's… no way… I'll let you… take her away from me!)" Meganium's eyes went wide when she heard that. She thought he didn't want her to be taken away from the group, but Sceptile didn't want her to be taken away from him. That got Meganium thinking… could Sceptile see her as more than just a close friend?
"(Suit yourself. One way or another I'm defeating you here and now!)" Tropius charged Sceptile, looking to deliver the final blow. As he got closer Sceptile readied a counter-attack. As Tropius dove in for his attack Sceptile ducked underneath him and struck him with an X-Scissor. Tropius cringed from the attack, but due to Sceptile's weakened state the attack didn't have much force behind it. Because of that Tropius was able to go straight into a counter-attack. He spun his body and struck Sceptile with his wing, sending the Forest pokémon airborne.
"(Time to end this!)" he declared. With a flap of his wings he gained altitude until he was hovering over Sceptile. He then dove down, planting his feet in Sceptile's chest and driving him to the ground. The resulting impact kicked up a thick dirt cloud.
"(Sceptile!)" Meganium cried. Panic gripped her as she worried about Sceptile's well-being. As time passed the dirt cloud dissipated, revealing a triumphant Tropius standing over a defeated Sceptile.
"(No…)" she said.
"(As I said, I'm defeating you here and now,)" Tropius repeated. Sceptile glared at him, but his glare soon turned to a disappointed gaze as he looked towards Meganium.
"(I'm… s-sorry,)" he said. Meganium felt bad for Sceptile. She knew he poured his all into the battle and hated seeing him come up short.
"(Just to show I'm a good sport I'll give you two time to say goodbye,)" Tropius announced. He walked away from Sceptile, allowing Meganium to approach.
"(Are you alright?)" Meganium asked as Sceptile forced himself up.
"(No, not really,)" the Forest Pokémon admitted. "(I'm sorry… I lost.)"
"(Don't be. You gave it your all and showed me how much you really care,)" Meganium said.
"(But now you… you have to go with him,)" Sceptile sighed.
"(Don't worry. I'll take care of him,)" Meganium stated. The Forest Pokémon watched as Meganium started walking towards Tropius.
"(What are you going to do?)" he wondered.
"(What I need to,)" Meganium answered. Sceptile didn't know what she was going to do but he trusted she would do the right thing. As she approached Tropius the Fruit Pokémon beamed with pride.
"(All done with your goodbyes?)" he inquired.
"(Not yet. I've got one goodbye I still need to say,)" Meganium replied.
"(So then, why are you over here?)" Tropius wondered.
"(Because the goodbye I have to say… is to you,)" Meganium admitted.
"(To me? What do you mean?)" Tropius questioned, clearly confused.
"(Tropius… I'm not coming with you,)" Meganium stated.
"(What?! But… I won the battle! You have to come with me! That was the agreement!)" the Fruit Pokémon argued.
"(I know, but it's like Sceptile said… it doesn't matter who won the battle because only I can decide who to be with,)" Meganium explained.
"(But I thought that, if I won you'd see how strong I was and you'd want to be with me,)" Tropius said.
"(I know you're strong, but what matters to me is the strength of a Pokémon's heart, not his body,)" Meganium replied.
"(His… heart?)" Tropius questioned.
"(That's right, and today… I found out who won in that regard,)" Meganium said. She glanced back at Sceptile and smiled. Upon seeing that Tropius now had to face the cold, hard truth…
Meganium… would never be his.
"(So… that's it then,)" he sighed.
"(I'm afraid so,)" Meganium agreed. "(You're a sweet Pokémon and I'm confident there's a female out there for you. It's just… not me.)" Tropius remained silent, the harsh truth still sinking in. Seeing this Meganium walked away from him and returned to Sceptile's side.
"(I heard what you said. You think he'll be alright?)" the Forest Pokémon wondered.
"(He should be in time,)" Meganium assumed. "(Right now I'm more concerned about you.)"
"(He did a number on me, but I'll recover,)" Sceptile said. He tried to stand up only to fall when his legs buckled.
"(I think I may need some help getting up,)" he sheepishly admitted. Meganium had to stifle a laugh as she stood next to Sceptile.
"(Come on. You can lean on me,)" she offered. He accepted her offer and used her to stand up.
"(You want me to carry you back to the Pokémon Center?)" Meganium teased.
