Sorry, this chapter took a lot longer than expected to come out. I've lacked motivation lately, but not enough to take a break from this story. I hate to be like this, as nothing is worse than seeing a story you like to get hit with the 'Discontinued' fate. Hopefully, we can see this story reach its ending point.
Unsurprisingly, Misty will get Squirtle in this fanfic, as Ash already has a Wartortle. I know you guys would've wanted May to have Squirtle, but I've had this idea since the very beginning of the story. Red and Green are also returning, as it would be fun to see how May would react to them.
One last thing, this chapter will be a lot more serious compared to the ones that preceded it. No blood or swear words, but this marks a point in the story where the seriousness takes form. With that said, let's start the dang thing.
The Very Best:
Chapter 11:
An Unforgettable Encounter
Opening (If you want to): Ready, Steady, Go! (From Fullmetal Alchemist, cover by AmaLee)
"YESSSSS!" The entire group cried out in excitement at finally reaching a town.
A mere day had passed since May had captured Charmander, and nothing much had happened in that time. Charmander was still getting used to the swing of things, and the kind nature of May was still a bit foreign to him. May assured her Pokémon that she'll try her best and never attempt to abandon them. The scene they had was touching.
The town they were at was the last official stop from Vermillion, which should only be a week and a half away by now. Ash was highly excited about battling Surge at Vermillion, along with Ryan. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood right now.
Misty gave a relaxing sigh. "Thank goodness it's not that hot today. Maybe we'll finally be able to relax."
"No complains from me," May remarked, excited about sleeping on a bed.
"Don't get too comfortable, ladies," Ash said to them as he turned around. "I don't want to spend too much time here. We need to leave for Vermillion tomorrow morning."
"Come on, Ash. Aren't you getting tired from all this traveling?" May asked. "Besides, not like the gym is going to disappear in a single day."
"I just want to get it done quickly. Me and my Pokémon been itching for a good fight."
"Wartortle." The Water-type agreed as he stood right by his Trainer. Suddenly, Misty walked up to the Pokémon and quickly examined him, giving a loud gasp.
"Oh no! Wartortle is exhausted!" Wartortle was confused by this statement. Misty quickly whispered: "Pretend to be tired. Hopefully, Ash will buy it."
Wartortle quickly made himself look downright exhausted. He crawled on the ground as his eyes struggled to stay open, making sounds of pure exhaustion. "War..."
Ash merely looked at his partner with his hands on his hips. "Hmmm. You're right, Misty." Ash said as he took out Wartortle's Poke Ball. "Perhaps he would like it if I put him in here."
"Tort!" Wartorlte quickly stood up as he shook himself. Even though Ash was joking, the fake threat worked as Ash ruffled his Pokémon head. Misty sighed at her failed plan.
"How about we leave during the late afternoon?" Brock suggested with a smile. "That way, we'll get enough time to rest and still be on schedule."
The two sides heard this, actually liking the idea. "That's a pretty good solution."
"Thank you. In all honesty, I want to make sure we can get more supplies before we leave." Brock explained. The boy then noticed that one of the members hadn't spoken up. "Ryan?"
"Hmmm?" The boy snapped out of his thoughts. "You called,"
"You've been quiet lately." Brock expressed slight concern. "Something on your mind?"
"A little bit. I'm not sure how to describe it..." Ryan tried to find the right words. "... I just feel something off about this place. Like something isn't right about it."
Everyone was surprised at such an answer. "I felt that way too," Ash added as something felt wrong in his head. "I just thought I was imagining it, but that feeling doesn't want to disappear."
"War," Wartortle agreed, placing a hand on his head as he tried to massage it.
Misty placed a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder. "Maybe it's all the walking getting to your head. After all, you've barely allowed any breaks."
"Sorry about that," Ash apologized.
Brock felt their foreheads, not feeling any fever. "If you need some medicine, just let us know. I'd say the three of you sleep early tonight."
"No argument from me," Ryan answered as they walked deeper into the town.
The group turned a corner as they explored the place, stumbling upon something they weren't expecting. A Squirtle with a spray can be currently graffitiing one of the stores of this town. The Water-type seemed to be laughing as she did this. "Squirt! Squirt! Squirt!"
"Hey!" Brock loudly shouted, startling the Squirtle. She looked upon the group, showing off her sharp sunglasses and a cocky smile. "I wouldn't be doing that if I were you."
The Squirtle merely blew a raspberry at the group, laughing after she did so. Who were these people to tell her what to do? "You should listen to him." May advised as she stepped up. "Do you want to get in trouble?"
Squirtle pretended to think, shaking her head. "Squirtle irtle squi!" She then sprayed a Water Gun to hit the girl directly in the face. May gasped as she quickly covered her face, but she was saved.
"War!" Wartortle skillfully shot an Ice Beam to freeze the water mid-air, making it fall to the ground and shatter. Wartortle quickly stood at the front, an angry expression on his face. The two Water-types glared fiercely at each other. "Tort," He silently growled, watching Squirtle keep a cool smirk on her face. Wartortle gazed practically pierced through her as he took in all her features, preparing himself for the potential opponent.
But also... feeling a sort of warmth inside him.
Suddenly, a police siren rang out as they saw a motorcycle approaching them. "Squirt!" Squirtle gained a panicked look before ditching the group, leaving behind the spray can. The Squirtle began to climb skillfully with impressive acrobatics, surprising even Misty with the fast movements.
Officer Jenny came by as she parked her bike, only seeing Squirtle leave in time. "Drat! I missed him again!" She complained to herself, grabbing her radio to discuss her failure.
"Officer Jenny?" May asked in surprise, Jenny being surprised at the group.
"Hmm. I don't think I've seen any of you here. You just passing through?"
"We are," Ash answered as he looked at Jenny. "We just got here when Squirtle spray painted the building."
"My little friend, you just met the Squirtle that everyone in this area knows about," Jenny explained as she continued. "That Squirtle has been causing trouble and making crimes all around. It's like respect doesn't even exist to her."
Misty was surprised by this explanation. "Well, shouldn't you have captured her by now if it's just the one?"
