Happy New Year, everyone! It's such a relief to be almost fully healthy again after resting in bed for more than three weeks. I had very little energy to even use my brain to come up with stories, so I'm eager to write again.

This is the last chapter before the next Pokémon movie arc, so look forward to a huge adventure.

Disclaimer: I do not own any Pokémon characters! I only own my OCs!

Chapter 28: Current Events

The last couple of days went by like a flash. We stopped by Rikishii Town where Ash participated in a Pokémon Sumo competition with Snorlax and actually won the whole thing. The price was a King's Rock which was an evolutionary item. Only a few knew how that item works. When I told Ash the King's Rock could evolve a Poliwhirl into a Politoed, he actually gave it to Misty as a present. Misty got very happy that she could now choose which form she wanted to evolve her Poliwhirl into, so she returned the favor by giving Ash a kiss on the cheek. The other price was Pokémon food supply for a whole year, but Snorlax ate it all before Ash could stop him.

A few days later, we met a female archeologist called Tierra who was exploring some ancient ruins to find artifacts belonging to an evil queen who had the power to control Pokémon without even catching them. Team Rocket overheard the information and found the Queen's golden mask and staff before us. Jessie used the artifacts to take control over Pikachu and Brock's Pokémon, but Golbat managed to escape the control and even evolved into Crobat when the situation was dire. We retrieved the artifacts before Team Rocket could escape and learned the power of the Queen only worked within the ruins of her ancient temple, so Team Rocket's original plan to command Pokémon went down the drain.

Right now, we weren't that far away from another town where we planned to drop by and stock up on items. We planned to take a small ferry that could bring us closer to Olivine City. We walked across a clearing that was full of windmills and refreshing air.

"Wow! Check out those windmills, Pikachu!" Ash smiled at the sight. "I bet they produce more electricity than your Thunderbolts."

"Pika pika!" Pikachu smiled and nuzzled his face against Ash's cheek.

"This must mean we're close to that town we picked out from the map", I commented as I checked the PokéGear. "We're just a few hours away from that town."

Misty inhaled deeply as the wind ruffled our clothes. "It's so breezy and refreshing up here. They chose a great spot to build those windmills."

"Togitogi!" Togepi chirped happily.

"Speaking of great spot, we can stay here and have a quick lunch and let our Pokémon get some fresh air", Brock suggested.

"I'm all for it", Misty smiled.

"Me too", I nodded.

"Me three!" Ash grinned and threw his Poké Balls. "Come out, everybody!"

Ash's Pokémon were eager to get out and relax, but Chikorita had other plans. She ran straight to Ash and jumped into his arms, nuzzling against his face. "Chiko chiko!"

Ash laughed at the affection. "I missed you too, Chikorita, but that tickles!" he laughed heartedly. "Hey, guys! We're gonna relax for a while, so do whatever you want, but don't leave this area, okay?"

The Pokémon shrieked in response before they scattered around to take a nap or play tag. I called out my Pokémon and let them join the fun. Eevee wanted to be with me instead, so I sat down and groomed her fur. Ash had the same idea and carefully polished Chikorita's soft scales making her body glitter in the sunlight.

"Do you know what Pokémon you want Eevee to evolve into, Ashley?" Misty asked while she fed Togepi some tiny bits of Pokémon food.

"I want Eevee to decide for herself, but if I have to pick one I'd say Espeon", I replied as I finished brushing Eevee's fur.

"Vee?" Eevee tilted her head with a curious look, her blue ribbon tied around the base of her tail.

"A psychic-type Pokémon would be a huge asset to the team", Brock commented. "Some are saying that psychic Pokémon can communicate with humans through telepathy."

"Mimey is a psychic-type, but I've never heard him talking", Ash pointed out.

"Same", I nodded. "Maybe it depends on which psychic Pokémon? Like with Mewtwo?"

"We'll find that out someday", Brock nodded. "I'm gonna start preparing the food."

"Then Chikorita and I'll go grab some firewood", Ash said as he got up from his seat.