"(Oh no. I need to salvage some dignity here,)" Sceptile stated. The two Pokémon shared a laugh as they headed back towards the Pokémon Center. During this Tropius watched them, Meganium's words still fresh in his ears…
"(…the goodbye I have to say… is to you…)"
"(…I'm not coming with you…)"
"(…only I can decide who to be with…)"
"(…what matters to me is the strength of a Pokémon's heart…)"
"(…I found out who won in that regard…)"
The more he replayed her words in his head the clearer the truth became. James… Meowth… they were right. He never had a chance with her. His heart heavy with rejection he spread his wings and prepared to take flight. Before doing so, however, he took one last glance at the retreating forms of Meganium and Sceptile.
"(Farewell, my love. May he make you as happy as I wanted to.)" A single tear fell from his eye as he flapped his wings and left. As soon as Tropius was gone James came out of hiding. Looking off in the direction his Pokémon flew he couldn't help but feel sorry for the Fruit Pokémon.
"Oh, Tropius." After waiting a bit longer James left as well. He knew Tropius would need comforting, and as his trainer he knew he'd be the one to give it.
Sceptile and Meganium's progress had been slow at best. Due to the fatigue from the battle their pace had to be slow to allow Sceptile to walk under his own power. However, Meganium could tell this was difficult for him.
"(How are you holding up?)" she inquired.
"(I think… I think I can make it,)" Sceptile panted. Shortly after saying that, though, he stumbled and almost fell to the ground. If Meganium hadn't been there he surely would have fallen.
"(I don't think you have enough strength to make it back,)" Meganium observed. "(Let's stop for a bit before you collapse.)" Sceptile didn't argue as he and Meganium stopped beneath a tree to rest.
"(He needs something to boost his energy,)" she thought. She began looking around, hoping to find a berry tree that would do the trick. Luck was apparently on her side, for she quickly found a Sitrus Berry tree.
"(Jackpot!)" She extended a vine and plucked one of the berries off the tree. She then handed it to Sceptile.
"(Eat this. It'll restore your strength,)" she said. He thanked her and took a bite out of the Sitrus Berry. Almost instantly he felt his strength returning. He quickly ate the rest of the berry, letting out a content sigh as its healing properties took effect.
"(Ah… much better,)" he commented as he stretched. "(I think I can make it the rest of the way under my own power now.)" He was ready to resume their trek back to the Pokémon Center when…
"(Hey, Sceptile? Can we talk?)" Meganium called.
"(Sure. What's on your mind?)" Sceptile inquired.
"(When you were battling Tropius earlier… you said you wouldn't let him take me away from you,)" Meganium said.
"(I… said that?)" Sceptile asked.
"(You did,)" Meganium confirmed. "(Did you… really mean to say that?)" Sceptile was trapped. He knew what Meganium said was true, that he said he wouldn't let Tropius take her from him. What he didn't expect was for Meganium to have heard him.
"(Did you?)" Meganium repeated. Sceptile didn't know what to do. Should he tell her the truth and prepare for what was to come, or should he lie and not risk ruining what they already had? Despite his options he already knew what he would tell her.
"(… Yes. I meant it,)" he admitted.
"(Sceptile…)" Meganium said.
"(I already let once chance slip away. I had no intention of letting history repeat itself,)" the Forest Pokémon declared.
"(What do you mean?)" Meganium asked. Right then Sceptile realized that Meganium had no knowledge of the previous incident. As painful as it was to recount the events he knew she would need to know to understand.
"(You remember when Ash was traveling through Kanto to compete in the Battle Frontier?)" Sceptile inquired.
"(Yeah, but why bring that up?)" Meganium wondered.
"(It involves an incident that happened while we were on our way to the Battle Palace,)" Sceptile answered. "(We happened upon a Pokémon Center. At that Center… was the most beautiful Meganium I had ever seen. Unfortunately there was a Tropius there as well, and he also had his eyes on that Meganium.)" The more Meganium listened the more she realized that the scenario they just went through was extremely familiar to Sceptile.
"(So, what happened?)" Meganium asked.
"(In order to prove that I was a better Pokémon than that Tropius I figured I had to be stronger than him,)" Sceptile explained. "(Unfortunately I was still just a Grovyle, so there was no way I was going to be stronger than him, at least not as I was.)"
"(And that's when you decided to evolve?)" Meganium questioned.
"(Not right at that moment. It happened during a Team Rocket attack. Tropius got roughed-up real bad and I saw that as my opportunity to prove my strength. That's when I decided to evolve, but in my haste I somehow lost the ability to attack,)" Sceptile explained.
"(Lost the ability to attack? I didn't think something like that was possible,)" Meganium gasped.
"(Before then I didn't either, but that's what happened to me,)" Sceptile said.
"(What happened to Team Rocket?)" Meganium inquired.