"We probably should, but something has happened recently. There's been a case that's been taking up all our time lately." Jenny admitted as she looked down. "Sadly, we just don't have the time to deal with this Squirtle."
Everyone was shocked by this. Even though they wanted to know what this case was, they knew it was none of their business. "Well, why don't we deal with Squirtle? I know it would help get some stress off your back." Misty suggested, now having Ash's sense of helping after so long.
Jenny quickly shook her head as she picked up the spray bottle. "Don't worry about it. Just enjoy your time here as I continue my duty." She told them with some strictness as she hopped onto her bike. "Call me if you ever need legal assistance!"
"Can I just say something-"
"I'm sorry, but I don't want you to worry too much about our current case." Jenny quickly cut off Brock.
"I just wanted to compliment you on your face," Brock said with a soft smile.
"Oh!" Jenny was not expecting this. She gently touched her cheek. "I didn't put that much effort into mine today but thank you for the compliment." Brock felt proud of himself as he looked at the group, all having sweat drops at the misplaced compliment.
"Bye, Officer Jenny!" They quickly waved as Jenny did the same, leaving them behind with her fast vehicle.
Brock was still love stricken when May quickly grabbed his ear. "OW! OW!" Brock was forced down to her level.
"What was that?" She quickly asked him. "That's not how you're supposed to compliment a girl!"
Brock was quickly able to release himself from May's surprisingly firm grip. "And I bet you know the best way to compliment every person you meet."
"As a matter of fact, yes. It's a specialty of mine." May sounded quite proud of herself. "Besides, Officer Jenny has more important things than to hear your weird compliments."
Brock rolled his eyes, seeing nothing wrong with his way of getting girls. "You guys," Ash quickly spoke up. "Don't you realize what we have to do? We got to go help that Squirtle out."
"...Didn't Jenny tell us not to mess around with her?" Ryan quickly asked with a blank look.
"You've been in the group as long as I have," Misty told the boy. "We should know that Ash has no interest in actually listening."
"Hey! I do listen!" Ash said a little defensively.
"No. Not really," Brock pointed out, something that everyone quickly sided with. Even May and Wartortle agreed with this idea, and May hasn't even been around for two weeks!
"Not you too," Ash said as he saw his Pokémon as he saw him join Brock. "Don't act like you are perfect. You spend more time napping than actually using your ears."
"War," His best friend stuck his tongue out at him, which Ash did as well in a very childish way. The two kept trying to one-up each other with wonky faces that they would make.
"How can he be so smart and like this simultaneously?"
"I've been asking myself that since Viridian Forest," Misty answered May as she adopted a small smile. "He's still my best friend. My advice: don't be afraid to criticize him when he's made a dangerous choice." May noted this, feeling that it will be helpful later.
"Are you two done, or do you want to keep doing this for an hour?" Ryan's question quickly made them stop as they looked at the group. Everyone knew that trying to stop Ash would backfire. "If we're going to get this Squirtle, we'll need a plan."
"How about I use Beldum to check from the air?" May suggested, though sounding a bit unsure.
"War!" This idea was reasonably suitable to the Water-type.
"Can we at least go to the store first?" Brock asked, knowing that trying to leave this was futile. "Now that you have two badges, we'll be able to buy a lot more stuff than before."
"Oh yeah!" Ash exclaimed excitingly. "We might be able to buy some more stuff than before."
"And you'll pay for all of-"
"And I'll be paying for it." Ash quickly finished off with an eye roll. "You don't have to tell me twice."
The group had made their way to the Pokémart, much smaller than the one in Viridian. An older girl with blue hair was on the counter, not seeming to care about the people that entered. Brock walked over, now packed with the knowledge that May had kindly, forcibly given him. "Hello, young lady. If I can ask-"
"No. We still don't have Revives, and they will still come on Tuesday." She said the sentence as if it was second nature, focusing on filing her nails. Brock chuckled at this quick response.
"I was just wondering where you get your great hair from." The girl raised a massive eyebrow at Brock. "I mean, it just looks so real."
"Sorry, but it's been dyed." She answered as she flicked some of her hair. "As for your hair... well, at least you have some."
Brock wasn't sure how to take that since it was not meant to be a total compliment. "I-I just wanted to say that you look great today. I mean, you probably look great every day, but-"
"Move on, lover boy," Misty called out from behind. "Some of us have actual things to say to this girl."
Brock was forced out of the front as Misty stepped. "Thank you so much." The girl quietly whispered to Misty. "I was worried he would be like that guy who did that for an hour."
"It was the least I could do," Misty said with a smile, taking out Ryan's two badges. "I was just wondering if we could get anything special from here with these two badges."
The girl looked at the two badges. "You can't get that much with just two badges." She remarked before an idea came to her. "We do have Net Balls that we have to sell. Would you want some?"
Misty perked up. "Yes, please." She said in a rather excited way. The counter girl stepped away, returning with three Poke Balls with a light blue top and black bands crossing it in a net pattern, the bottom being the standard white.
"Let me guess. You're a fan of Bug-types?"
"No, no, no. I'm getting these for the Water-types." Misty answered with some slight disgust. Despite becoming more tolerant of bugs, she would gag if one dared to touch her. "I'll never catch a Bug-type, I swear."
"That's cool, but what would even be cooler is if you showed me the money for these Net Balls." The blue-haired girl remarked. Misty shook her head.
"Can you please give me a minute?" Misty asked kindly. "The others are getting the other stuff, and I want to put the Net Balls as part of the bill." The counter girl shrugged at this explanation, allowing Misty to hold onto them.
Ryan was looking down at the Poke Ball he was holding. The Poke Ball was pink with tan shapes on it going from the bottom to slightly above the blue line across the middle, the button purple. "Do you think we'll need one of these?"
Ash looked at the Heal Ball, the boy already having five Great Balls and three Super Potions. "Let's take it with us. It's not that expensive." Ash agreed as Ryan nodded.
Wartortle balanced two Poke Balls, an Awakening and a Paralyze Heal, within his tiny arms. It took a lot of effort to add an Antidote to his small arms.