"Chiko chiko!" Chikorita chirped happily.

"I'll go with you, Ash", I said as I stood up with Eevee still in my arms. I glanced at the Pokémon and saw they had taken a nap, so we left them alone.

"Just don't go too far from here, guys", Misty told us.

"Don't worry, we'll be back shortly", Ash said and waved a hand over his shoulder.

We walked up a small hill to get to a forest to collect firewood, but we found a weird house instead. "What's a house doing here?" Ash wondered.

"Chiko?"

"I think it's a small center where they control the windmill, like a power plant or something?" I replied uncertainly.

Ash walked to the door which was open and peeked inside. "Hello? Anybody here?"

I looked around and saw a control panel next to the door. It was destroyed so it made me a little concerned. "Um… Ash, I don't think we should step inside", I told my twin brother.

Ash had already stepped inside the building and poked his head out. "It's safe in here, Ashley. And I don't see any ghost Pokémon."

"It's not about ghosts…", I sighed and followed my brother inside, which turned out to be a huge mistake. I was just steps away from the door when it slammed shut right behind me. I nearly shrieked in fear by the sudden noise which made Eevee shriek by my loud yelp.

"Calm down, that was just the door", Ash calmed me down before he walked back to the door. "The wind must've shut it."

"This was a bad idea…", I mumbled to myself and brushed Eevee's soft fur to calm myself down.

"Vee…"

"C'mon! The door won't open!" Ash grunted as he struggled to open it.

"I told you we shouldn't have walked in here, Ash!" I shouted irritably at my brother who threw his whole body against the door without result.

"Well, I was curious to see if there was anything interesting in here!" Ash retorted and started banging on the door. "Misty! Brock! Pikachu!"

"Did you leave your PokéGear in the backpack, Ash?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so", Ash replied.

I grabbed my PokéGear from my jacket and found Ash's number before I called his PokéGear. "Let's hope the signal reaches your gear…"

It didn't take five seconds before Misty answered the call, her confused face appearing on the top screen. "Hello? Ashley?"

"Misty, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, but what's wrong? Are you and Ash okay?"

"We're locked inside a building not far from the windmills. Can you come and help us get out of here?"

"How'd you get… Never mind. Brock and I'll be right there!"

"Thank you, Misty!" I nodded before I ended the call.

"That was quick-thinking of you, Ashley", Ash praised me.

"It's a good thing you left the PokéGear in your backpack", I said as I pocketed my PokéGear.

"Vee!" Eevee barked.

It didn't take five seconds before we heard Pikachu and our friends' voices from outside, knocking on the door. "Ash! Ashley! Are you there?" Misty called, her voice muffled by the door.

"Yeah, we're here!" Ash responded. "We can't open the door from our side!"

"This looks like an electric lock, but it's fried", Brock commented.

"That's why I told Ash not to get in here", I spoke up.

"But you walked in here too, Ashley", Ash argued.

"Don't start arguing now, you two!" Misty scolded us.

"Ash, you mind if I use your PokéGear to call the electric company?" Brock shouted.

"Yeah, that's fine! Just help us get outta here!" Ash replied.

"I'll be right back! Just sit tight!" Brock said before I heard the weak noise of somebody running away.

I looked around a little more and noticed a floor plan. I walked over to it with Eevee and Chikorita and inspected it. "Hmm… Ash, come look at this."

"What is it?" Ash asked as he walked over to us.

"This looks like a floor plan", I said and pointed at the part that said "CONTROL ROOM". "Maybe we can go to the control room and figure out how to open the door up here."

"Chiko chiko!" Chikorita nodded.

"Eve!" Eevee barked with a nod.

"Great idea!" Ash nodded and hurried back to the locked door. "Hey, is anybody still here?!"

"Pika pikaa!" Pikachu shrieked from the other side of the door.

"We're still here!" Misty replied. "What's wrong, Ash?"