"(They were driven off and everyone was safe,)" Sceptile replied. "(Afterwards I thought that Meganium would have seen that Tropius wasn't strong enough to protect her, but when it was all said and done she still ran to him and not me.)" Meganium felt pity for him. She couldn't begin to imagine how he must have felt back then.
"(It was shortly after that I realized something,)" he admitted. "(I realized that… no matter how strong I was, even if I was stronger than that Tropius, it didn't matter in the end. She had already made her choice… even before the battle got underway. I had lost before I even knew it.)"
"(I had no idea,)" Meganium commented. "(So then… that's why you agreed to battle Tropius earlier. You didn't want a repeat of that incident.)"
"(I already lost one chance at happiness. I don't know what I would have done had I lost another,)" Sceptile said. "(Just the thought of it… it's enough to send a shiver down my spine.)" The next thing he knew he felt something press against his back. Shortly after that he felt breath against his neck.
"(You'll never lose me,)" Meganium whispered in his ear. "(I'll stay by your side… for as long as I live.)" As Sceptile listened to her a smile crept onto his face.
"(And I promise to never leave your side… my love,)" he reciprocated. No more words were said between the two, for no more needed to be said. In that moment their hearts were joined as one, and as far as they were concerned no one or nothing would ever tear them apart.
"How much longer do you think he's going to be like that?" Meowth wondered. It had been half an hour since Tropius had returned to their camp, and for the entire time he had been off by himself moping. No one needed to ask how things went. The fact that he came back alone told them everything they needed to know.
"I kinda feel sorry for the guy," Meowth admitted. "I know what it's like to have a female reject your feelings. Trust me, it's not pleasant."
"I'll take your word for it," Jessie said as they continued to stare at the depressed Tropius. The Fruit Pokémon let out a long depressing sigh as he continued to mope.
"Maybe someone should go out there and try talking with him," Meowth suggested.
"He's James's Pokémon. He should be the one to do that," Jessie stated.
"Too bad we don't know where he is," Meowth groaned. Then, as if on cue, they spotted the third member of their team approaching Tropius.
"Well. Ask and you shall receive, huh," Meowth commented.
"Seems that way. Now let's hope he can finally talk some sense into his Pokémon," Jessie said. They continued to watch as James stopped right next to Tropius. The Fruit Pokémon didn't even look his way, but he knew James was there.
"(You were right. I never had a chance with her,)" Tropius admitted. "(I should have known that from the beginning, though. After all, we are from different sides. It would have never worked out.)"
"To be honest, Tropius… I'm actually glad you went through with it," James said.
"(Huh? What do you mean? You were completely against it from the start,)" Tropius stated.
"I know, but you showed me that, no matter what was put in front of you, you had the conviction to stay true to the path you chose, and I respect that," James explained. "Even if it didn't work out how you wanted it to you saw it through to the end."
"(A lot of good it did me. Meganium… she had already chosen that Sceptile… even before I decided to challenge him… I had lost before I knew it…)" James could tell Tropius was still greatly depressed about what happened. He reached out and pet the Fruit Pokémon on top of his head.
"I know it hurts now, and I can't say how much longer it will hurt, but I know that over time the pain will go away. You just have to… try and move on," James explained.
"(Okay… I'll try,)" Tropius agreed.
"Maybe this will help." A familiar scent filled Tropius's nose. He turned to James and saw a smile on his face and a rice ball in his hand.
"I bet you're hungry," he assumed. With a smile on his face Tropius began eating the rice ball, much slower than he usually did. After a short while the rice ball was gone.
"There. Feel better?" James asked.
"(A bit. Thank you,)" Tropius replied. Satisfied that Tropius was going to be okay James turned to leave.
"(James?)" Tropius called. The blue haired trainer turned to his Pokémon.
"(I'm a little worn out from everything that's happened. I could use a rest inside my Poké Ball,)" the Fruit Pokémon requested. James smiled as he took out Tropius's Poké Ball.
"Alright. I'll call you when I need you," he said.
"(I'll be ready,)" Tropius replied. With a nod James returned Tropius to his Poké Ball, signaling the end of the problems the two of them had been having.
"Thank goodness that's over. I don't know how much longer I could have put up with that," Meowth commented.
"Me neither, but now it's time to get back to what we do best… pursuing the twerp's Pikachu," Jessie declared. Meowth agreed as the two of them headed back to formulate their next scheme. James remained behind, still unaware that his comrades had been watching the entire time. He had no idea where things would go in the future, but for the moment he was glad Tropius was back and once again willing to obey him.
Though Tropius won the battle, in the end he lost the war. With Meganium choosing Sceptile over him how will this affect him going forward? And what will bloom from the budding romance between Ash's two Grass types? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
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