Brock was also helping with his load as he saw May bring two cans of Lemonade and a stuffed toy resembling a Clefairy. "Is this load good enough so far?"
"Don't worry. That looks pretty good to me." Brock assured her as his arms were starting to get a bit crowded. "That Poké Doll could be useful if we run into some wild Pokémon."
"You're supposed to use this for battle?" May was genuinely surprised. "I was just getting this for myself because having a Charmander sleeping with you isn't the most comfortable thing."
Brock shrugged. "I guess that's fair. With that flaming tail and whatnot."
It took two whole minutes before everyone could pile themselves up at the counter, and the girl could only mentally groan as she saw what she had to do. "Well, at least you weren't lying about the others." She remarked to Misty.
After getting all their items checked out, even longer since Wartortle accidentally dropped a few, everyone was finally allowed to leave. Ash took a long look at the bill he was forced to pay, he and his partner cringing at the massacre on his wallet.
May was taking a sip from her lemonade and offered a drink to Misty, who had sweat growing on her head. "No thanks. I don't like lemonade."
As this was going on, Brock was accidentally talking to himself. "You look exquisite." He quickly smacked his head after hearing how stupid that sounded. "You look radiant." He quickly groaned after saying that.
"Are you just keep going complimenting the air?" Ryan's sarcastic remark startled Brock as the teen looked down at the boy.
"I don't get it, Ryan." He felt his gut, wondering if he maybe looked bloated. "Why can't girls understand the love I show them? You see how they dismiss me and how I am trying my best."
Ryan wasn't sure how to answer. "I think you're asking the wrong guy. I know nothing about girls, something we have in common." Brock frowned at the little jab the boy made.
"You're telling me you've never stopped completely when you saw a particular girl or felt flustered anyway?" Ryan's response was a head shake. "Not even a little warmth inside you?"
"Sorry," He apologized for not giving a good enough answer. "Honestly, why do you want a girlfriend so badly? Won't they take up all your time and possibly your money?"
"I can't explain, especially since you're still on the short side," Brock responded while ruffling Ryan's hair, something the boy tried to slap away. "But one day, you'll desire to find someone that loves you. Not saying your family can't do that, but you want someone you've only known for so little to show you that kind of love. Am I making sense?"
"... No. I still don't get the appeal."
Brock sighed after hearing how his speech did not change Ryan. "Well, I guess love isn't required to live. But if you ever feel something warm in your heart, you know exactly who to come to." He expressed while patting the boy's shoulder.
Ryan offered a small smile. "I'll... keep you updated." Brock smiled back before going to Ash to talk about nothing in particular. As this happened, May walked over with an unopen can of Lemonade.
"Hey, Ryan," May offered the unopened can. "Do you want this? No one else wants some."
Ryan was interested, as he never had lemonade before. "Thank you," He took the can with a grateful smile, sipping the drink as he enjoyed the flavor. "It's a lot sweeter than I expected."
"I don't know why people don't like this brand," May remarked as she had some of her own. "Although, my brother always told me I had a sweet tooth larger than my mouth, so maybe that's why."
"Are you a candy person?"
May chuckled a bit as she gave an embarrassed smile. "I may enjoy candy a bit too much. I know I shouldn't spend some much money on it, but I feel like I can't function without some chocolate on me." May sighed. "Do you think that's a problem?"
Ryan thought about it, also having his few moments with sweets. "You just seem like someone who knows what they like. I don't think having candy or sweets is exactly illegal."
"I hope it isn't. Otherwise, I would probably be worth the arrest of an entire town." This caused Ryan to laugh out loud, finding it nice to have someone as easy to talk to as May. Brock watched, getting a big smile at seeing the two interact.
Misty stretched out her arms, now having Wartortle with her as he walked with Ash. "So, any idea on catching Squirtle?"
"No. At least, not yet." Ash admitted as he tried to think of how to help out the Water-type. "I'm guessing this Squirtle must have some base of operation. A place where she could rest and do all the criminal stuff."
"That's a nice idea. But I don't hear any way of finding this place, or maybe we're searching for something that doesn't exist."
"I'm assuming you must have the perfect plan then," Ash replied, annoyed at how his idea was shot down.
"Well, no. However, I can always make one." Misty suggested as she began to think of her own. "If there is a place for her, then it has to be close enough to get there easily but somewhere not so obvious. Maybe a cave on the outskirts or something that has been abandoned."
Even though this idea had more thought than Ash, the boy didn't want to admit it. "What do you think, Wartortle?" He asked his buddy, who was holding onto Misty's hand. "If you were a criminal that causes problems for this town for no reason, where would you go to hide?"
"War?" Wartortle tried to think of the answer to the highly hyper-specific question genuinely. The poor Water-type was stunned as his brain couldn't think of a solution.
Suddenly, someone's yelling can be heard. Everyone looked around, and they saw a certain girl running towards them, practically at top speed. "Does anyone else hear that?" May asked in complete confusion.
Ash knew immediately, and everyone, besides May, took a moment to realize who was quickly running to them. "Didn't think I'd see her so soon." Ash thought as he braced his body, being tackled to the ground by the girl that ran straight into him.
"YAY! I found you right here, Ash!" The girl exclaimed in joy, revealed to be Green herself. Ash laughed at seeing his best friend, gladly giving into the hug she always gave. Pyra was right by her side, also offering a hug as well.
"War!" Wartortle ran over with a smile, sharing a good hug with her fellow Starter Pokémon. Everyone watched as Green was now back. Though everyone did find the girl occasionally fun, her energy was too much.
"What were you saying about today being relaxing?" Ryan asked Misty with a raised eyebrow.
Misty was left a bit worried now that Green was being factored in. "That's okay. I can still make today calm; I have to put more effort in." She lied to herself.
"Who is she?" No one answered May's question as Green went to greet everyone else.
"Hi, friends!" She happily told them. Brock stepped with a kind smile.
"It's great to see you again, Green. How have you been?"
"All good, even better now that you're all here. Let me just," Green gave no warning as she tried to pick up Brock again, holding him for about two seconds before letting go. "Dang! My arms still need some more work!"