"Ashley and I may have found a way to open the door!" my brother explained while I walked to a staircase that led downward with Eevee and Chikorita. "We're going down the basement to find the control room, so we'll be away for a while!"

"Okay! But make sure to hurry back when you can! And be careful!" Misty said.

"We will, Misty! And Pikachu; look after her for me, would ya?"

"Pika pi!"

"We'll call on the PokéGear if we need help!" Ash added before he hurried to the stairs where the Pokémon and I were waiting.

"Ready, Ash?" I asked as I still carried Eevee in my arms.

"Yep! Let's go!" Ash nodded determinedly.

We walked down the first step of stairs to the first basement floor. It was eerie quiet and the air felt full of static. How did I know that? I could feel it on my lips and the hair on my body was standing up straight beneath the clothes.

"Veee…", Eevee whined concernedly.

"I don't like this…", I mumbled as I walked next to Ash.

"Same, but we've gotta keep going", Ash replied.

All of the sudden, our path got blocked by a dozen of Magnemites! "Where'd they come from?!" Ash exclaimed in surprise.

"They must be guarding this place!" I answered just as the Magnemites fired light Thunder Shock toward us. We jumped back and ran in another direction to escape the Pokémon. For a second, I thought I saw some movement and familiar colors in the corner of my eye, but I quickly forgot about it when another group of Magnemites cut our path. We soon got cornered in front of a closed room by more Magnemites and we had no way to run.

"We've got no other option but to battle if we want to get out of here!" Ash growled.

"Okay!" I nodded, agreeing with my brother as Eevee jumped out of my arms and landed next to Chikorita who swung her head leaf around, eager to battle.

"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

"Chikooo!" Chikorita swung her head leaf and sent several sharp leaves at the Magnemites. Grass-type moves may not be that effective against steel-type Pokémon, but she managed to knock some out. The bad thing is more Magnemites kept coming.

"Eevee, use Sand Attack on the Magnemites!" I shouted.

Eevee's other moves would do much less damage, but maybe she could blind the Magnemites with the Sand Attack.

"Eeeveee!" Eevee screeched as she turned around so her tail was in the front before she began kicking the ground. She used her powers to summon some sand that she kicked up at the wild Magnemites, engulfing them in a cloud of dirt. Their silhouettes could still be seen in the sand cloud.

"Chikorita, keep using Razor Leaf!" Ash yelled.

"Chikoo!" Chikorita hissed as she threw more Razor Leaves at the Magnemites, knocking out two more that were quickly replaced by two new Magnemites.

"They just keep coming!" I shouted worriedly.

"We've gotta figure out a way to defeat them…!" Ash hissed through gritted teeth.

Suddenly, the Magnemites floated backward to give way to a new Pokémon. An evolved form of Magnemite. "Magnetooon!" it shrieked.

"A Magneton!" Ash exclaimed.

Magneton's body sparkled before it fired a large lightning bolt that I was certain it was a Thunder move. The Thunder attack went toward Chikorita and Eevee who were petrified by the large incoming attack. Ash and I jumped in to grab the Pokémon and dodge the move before it could hit any of us. The Thunder move made a hole on the shutter that we just stood behind and opened a path of us to get to the next basement floor. It also caused an explosion that scared the wild Pokémon away, giving us room to breathe.

"Is everybody okay?!" Ash yelled.

"Y-Yeah, we're okay!" I nodded as I held back a grunt when I moved my sore body. Eevee was safe in my arms and licked my cheeks to express her gratitude. The tickling sensations made me laugh, releasing some of the tension in my body. "Thank you, Eevee, but I'm really happy you're okay."

"Vee!" Eevee barked with a big smile.

"Chiko chikori!" Chikorita giggled happily as she nuzzled her head against Ash's cheeks.

"I'm glad you're safe, Chikorita", Ash chuckled as he got up on his feet. "C'mon, let's go before those Magnemites come back!"

