"Okay, please tell me all of your ideas aren't like this." Molly said as the group clambered to shore. "I don't think I could handle things like this on a daily basis."
"Yeah, that might be one downside, those three do tend to follow me around a lot." Ash admitted. "That is something you'd have to deal with if you came with me."
"As long as we work on the plans to prevent it from getting kidnapped again." Molly said.
"No promise, but we can try to get better." Ash said. "How's Cyndaquil?"
Molly looked down at the fire type who seemed a bit shaken up from the entire ordeal.
"I'm not sure, he doesn't look too good." Molly admitted.
"He's probably not used to stuff like this." Ash realized. "Charizard come on out and help warm us up!"
The larger fire type came out of his Pokeball using his flame to warm the group up and dry them off.
Cyndaquil began looking calmer, feeling the heat resonating from Charizard.
"There we go, sorry to scare you like that." Molly said, hugging Cyndaquil. "Now where do we go?"
"I… don't know." Ash admitted. "I know I was supposed to go to Cherrygrove City next, but I have no clue where it is in relation to where Team Rocket was heading."
"Alright let's hear you give it your all!" A girls voice was heard a ways off.
"You heard that too right?" Molly asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure what it was." Ash admitted, standing up to go see who was making that noise.
"One, Two, Three, One, Two, Three!" A girl in a yellow jersey chanted to her Pokemon.
"Who are those Pokemon?" Molly whispered.
"I recognize Pidgey and Rattata, but I don't know that third one." Ash admitted, seeing a small light green Pokemon with a leaf on it's head. "Maybe the Pokedex knows?"
'Chikorita, the Leaf Pokemon, a Grass Type. Chikorita releases a sweet relaxing fragrance from the leaf on its head.'
"So that's a Chikorita?" Molly said quietly.
"Who goes there?!" The girl said angrily, turning around and pointing a megaphone at them. "Can't you see we're practicing?!"
"Sorry, we got lost, and what exactly are you practicing?" Molly asked curiously.
"Well isn't it obvious, we're practicing our cheer for the Electabuzz Baseball Team!" The girl said proudly.
"The Electabuzz?!" Ash snickered.
"Yeah, what's so funny about that?" The girl countered.
"Nothing, except that they never win, they get creamed every time even by teams like the Magikarp." Ash said, not hiding his humorous thoughts on this.
"Well not this season, this time, they're going all the way!" The girl cheered.
"That'll be the day." Ash joked.
"Oh yeah and who are you to say that they won't?" The girl said angrily.
"I'm Ash Ketchum, from Pallet Town." Ash commented.
"Well I'm Casey Phinney from Mudville! And for disrespecting the best team in the league, I challenge you to a battle!" Casey said angrily.
"Alright then, I accept." Ash said confidently.
"Ash, are you sure this is a good idea, our Pokemon still need to be checked after that fall." Molly reminded.
"Don't worry, I still have one in perfect condition." Ash said. "Come on out Charizard!"
Charizard stood tall, looking down on his three opponents.
"Pidgey you're up first, use Gust!" Casey called out.
The small bird flew over, flapping it's wings as hard as it could, barely creating enough of a breeze to move the flame on Charizard's tail, much less the large fire type.
"Charizard." Ash said calmly.
Charizard looked down at the Pidgey, letting out a single grunt that caused the flying type to fall to the ground in terror.
"Ash, don't you think this is a bit much?" Molly asked.
"Relax, she wanted a battle." Ash commented.
"Pidgey return! Rattata use Quick Attack!"
Rattata charged forward, slamming into Charizard's gut, only to be bounced back, knocking itself out.
"Ash, just switch out." Molly begged.
"No, this is fine, she wanted this and could call it off at any time, just like her favorite team." Ash laughed.
"Arghh! I'll show you! Chikorita use Razor Leaf!" Casey exclaimed angrily.
Leaves flew out towards Charizard, the ones that hit him barely moving by the time they got there.
"Charizard, just use a tiny Flamethrower, like the smallest you can muster." Ash said.
Charizard released a flame, no bigger than one of Cyndaquill's embers, igniting Chikorita's leaf causing it to panic before knocking itself out.
"You know, you're just a big jerk!" Casey said angrily, picking up her starter before running off.
"Yeah go be a sore loser, at least you've got that in common!" Ash laughed.
"You know Ash, she's right, that was really mean." Molly said, walking past Ash to follow after Casey.
"What, come on, it was just a joke, she has to know the truth about her team." Ash said.
"But you shouldn't have kept going like that." Molly said with a huff.
"Wait where are you going?" Ash asked.
"We're still lost, she might know where a town is and maybe I can be nice enough to convince her to tell me!" Molly said angrily before running off with Cyndaquil.
"We don't need them, we'll find our own way to town and show them." Ash said.
After a while of running, Molly found Casey in an open field, checking on her Chikorita.
"Hey." Molly said softly as to not spook her.
"Oh it's you, where's your friend." Casey said angrily. "Off to go pick on someone else?"