Brock chuckled at seeing how the girl was. "Don't worry; you'll get there one day." Green happily smiled as she went over to Ryan.
"Hmm. Hair is still short, which is still not a bad thing!" She happily exclaimed as happily shook the boy's hand. Ryan couldn't help but smile back.
"And your hair is still pretty long. Not like that's a bad thing, though."
Green happily gasped. "Looks like you finally get it! I knew you could." She quickly hugged Ryan before coming onto Misty. "Hello, fellow girl. How are you still as pretty as ever?"
Misty wasn't expecting this compliment. "Well, spending a few minutes on your looks can go a long way," Misty answered honestly as she grabbed Green's hand, remembering the good moment with her. "It is good to see you again, Green." The two shared a friendly smile.
"Char," Pyra poked at her Trainer's leg, making her turn to see the person that she accidentally left behind in her excitement. A certain boy walked off with Pikachu on his shoulder.
"You could always give me a heads up, Green," Red remarked, a small smile on his face as he walked to them. "I don't think it would take that much effort."
Everyone smiled as they saw Red come over, finding him to be the calmer of the two easily. Not like that was a hard thing to do. "Red!" Ash happily exclaimed, coming over to the peaceful boy. "I was wondering if you were here too."
Red stretched out his arms, Pikachu copying his Trainer. "Well, someone has to ensure Green doesn't find her way out of Kanto. Seeing you here is a surprise but a very welcome one." He remarked as he brought his hand out, Ash shaking it without question.
"I'll say," Ash remarked as he petted Pikachu, the Electric-type relieved at the touch. "Since you are here, maybe you can help us with something."
Red thought for a moment. "Let me guess. A simple problem has come up, and now you're dedicating your entire day to solving that issue?" Ash was left a bit stunned by how Red quickly read him.
"Uhhhhhh..." Red and Pikachu looked at each other, knowing they were right.
"Well, I guess I need an excuse to stretch my legs. Just tell us what you're doing today." Ash was glad that Red was entirely on board with this idea.
"I hear adventure!" Green remarked as she joined Red and Ash, all huddled up as the girl wrapped an arm around each boy. "I have no idea what's happening, but I'm gladly joining in!"
"That's great! After all, three heads have to be better than two."
"Tell that to a Dodrio." This little joke caused the other two to laugh, Pikachu having a good chuckle as well.
"Um. Excuse me?" May's voice suddenly got the two's attention, and Red and Green were shocked to see the new girl. "Sorry to bother you. But... who are these people, Ash?"
"You didn't mention us?" Green asked in shock, grabbing her chest in pure sadness. "And to think we were friends."
Ash realized he forgot to mention the two to the girl coming over to May. "I completely forgot to tell you about my two friends from Pallet Town." He remarked as he cleared his throat, guiding the girl to them. "May, this is Green, and that's Red. That Charmeleon is Pyra, and you know what a Pikachu is."
Green and Pyra quickly went to the girl, closely examining her as May stood still in surprise. "Uh? Is this... normal?" Green finished her examination, a look of deep thought on her face.
"You aren't from around here, are you?" She asked May. Before May could answer, Green had a big smile on her face. "That means we have a non-Kanto friend!"
May was quickly hugged by Green and Pyra, which was a lot stronger than the Hoenn girl anticipated. "Uh. Thank you," She managed to breathe out before being let go. As May caught her breath, Green brought out her hand.
"I'm Green, but you already knew that. And my child is Pyra, but you already knew that too!" May shook her hand, which Green did with surprising force. The eccentric girl offered a big smile before letting Red get his chance to introduce himself.
"Sorry, she's rather overwhelming at first sight." Red apologized in his calm voice before offering his hand. "You don't have to introduce yourself. I will say, it's nice to meet you."
May was left stunned at seeing the calm boy in front of him. He looked rather handsome to the girl, surprised that someone like him would speak with her. That's when she remembered that the boy offered a handshake. "Oh. I-It's nice to meet you too, Red. Uh. Your Pikachu is cool."
"Pika!" Pikachu puffed his chest out in pride after hearing that.
"He is, but not as cool as he thinks." Pikachu sent a slight glare at his best friend, Red simply giving a small smile at his partner. May shook Red's hands for twenty seconds as the boy looked down. "You can stop whenever you feel like."
May was embarrassed by what she did, quickly letting go. "Sorry," She apologized, Red telling her not to worry. May went over to Ash as Red went to go to everyone else. "Ash. Are these two staying with us?"
"Yeah!" Ash replied. "I know these two may seem overwhelming, but you'll find how good of friends they are. Come to me for any advice."
"War," Wartortle said as well with a thumbs up. May smiled as she looked back at Red, feeling her breath become short as she gazed at him. She was able to get a good look at his relatively fair complexion.
"Hmm. A Squirtle causing trouble?" Red said after hearing what Brock had to say about what they were doing. "That shouldn't even take an hour to deal with. We can help out."
"Pika!"
Everyone was rather excited for the two joining them, mainly Red, as Green would make them question what they did wrong to deserve this. Red still entranced May as she kept glancing at him from a distance. Even when the group started looking around for the Water-type, May still looked at Red with intrigue.
Red noticed how he was being watched by May. "Ash. Is she usually like that?"
Ash turned around, and May quickly returned to normal after she realized she had been caught. "I don't think so." He said, somewhat unsure.
The Executive and Crystal made their way through the trees, slowly moving closer to the town that Ash was currently in. Following closely behind was Damian, who knew better than to speak without being spoken to by these powerful Trainers. "We must ensure that we gather all information on this case the police are concerned. This information will be crucial in our plans." He instructed Damian.
"Yes, sir." The boy said in a very respectful tone. "May I ask? What are we exactly looking for?"
Crystal was the one to answer. "Well, we're looking for something that is tied to the ice that we saw earlier. No normal Pokémon could've caused such a thing, and it's most likely that it probably left something behind. Like a scale or something we could use to track its DNA."
Damian nodded at this explanation, the trio having arrived at one of the trails that led to the town. The Executive walked with dignity and power, while Crystal's was far more casual and relaxed. Damian continued to walk with his hands behind his back and tried his best to synchronize his steps. They walked for some time before appearing to reach a roadblock.