"I'm right behind you, Ash!" I called before we ran through the hole and down another staircase to the next floor. This time, we didn't get a hostile welcome committee, so it was calm and quiet. It still didn't make me relax as the static in the air was a little stronger than before.

The new floor looked heavily different compared to the first basement floor. There were no long corridors and one of them led us to a big room that contained several panels that I couldn't recognize.

"What are these things?" I wondered, thinking they looked like solar panels.

"I don't know, but I can't find the staircase leading down to the last floor", Ash shook his head.

"Electrooode!"

I screeched out in fear when an Electrode rolled out of nowhere. It was one of the most dangerous Pokémon that ever exist, according to my book. "An Electrode!"

"It's not just one, Ashley!" Ash called out as we looked around. We were in the middle of a fork and four Electrodes were blocking every path. "There're four of them!"

"Four?!" I shrieked, feeling my heart nearly leap out of my chest.

"Electrooode!" one of the Electrodes took the initiative to roll toward us in order to attack.

"Quick, Chikorita! Knock it back with Vine Whip!" Ash yelled.

"Chikoo!"

Chikorita extended her vines toward the incoming Electrode. She whipped Electrode, but it barely affected the round Pokémon. It kept rolling toward us while its body began glowing with a sizzling noise. It rolled past us, so it gave us way to run away before it could explode on us. I quickly picked up Eevee from the floor in the midst of the rush just as that one Electrode used Self-Destruct, creating a large cloud of smoke right behind us. I peeked over my shoulder and saw the three other Electrodes chasing us.

"Leave us alone!" I begged them, but they didn't listen to me.

The Electrodes forced us to run into a new set of corridors we didn't see before. One of them was a little faster and almost caught up to us before it detonated its body, sending us flying. Ash and I crashed onto the floor, but we quickly jumped up on our feet and continued running away with Chikorita and Eevee as the two remaining Electrodes kept chasing us.

Ash randomly opened a door and urged us inside before he shut it just as the Electrodes used Self-Destruct. Luckily, the power of the move wasn't strong enough to destroy the door, so we were safe for now.

I collapsed on my knees while releasing a huge sigh of relief. "Thank Arceus we made it…", I gasped as I hugged Eevee, burying my face in her soft fur.

"Y-Yeah…", Ash panted as he rested his hands against his knees while taking deep breaths. "I hope this nightmare ends soon."

"Chiko chiko!"

We both snapped our heads up by Chikorita's eager cry. I didn't notice it in the midst of the rush, but this room actually contained a staircase going downward. "A staircase! That must lead to the last basement floor with the control room!" Ash exclaimed in relief.

"Chikori!" Chikorita nodded with a big smile.

I was a little hesitant to go down to the last floor. "What if…there are more electric Pokémon waiting for us?" I mumbled nervously.

"Then we've just gotta battle them!" Ash replied determinedly. "Chikorita, do you still feel good to go?"

"Chiko ko!" Chikorita nodded with the same fire in her eyes as my brother.

I glanced down at Eevee in my arms. "Eevee, do you also feel good enough to battle a little more?"

"Vee!" Eevee nodded and jumped out of my arms before she ran to the staircase.

Ash and I exchanged a glance before we walked down the last set of stairs. The third basement floor appeared to be endless and it was quiet. Awfully quiet. Even a few steps in, there were no signs of Pokémon.

"That's weird… I thought this floor would be full of Pokémon", Ash commented as we looked around for the door to the control room.

"This feels like the calm before the storm…", I mumbled worriedly, staying close to my twin brother.

"Ee? Eevee!" Eevee suddenly barked which made us stop in our tracks.

"What's wrong, Eevee?" I asked.

"Chiko chiko ko!" Chikorita cried out in warning.

An Electabuzz walked out from a corner and glared at us with an aggressive growl, its two antennas sparkling.

"Oh no! It's an Electabuzz!" Ash shrieked.

"Electaaa!" Electabuzz roared and fired a warning signal in the shape of a Thunder Shock.

"You wanna hassle us too?!" Ash yelled at the electric Pokémon. "Chikorita, ready to battle?"