"I'll admit, he went too far with you, but he is a good guy when you get to know him. I'm Molly by the way. Molly Hale." Molly said, extending her hand.
"Yeah, a good guy doesn't battle like that." Casey said still angry.
"Here, I have some extra potions, you can have one." Molly offered the healing item to Casey. "Did you get your Chikorita from Professor Elm?"
"Thanks." Casey said, taking the healing item. "And yeah, I got him the other day, how'd you know?"
"I think my Cyndaquil and him might be old friends." Molly said with a smile.
"So why did you follow me, it's obviously not to apologize for what that Ash did." Casey said.
"No, I can't excuse my cousins pigheadedness, but we are a little lost, and I was hoping you could maybe point us in the direction of Cherrygrove City?" Molly asked.
"I guess I can, for you." Casey said, digging into her bag as a shadow loomed overhead.
Elsewhere
"Come on, there has to be a town out here somewhere." Ash said, as he cleared through some trees, finding himself at the top of a cliff, overlooking the forest. "There!" Ash exclaimed, seeing a city in the distance. "That'll prove I was right all along!"
"Pika." Pikachu sighed.
"Except, that now I don't know where Molly is, and I shouldn't have acted like that, should I?" Ash asked his partner.
"Pi." Pikachu said shaking his head.
"We should go and find her, maybe she found Casey and I can apologize." Ash said, before noticing an all too familiar Meowth Balloon floating towards an open area in the woods. "I just hope I get there in time. Come on!" Ash said, running back down to get to the open field.
Back with Molly and Casey
"Prepare for trouble, you thought you could escape!" Jessie chimed.
"And make it double, this meetings like fate!" James chimed.
"Hold up, where's the twerp?" Meowth interrupted noticing it was just Molly and Casey.
"Well I see the new Twerpette, and a girl with a cap, but hey where is the Twerp?" Jessie demanded.
"Team Rocket, why don't you just leave us alone?" Molly asked.
"Well where's the fun in that?" James asked. "I could do this for another 24 years!"
"Are they young enough to do that?" Casey asked.
"Hey I heard that! I'll show you who's old! Arbok, Likitung, come on out!" Jessie yelled angrily.
"Wheezing, Victreebell, you help too!" James said.
"Cyndaquil use Ember!" Molly called out.
"Chikorita use Razor Leaf!" Casey called out.
"Arbok use Poison Sting! Likitung use Tackle!"
"Weezing use Tackle! Victrebell use Razor Leaf!"
The four larger Pokemon easily overpowered the two starters, quickly knocking them back.
"Hey I just had an idea, how about we capture these two Pokemon, and bring them in for the boss!" Meowth schemed.
"That's an amazing idea!" James said. "Use another net!"
"Aye aye!" Meowth said, rushing to grab the net launcher.
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out.
A bolt of electricity launched between Meowth and the net gun.
"Ash!" Molly called out, thankful to see him coming over.
"It's the twerp!" Jessie called out. "Now we can get Pikachu too! Arbok use Poison Sting!"
"Squirtle use Hydro Pump!" Ash called out.
Squirtle sent out a blast of water, knocking away the poisonous needles.
"Get out of there!" Ash called to Molly and Casey.
The two girls scooped up their starters moving out of the way of the battle.
"Let's even this up. Bulbasaur come on out and use Solar Beam! Squirtle use Hydro Pump!" Ash called out.
The two attacks struck all of Team Rocket and their Pokemon, sending them tumbling back into their balloon.
"Ready Pikachu?" Ash asked.
"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.
"Alright, Pikachu use Thunder!" Ash called out.
PIkachu unleashed a massive electrical attack, zapping Team Rocket and setting off an explosion, sending them flying.
"Looks like we're blasting off again!" Team Rocket cried out.
Back on the ground
"Look, Casey, I'm sorry I acted that way, I shouldn't have treated our battle like a joke." Ash apologized.
"And?" Molly asked.
"I am allowed to have my own opinion on sports teams!" Ash argued.
"Ash!" Molly scolded.
"But you also are allowed to have an opinion too, even if it is different." Ash sighed. "Do you forgive me?"
"Well, you did come just in time to save us from those three imposters, so I guess we're good." Casey said.
"What do you mean imposters?" Ash asked.
"That's not what Team Rocket looks like, I don't know who those three think they are, but Team Rocket wear black uniforms and have masks." Casey commented.
"Weird, every Team Rocket member I faced in Kanto and even the Orange Islands wore white, maybe they're new uniforms?" Ash asked.
"Either way, you should be on the lookout, never know when they'll pop up." Casey said.
"Thanks for the heads up. And Molly I did find the way to Cherrygrove City. Casey, you are welcome to join us if you'd like." Ash offered.
"Good, it'll give me time to teach you about the truly best Baseball Team!" Casey said excitedly.
"Please, you wouldn't know the best team if they offered you a jersey!" Ash countered.
"Why me?" Molly groaned as the two began bickering again already.
Casey's Current Team and Their Moves
Chikorita: Razor Leaf
Pidgey: Gust
Rattata: Quick Attack