Two male officers with their motorcycles were currently in the way of the path. The two were meant to be on guard duty, but the two were talking with each other about nothing in particular. "No way she said that." The taller guy laughed after hearing that part of the story.
"I can't believe it either. She claims that I take all her time, but it's not like she has anything better to do." He remarked as the shorter guy couldn't believe how unbearable his girlfriend had been. "So, what if I ask her to spend some time with me instead of being with her dad? That didn't stop her when it was my mom's birthday."
The two then realized that someone was coming down the trail, or rather three people coming down. "Would you look at that," One of them thought as they saw the person in front wearing a mask. He quickly stood up to confront these three. "You three! It would be best if you weren't coming this way. The path has been blocked off."
"I apologize. However, we have serious business to attend to at this town, and we are looking to make this quick." The Executive spoke in a relatively calm tone.
"If it's that important, you must take another path. If you're willing to give some identification, I can let you straight in."
Crystal decided to make a little joke. "Are you kidding? If he has an ID, it will just show him with the mask, and I don't know how you think that will help."
"That's kind of how the law works." One of them squinted his eyes at the masked boy. "What's with the mask anyway? You got a bad scar with you?" Damian couldn't believe this. If he were in this position, he would simply take out these two fools when they wouldn't let him pass the first time. The Executive could quickly eliminate the pair but made no such attempt.
To Damian's shock, the Executive took something out of his pocket and showed it to the police. "Though this may not be an ID, it should convince you to let us through."
The police officer took it with a bored look, but it was quickly replaced with fear. He looked up at the Executive, something the other officer did the same when he realized who was in front of them. "N-no. It can't be you guys?"
"T-Team Rocket!" The other officer said in terror.
The three seemed calm to the two's fear. "So, may you return my badge to me?" The Executive asked in a polite tone. The one holding the badge dropped as the two got on their motorcycles. They knew that trying to stop these three would just themselves would be wrong, so they needed backup for this. The two rode off quickly as the three were left behind.
The Executive grabbed the badge, revealing it as the Team Rocket symbol in all its glory. "Those two were rather rude. They didn't even tell us to enjoy our stay!" Crystal remarked in slight anger.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Damian asked, confused by why the two weren't chasing the police officer. "We can't seriously blow our cover this early."
"Let them warn the town." The older boy replied. "Not only will that prevent innocent people from interfering, but to show that we are here on a serious matter. Any assistance they may call will arrive too late, and what they have currently will not be enough to stop us."
Crystal looked back at Damian. "My Executive tends to charge into and complete the mission as soon as possible. He will only use strategy or deception when he must." The Executive gave a slight sweat drop at this criticism, despite how true it was.
Ash and the gang were asking the local people here to see if they could find any clues. "I tell you what, Squirtle has to pay for stealing my necklace! My whole money for the week was poured into that thing!"
Red remained calm at how loud the somewhat overweight woman was. "And did you remember where she ran off to?" He finally asked.
"How should I know? She left before she could find me in her house was there. I've checked every little pond in this town, and I have nothing." She grumbled to herself. "She probably laughed whenever she got away."
Red noted this as he didn't want to talk to this woman anymore. "Thank you, Ma'am." She nodded as Red walked away. Pikachu let out a groan after having to deal with that. "Trust me; I hated talking to her too."
"Any luck?" Ryan asked as he walked over.
"Well, Squirtle doesn't seem to live in any aquatic area of this town. That doesn't deduce much, but it's still worth mentioning."
"I'm shocked at how angry these people are with Squirtle," Misty remarked as she remembered talking to her suspect. "Everyone here has a personal vendetta against the Water-type."
Ash was thinking as he walked around, not finding any good luck with the last three people he had spoken to. "Where could she be?" He asked himself. Wartortle heard this as well.
"War tort le tortle art." He admitted. Ash lightly chuckled at how his partner was still willing to give him an answer.
Ash sighed as he looked ahead. "I'm not going to give up until I help this Squirtle. I don't care if it becomes nighttime before we find her."
"You don't have to tell us," Brock said as he touched his friend's shoulder. "You'd probably keep going until you passed out. If you two do that, someone must help you get some rest."
Ash smiled as he placed his hand over Brock. "Thanks', man. I doubt this whole search will take all day, though."
"If it does, then I'm unsure what that would say about us," Red remarked as he walked over. This caused the boys and Pokémon to share a good laugh. Luckily, Ash was correct, as the search would be over quickly.
"Squirtle! Squirtle!" They heard laughing as they saw far ahead that Squirtle was vandalizing even more property. Red and Ash gave a small smile before everyone ran to where Squirtle was. Squirtle turned to see the same group as before, instantly trying to make a getaway.
"Wartortle can handle this," Ash proposed, but Red shook his head.
"Allow me. Or rather, my Pokémon." Red took out a Great Ball and released it, revealing it to be a Squirtle.
"You caught a Squirtle?" Misty and Ash asked simultaneously, causing the two to smile after the coincidence. Red thought that funny interaction was cute.
"I did," Red answered as he waited for the rouge Squirtle to jump up into the air to launch Dragon Pulse. The female Squirtle could only gasp as she was hit with the Dragon-type move. She fell to the ground as she looked up, glaring at the people that had just ruined her escape.
"And the thing has Dragon Pulse?" The same thing happened again with Misty and Ash, both turning away in slight embarrassment. "What kind of Squirtle did you end up catching?"
"Just a regular Squirtle, but with a move learned through a TR," Red explained as he petted his Water-type, scratching underneath his neck. The Squirtle's leg twitched at how relaxing the scratching was. "He always has energy to him."
"That's awesome, Red," Ash admitted as he put Squirtle away. "When we're done with this, do you want me and you to have a battle between Water-types? Although, it might be an easy battle for Wartortle due to his experience." Ash realized as he looked at his strongest Pokémon.
"Ah, yes. Wartortle would win due to experience and not because he has better stats and at a higher level." Ash nervously chuckled as a sweat drop went down his face. The group came to the rouge Squirtle, who was sitting back up and looked upon the group.