"Chiko!" Chikorita nodded and ran forward.

"Evee!" Eevee barked and jumped out of my arms to join the battle.

"Eleeec!" Electabuzz ran toward our Pokémon with its fist sparkling.

"That's a Thunder Punch!" I shouted. "Eevee, dodge it!"

"You too, Chikorita!" Ash yelled.

Eevee and Chikorita jumped back just before Electabuzz punched the floor where they stood seconds ago.

"Okay, Chikorita! Use Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted.

"Chikoo!" Chikorita swung her head leaf and sent a couple of Razor Leaves at Electabuzz. The wild Pokémon in returned fired a powerful Thunder Shock at the leaves and scorched them into ashes.

"Eevee, use Sand Attack!" I shouted.

"Veee!"

Eevee turned out and kicked up sand that she had summoned. The sand got thrown straight in Electabuzz's eyes, making it shriek in pain and surprise. It tried picking the sand out of its now red eyes. That move actually agitated the Pokémon and it responded with a Swift attack. Swift was a move that could never be dodged, so both Eevee and Chikorita got hit by the energy stars. Our Pokémon screeched when they were struck by the stars, but they weren't down yet.

"Are you two okay?" I asked them.

"Evee!"

"Chiko!"

Both Pokémon got up on their feet and returned to the battle. Electabuzz fired a new Thunder Shock they dodged with ease, partially because Electabuzz was still rubbing its sore eyes.

"Okay, Chikorita, use Vine Whip!" Ash shouted.

Chikorita extended her vines and slapped Electabuzz on the face, throwing it off guard.

"Eevee, knock it back with Quick Attack!" I shouted.

Eevee picked up her speed and dashed toward Electabuzz, striking its stomach with her body. Electabuzz quickly recovered from the attack and struck back with a Thunder Punch, sending Eevee flying.

"Eevee!" I called out and caught her before she could hit the floor.

"Chikorita, use Tackle on Electabuzz!" Ash yelled.

"Chikooo!" Chikorita shrieked as she surprised Electabuzz with a Tackle move. This time, it was enough to knock the wild Pokémon down on its back. However, Electabuzz refused to give up as it pushed itself up on its feet.

"Oh, c'mon! That wasn't enough to defeat Electabuzz?!" Ash growled in frustration.

I flinched when I heard my PokéGear ringing. "No! Not now!" I called out, feeling very stressed, but I still picked it up and answered the call. Misty's face showed up on the top screen, looking very worried.

"Ashley! Where are you guys?!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu shrieked worriedly in the background.

"We're on the third basement floor!" I replied as Chikorita continued battling Electabuzz. "We're currently being attacked by an Electabuzz!"

"You're all the way there?! Stay right where you are! Help just arrived and we're inside the building!"

"Okay!" I nodded just as a cage fell down on Chikorita and Electabuzz, trapping both of them together. The cage soon transformed so it became a cart with four wheels.

"Hey! Where'd that cage come from?!" Ash shouted in surprise.

Three familiar laughter echoed above us before the owners of the voices jumped down from the vents. "Prepare for trouble, we're taking your Pokémon!"

"Double trouble, we're getting active this season!"

"Meowth, that's right!"

A white light got out from Jessie's pocket, revealing Wobbuffet. "Wooobbuffet!"

Jessie growled and swiftly grabbed a Pokémon to recall the blue Pokémon. "Return, you big blob!"

"Team Rocket?!" Ash and I exclaimed in surprise.

"Is Team Rocket there too?!" Misty's voice yelled from the PokéGear in my hand.

So the colors I saw before wasn't just a trick of my mind. Team Rocket had been right behind us the whole time we've been inside this hellish place!

"What do you guys want?!" Ash growled at the bad guys.

"What do you think? Your Pokémon!" Jessie cackled.

"And thanks to you, we've not only got your Chikorita but also a powerful Electabuzz!" James smirked.

"So we've got a big package today!" Meowth laughed.