"Squirtle squir tle irt!" She yelled at them.
"Sorry about the whole Dragon Pulse thing," Ryan apologized as he looked at Squirtle. "But we're just here to help you out. We want to ensure you don't get in trouble again."
"Squirt le tle," she said with crossed arms, not even buying this for a second.
Ash crouched down to the Squirtle, ignoring the angry look she sent him. "Hi. My name is Ash Ketchum." He introduced him as he tried to be polite to the Water-type. The response he got was Squirtle blowing a raspberry at him. "We're not here to capture you, I swear."
Even though she thought the kid was lying, he sounded so sincere when he said it. Brock knelt as well. "I can tell when a Pokémon is alone or suffering somehow." He remarked, knowing how one of his sisters would often do bad things so that she could be noticed. "If I could ask, do you have a Trainer?"
Squirtle, for the first time, adopted a look other than anger. The Squirtle's face briefly softened at the memory of her old Trainer but quickly hardened again as she returned to reality. "Squir!" She scoffed, turning away in frustration.
Brock felt terrible, realizing he had struck a nerve by accident. Suddenly, Wartortle walked over and got the Squirtle's attention.
"War tort," He greeted, seeing Squirtle cautiously step back. "Wartortle tortle war art or."
"Squir! Squ uir tle tle." She replied.
Wartortle shook his head, pointing at both May and Ryan. "Wartortle tort le war or." Squirtle seemed surprised after hearing that, looking up at the two that had once abandoned Pokémon with them.
Ryan gave a small wave as he knelt as well. "I may not understand where you can come from, but I can try. We can all try to help you out." He promised. Squirtle's anger seemed to subside as she looked at the ground in deep thought.
Wartortle offered a small smile as he extended his hand. "Wartortle?" Squirtle looked at the hand; the desire to shake it was in her eyes as she debated whether she should. Could this group really help her?
"ATTENTION, CIVILIANS! ATTENTION, CIVILIANS!" A male voice from the speakers that littered the entire town. All attention was brought to the announcement going on. "TEAM ROCKET HAS BEEN SIGHTED WITHIN CITY LIMITS. I REPEAT, TEAM ROCKET HAS BEEN SIGHTED WITHIN CITY LIMITS. ANYONE CURRENTLY OUTSIDE MUST BE INDOORS IMMEDIATELY. LOCK YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS!'
Everyone was silent after hearing that. Squirtle, now seeing her opportunity to escape, used Rapid Spin to get away. "Squirtle ir!" She said something along the lines of: 'So long, suckers!'. Even though Squirtle ran off, the group knew more critical problems were at hand.
"Team Rocket's here?" Misty asked, giving a deep groan. "Why can't a day ever be normal?"
"Team Rocket!" May sounded quite scared as she looked around nervously. "I've heard about those guys. People say how strong they are."
Misty placed a reassuring hand on May. "Don't worry. We've defeated these guys before." Misty said with a bit of pride. "They aren't as strong as you might think."
This sentence helped May calm down a bit. "We can take them down," Brock reassured as he had a Poke Ball in his hand. "Trust me, the fight probably won't last ten minutes."
Everyone looked around to see if maybe these Team Rocket members were in something obvious. That is when Ryan saw three people coming their way on the same path. They were too far to see their actual appearance. "Does anyone else see that?"
Green squinted her eyes as she looked further ahead. "I see three of them. Do you think we could be friends?" She asked rather hopefully.
"Sorry, Green. I think that might be Team Rocket." Green seemed a bit sad after hearing Red's response. The fact of the matter was that three individuals were coming their way and, as they got closer, seemed to match the description the alarm described. The masked individual was in front and appeared to be in charge.
"HEY!" Ash yelled to the three walking down the path. The three continued to come forward as they stopped mere feet away from the group of seven Trainers.
Everyone was allowed to get a good look at the three. The Executive and Crystal were new to them, but the last person they saw made them gasp. Some blinked twice, hoping that it was just some kind of mind trick. "It can't be..."
"Remember me?" Damian asked as he stepped ahead, shocking everyone in Ash's group at this reveal.
"DAMIAN?!" They all yelled at the same time. Red wasn't sure how to react as he and Green had never seen before, but they could feel the smugness and superiority that radiated from the boy.
"What are you doing with Team Rocket?" Ash exclaimed.
Damian chuckled evilly. "Isn't it obvious? I'm doing this so that I can become as stronger than anyone! No one to hold me back, and no one to bring me down like your pathetic lot did. And mainly because I can."
"I thought you couldn't sink any lower," Ryan scowled as he saw the boy everyone hated. "But you found a way to go deeper than rock bottom!"
Red stood right beside Ash, alongside everyone else in the group. "If you are going to stand alongside them, you are our enemy."
Damian gave a smug look. "You should probably give up now. After all, I alone am superior to you in every way."
"Not in terms of fashion," May remarked as she saw her outfit. "Those glasses and pink shirt are such a bad combo."
Damian growled in anger. "Listen here, you piece of garbage," He pointed at May. "I'm part of something far better and greater than your worthless group of friends! Watch as I, Damian, become so powerful I-"
Executive raised his hand, notifying Damian to stop his rant. The boy glared but complied, standing alongside the older boy as he stepped forward. "Excuse my underling. His lack of intelligence is well known to me and my Elite Officer." Damian blushed in embarrassment as he thought he heard Green chuckling. "Perhaps we should start over again."
"What is there to say?" May inquired. "Your Team Rocket! You cause crimes and make problems just because you want to. That's probably why you're here now." She declared.
Instead of saying anything, the boy gave a very relaxed chuckle. "Perhaps that is how you see the other members, but we're here for something else. Something worth a lot more than just simple cash." Everyone seemed confused after hearing that notion. "We are not here to cause harm to you or this entire town. We merely wish to grab what we need and leave."
Ash wasn't buying this as he stepped forward. "Yeah, you're not here to cause problems," Ash said sarcastically. "And you won't cause any. Not if we have anything to say about it!" Crystal looked at the boy with a small smile.
"Ash," Brock grabbed Ash and whispered in his ear. "This guy gives me the creeps. I want to beat as much as you do, but I don't think we could right now if we tried."
"Your friend has good judgment." The masked boy told him as Ash looked at him. "The Pokémon that I have would simply overwhelm you. You would also have to face my Elite Officer and Damian if you defeated me." He looked down at Wartortle and then at Pikachu. "If this level 29 Wartortle and level 27 Pikachu are among your strongest, then victory will not come to you."
Everyone was caught extremely off-guard; even Ash gasped for a moment. "How does he know our own Pokémon levels?" Red thought as he looked at him. "Could it be something in his mask? Could he see the exact moves that our Pokémon also have?"
"Chu!" Despite being shocked after hearing that, Pikachu was still ready for battle as he adopted a serious look.
Ash, even after hearing this warning, still stood his ground. "I didn't run away from you guys before, and there's no way I will start doing that now!"
"War!" Wartortle stood right by his Trainer.
The Executive breathed out very deeply after hearing that. "It seems that I need a little more than just simple words. Perhaps I should show you why standing against me will be futile."
"Give us your worst!" Green said with complete confidence. The older boy took out a Poke Ball, tossing it in the air to open up and releasing what was inside.
Instead of sending out a Poison-type or a Pokémon that a usual grunt would have, the Pokémon that came out caught everyone by surprise. A bulky Water-type crocodilian Pokémon with blue scales stood at seven feet tall. His eyes were red with black markings, and a powerful and large jaw with sharp fangs was the most defining part of him. Three red spines rested on his head, between the shoulders, and on the tip of his massive tail. Several groups of large, rectangular scales rested on the arms, knees, tail, and waist. Clawed hands and feet were shown fully as the Pokémon landed on all fours.
"Feral," The Pokémon licked his lips as he looked up, sensing the now growing fear in the group as they looked upon what they had to deal with.
"A Fearligatr," Misty said in shock. She knew how dangerous these Pokémon were and that their strength was well-known among Water-types. Red still kept a level gaze despite the growing tension, bringing out Dexis to see what they were truly up against.
"Feraligatr, the big jaw Pokémon. Dex Number: 190. National Region: Johto. Pokémon Typing: Water. It opens its huge mouth to intimidate enemies. In battle, it runs using its thick and powerful hind legs to charge the foe with incredible speed. This specific Feraligatr is a male and currently at level 79. This Pokémon has the following move: Aerial Ace, Aqua Tail, Dragon Pulse, Earthquake." Everyone's fear was justified after hearing what this Feraligatr indeed was. Green was somewhat oblivious, seeming confused by the shock on their faces.
"Level 79," Ryan repeated in such a low voice, looking back at the Water-type as he continued to mock them. The boy felt a terrible shiver run through his entire spine. Not only was the level abysmally high, but the move set was extremely well-rounded.
The Executive placed a hand on Feraligatr's shoulder, the Pokémon sending a slight smirk to his Trainer. "Now you should see how outclassed you are." He explained as he pointed at them. "Simply let us pass, and we can leave without damage inflicted on either side."
The only ones who didn't show fear to these three were Ash, Wartortle, Pikachu, Green, and Brock in some way. "I can tell your strong, but I'd hate if I didn't at least try!" Ash declared as he got into a battle stance. "You better think again if you're trying to scare me off!"
"Pika!" Pikachu ultimately agreed, standing alongside the boy.
"Wart!" His partner said as well. Crystal was pleasantly surprised by this, a respectful smile growing on her face.
"Oy! Didn't you hear what the Executive said?!" Damian was shocked to see Ash still willing to fight. "We'll tear you apart if you don't step aside! I'll make sure that-"
The Executive raised his hand, signaling Damian to be silent. The blue-haired boy listened as the masked boy gazed upon Ash with intrigue. "How curious. You are still willing to fight me despite the circumstances?" Ash nodded at this question. "Hmmm. May I ask, what is your name?"
"My name is Ash Ketchum!" He proclaimed with some pride.
The masked boy looked at him with a calm gaze. "I see. Though I will not reveal my name, you may refer to me as 'Executive.' I can tell that simple words will not be enough to make you leave."
Brock placed a hand on Ash as his mouth was next to his ear. "Ash!" He said in a hushed way. "We have to call off the battle. There's practically no way we can win this!"
"I know that!" Ash responded with a glance. "But we need to try, and many of us are here to help."
Seven not-so-strong Trainers stared down the three Team Rocket members. Unknown to the weaker side, people were watching them from a distance. The suspense was humongous as the air felt thick enough to cut with a knife. Feraligatr and Wartortle looked at each other, the short Water-type trying to keep a serious look at all times.
Ash took controlled breaths as he took out a Poke Ball to use. "Ash, we have to reconsider-"
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash's Bulbasaur came out as the Grass-type got ready for battle. Feraligatr gained a broad smile as the fight had now started. "Use Razor Leaf!"
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur summoned sharp-edged leaves to slash at his opponent. Pikachu went over to stand with Wartortle to join the battle, and Green and Pyra did to same.
"FOR KANTO!" Green gave a mighty battle cry as she joined. Red couldn't believe that this was now happening.
"No!" Red slapped himself in the face as he tried to keep calm. "Dang it. Always something new," Red joined and took a Poke Ball out. Soon after, Brock and Misty joined in, with May and Ryan having to swallow their fears to help out as well.
"This should be nice to watch," Crystal remarked as she stood far back, wanting a good view of this battle. Damian stood by the Executive's side as he began his first move.
Feraligatr was surprisingly fast despite his massive body, able to dodge Razor Leaf as he began to target Bulbasaur. The Grass-type gasped as he saw the unavoidable Aerial Ace, Feraligatr attacking with shocking speed.
"Onix!" The massive rock snake was called out and came in the way of Feraligatr, making the Water-type hit him instead. Despite having a type resistance and exceptional physical defense, the Feraligatr did good damage as the Pokémon stepped back.
"Go right in, Pyra!" Feraligatr was able to dodge blue fire shoot towards him as Pyra launched Dragon Breath from her mouth. He saw that Ash's Bulbasaur and Misty's Azumarill came at him, causing the Water-type to smile. His powerful tail swung around in a circle to eliminate any Pokémon that got too close. While Azumarill could dodge quickly, Bulbasaur couldn't react and was launched back.