"Chikorita, use Razor Leaf on the cage!" Ash shouted.

"Chikoo!" Chikorita threw some sharp leaves at the steel cage, but it didn't even leave a scratch on it.

"ElectaBUUUZZ!" Electabuzz unleashed a Thunderbolt to destroy the cage, but it absorbed the electricity.

"Too bad! We've learned from our past mistakes with Pikachu, so this cage is insulated and the bars are made of a strong type of steel that's unbreakable!" James laughed while explaining.

"So we've got the upper hand now! So long~!" Jessie sang before they pushed the cage-cart as they ran off.

"Come back here!" Ash yelled before we ran after Team Rocket. I forgot I was on call with Misty because I closed the PokéGear and put it in my pocket as the priority was to stop Team Rocket before they could run away with Chikorita and Electabuzz.

Team Rocket made it to an elevator that closed just before we could get them. Having no patience to wait for the elevator, Ash and I ran up the stairs to get out of the underground building. The floors were now empty and no Pokémon jumped in to stop us, and we still hadn't found Misty, Brock and Pikachu.

We made it outside to the fresh air and ran to a cliff where Team Rocket ran down on, so we cut them off by sliding down the hill. The trio got very surprised to see us since they had saved lots of time to escape with the elevator.

"How'd the twin twerps get here?!" Meowth exclaimed in surprise.

"Give up now, Team Rocket! Give Chikorita back to me!" Ash demanded.

"Chikoo!" Chikorita chirped from the cage.

"That's not gonna happen, twerp!" Jessie growled and threw a Poké Ball. "Arbok, go!"

"Shaaar!" Arbok hissed when it got released from the device.

"You too, Victreebel!" James yelled and threw his Poké Ball.

"Yiaaah!" Victreebel shrieked before it turned around and tried gobbling down its Trainer.

"No! No! Stop it!" James cried out as he tried pulling his very affectionate Pokémon off him.

"Eevee, we're counting on you!" I told my Pokémon before I put her on the ground. "Use Quick Attack on Arbok!"

"Veee!" Eevee shrieked and used her speed to tackle Arbok back.

James finally got off Victreebel and forced it to join the battle. "Victreebel, use Vine Whip on that Eevee!"

"Yiaaah!" Victreebel bounced toward Eevee while extending its brown vine, ready to whip her.

"Dodge with Quick Attack!" I shouted.

"Vee!" Eevee yelped as she dodged the Vine Whip with ease before tackling Victreebel back.

"Arbok, stop that annoying Eevee with Wrap!" Jessie commanded.

Arbok went toward Eevee and used its body to catch and wrap her before she had a chance to dodge the move. She shrieked as Arbok squeezed her in its coils.

"Eevee!" I yelled worriedly, fearing she was going to break a bone if this continued.

"Chikorita, use all your strength to break the cage with Razor Leaf!" Ash shouted to his trapped Pokémon. "You can do it! I know you can!"

My brother wasn't giving up on his Pokémon. I should follow his example and encourage Eevee while trying to figure out how I can help her get free.

"Eevee, try using Quick Attack to get out of Arbok's Wrap!" I yelled. "I believe in you!"

Our encouragement must have affected our Pokémon so much their bodies began glowing as they both let out hopeful cries. Arbok got surprised by the sudden light that it released Eevee from its coils. Eevee landed on the ground while her body transformed into an Espeon. Chikorita's body grew a lot and became bigger than Electabuzz when the light faded away and revealed she had evolved into a Bayleef.

"Espeooon!"

"Baaay!"

"Espeon! Bayleef! You evolved!" Ash cheered in relief.

"Hurray! A Bayleef is so much better than a Chikorita!" Jessie also happened to cheer at the newly evolved Pokémon.

"Wait until we also get Espeon for the boss! He'll be thrilled!" James smiled.

"Bayleef, use Razor Leaf on the cage!" Ash shouted.

"Baaayleef!" Bayleef swung her new head leaf and sent larger Razor Leaves at the cage. The move had gotten stronger that it actually destroyed the cage, sending Meowth down to the ground since he sat on top of it.

"Noo!" Jessie and James screamed in panic.

Bayleef and Electabuzz jumped out of the cage and joined Espeon who stood cautiously, glaring at Arbok and Victreebel who were a little overwhelmed by the circumstances.

"Arbok, use Poison Sting!" Jessie yelled as soon as she had recovered from the surprise.

"Victreebel, use Razor Leaf!" James shouted.

The two Pokémon prepared themselves to use their attacks, but I was one step ahead of them. "Espeon, use Confusion on Arbok and Victreebel!" I yelled.

"Espeooon!" Espeon screeched as her eyes started glowing in blue, using her psychic powers to grab the two Pokémon and made them levitate in the air. Arbok and Victreebel panicked as they tried moving their bodies to get free, but they were trapped.

"Ash! You, Bayleef and Electabuzz can finish this!" I nodded.

"Thanks, Ashley!" Ash nodded back. "Bayleef, use Razor Leaf on Arbok and Victreebel!"

"Baaay!" Bayleef shrieked and threw new Razor Leaves at the Pokémon, leaving large slash marks on their bodies. Espeon screeched as she threw the weakened Pokémon to Team Rocket, forcing them down into a pile.

"Electabuzz, finish this with Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

"Elec!" Electabuzz nodded, listening to my brother even though he wasn't its Trainer. Electabuzz's body sparkled before it unleashed a Thunderbolt at Team Rocket, electrocuting them until an explosion erupted that threw the evil group up and far away into the sky.

"WE GOT BLASTED OFF BY AN ELECTABUZZ!"

"WOOOBBUffet…!"

Ash and I cheered together with the Pokémon before we hugged and praised them. "You were amazing, Espeon!" I praised my new Eeveelution and gently caressed her soft fur.

"Eoon!" Espeon barked and licked my sweaty cheek, which made me giggle at the touch.

"You did an amazing job, Bayleef!" Ash smiled as he cuddled with his Pokémon. "You too, Electabuzz. Sorry that we were trespassing the place you were guarding."

"Elec elec", Electabuzz nodded, no longer angry at us for intruding the small power plant.

"Ash! Ashley!"

"Pika pika!"

"Electabuzz, are you okay?!"

Misty, Brock, Pikachu, the rest of our Pokémon and a lady, probably from the electric company, ran down the hill to join us. It was such a relief to see our friends again after the whole ordeal.

After clearing up some misunderstandings, we were free to go without having to pay for the damage that we had done when we fought the Pokémon that were guarding the power plant. As a thank you for saving Electabuzz, the lady drove us to the nearby town with her car where we could rest up and take the planned ferry.

At the Pokémon Center, we ate a big dinner because we never ended up eating lunch so we were starving. When we were done, I fixed the blue ribbon on Espeon and re-tied it on her tail where it split into two and gave her the nickname Lily. It made me happy that I now had two Eeveelutions and I had a feeling that they might end up becoming mates when the journey in Johto is done.

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's party:

Cedric the Larvitar (male)

Hikaru the Flaaffy (male)

Mystic the Togetic (male)

Victor the Houndoom (male)

Axel the Scyther (male)

Lily the Espeon (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ashley's Pokémon at the Lab:

Trica the Furret (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's party:

Pikachu (male)

Bayleef (female)

Cyndaquil (male)

Croconaw (male)

Shiny Noctowl (male)

Dunsparce (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Ash's Pokémon at the Lab:

Heracross (male)

Wartortle (male)

Tauros (male)

Ivysaur (male)

Snorlax (male)

XXXXXXXXXX

Misty's party:

Goldeen (female)

Staryu (genderless)

Psyduck (male)

Togepi (female)

Poliwhirl (male)

Chinchou (female)

XXXXXXXXXX

Brock's party:

Geodude (male)

Onix (male)

Crobat (male)

Pineco (male)