Bulbasaur lost around half his health from this move, quickly getting back up with dirt around his body. "You okay?" Bulbasaur nodded at his Trainer's concerned question. Azumarill charged right in to land a Play Rough on the Pokémon, hopefully.
"Aerial Ace," Executive commanded, Feraligatr using his incredible speed to attack Azumarill mid-air. Azumarill was knocked back with damage sustained, but Azumarill wasn't even allowed to stand back up. Feraligatr grabbed the Water-type with a massive hand and choked slammed the Pokémon to the ground. Azumarill had fainted in just two simple attacks.
"No way!" Misty said in shock after seeing one of her more powerful Pokémon getting dealt with so efficiently, calling back her fainted Pokémon. "Starmie, come out!" The Psychic-type Pokémon emerged to join the battle.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt." Pikachu released a powerful electric burst, and Feraligatr could skillfully dodge as the attack hit Onix, who luckily didn't suffer any damage from the strong move. "We need a strategy. Simply attack won't work."
"I'm open to any suggestions," Ash remarked as he was focused on the intense battle. "Ryan," The boy was shocked to be called out. "Oddish has Poison Powder, right?"
"Y-yeah!" Ryan realized what plan Ash thought of as he went to grab the Poke Ball. As he did this, Jangmo-o came out as the Dragon-type looked at the current battle. "Wait, no!"
The warning was in vain, as Jangmo-o charged right in without any idea for safety in mind. Ryan cursed himself as he took out the desired Poke Ball, bringing out Oddish to hopefully get the poison off.
"We need to do something better than merely poisoning him," Brock remarked, knowing that a status that would slow down the Water-type would be far better. "Does anyone here have sleep of any kind?"
"Butterfree had it, but I didn't think we would need it anymore," Ryan admitted as he now felt like an idiot. "I'm sorry,"
Misty shook her head as she instructed Starmie to use another Psybeam while Pyra attempted to use Slash to try and get free damage in. Seeing Psybeam caused an idea to grow. "If we could confuse Fearligatr, that could give us the chance we need."
Brock grew a smile, knowing that his Zubat could use Supersonic to confuse the Water-type. "And when he's confused, Pikachu could come in to paralyze him," Red whispered to the group. "Pikachu has to stay alive until then."
The Executive heard this plan. While he found it impressive that they constructed this so quickly, he knew that could cause Feraligatr to lose the fight. "Feraligatr," He began as the Water-type knocked away Jangmo-o with his arm. "Target Pikachu."
"Aligatr!" Feraligatr charged towards Pikachu with his massive jaw closed, starting to form a Dragon Pulse from his mouth. Green got a big smile as she brought out Viney.
"Oh no, you don't! Viney, use Vine Whip!" Viney called upon a vine to hit Feraligatr straight in the face. Surprisingly, this worked as the blue blast with the head of a dragon was angled to the side, being able to completely miss Pikachu as the Electric-type breathed a sigh of relief.
Feraligatr glared at the Grass-type, Viney becoming very scared that he made a terrible mistake. Feraligatr charged for an Aerial Ace, a move that would've quickly taken out the Pokémon. Bulbasaur gasped as he went to help out his acquaintance. "Bulba!"
Bulbasaur shielded Viney just in time to be hit with a critical hit Aerial Ace! "Bulbasaur!" Ash shouted in complete concern as Wartortle gasped as well. Viney could grab onto the one who saved him, seeing his fainted face as Ash went over. "You're going to be okay! You did great!" Ash assured his fainted Pokémon as he called him back.
Feraligatr would attack once again before something bit down on the back of his neck. Feraligatr cringed as he ripped out the cause of the pain, which was revealed to be Jangmo-o with a completely serious face. "Jang mo-o mo-o!" He cried with passion. Starmie was there to shoot Swift at Feraligatr, being hit with the inescapable attack.
"Pika!" Pikachu took this moment to use Iron Tail to slap Feraligatr's hand off of Jangmo-o, releasing the small Dragon-type. Jangmo-o sent quick thanks as Feraligatr was now dealing with Ash's Pidgey, using Quick Attack to harm Feraligatr.
"This could be our only chance." Red proclaimed as Pikachu was ready for the order. "Use Thunder Wave to make him paralyzed." Just as Pikachu was about to throw out the move, Feraligatr gave a mighty growl.
"Feraligatr!" Using his massive arms, he punched the ground with extreme force. The ground began to shake as powerful vibrations crossed the miniature battlefield where the battle was occurring. Every Pokémon took severe damage from this powerful move. This was enough to make Onix faint, leave Pikachu and Pyra in excruciating pain, and everyone else having most of their health taken from them. Pidgey was the only one not affected.
"Onix, are you alright?" Brock asked, looking at his fallen Pokémon. "Onix, return." The teenager took out the Rock-type, switching him in for Zubat to hopefully enact confusion in Feraligatr.
Pikachu slowly stood back up from the strong move, breathing extremely heavily from what he had endured. "Pikachu," He heard Red call out. "Let me swap you out. You're struggling to stand up." Pikachu stubbornly shook his head, getting up with gritted teeth to see Feraligatr.
Feraligatr went to Starmie to launch a Dragon Pulse on the downed Water-type. Starmie was hit full force, fainting after the powerful move. "Starmie!" Misty called back her Pokémon as she was left standing there. The last three Pokémon she had wouldn't be able to do the trick and would most likely ask to be placed back in their ball if they saw the terror they had to deal with.
Green was focused on the fight but still kept her goofy side. "Here comes the pain!" Pyra threw out another Slash, actually hitting Feraligatr this time around. The girl noticed something as she looked at the scared May. "Hey, March. Why aren't you fighting?"
"Huh?" May was confused by the wrong name but knew now wasn't the time. "Well, I-I don't know how to help out! You guys seem like you're doing well,"
As this happened, Pidgey was knocked out of the sky with a mid-air Aerial Ace. The poor Flying-type was knocked out in one move. Ash quickly ran over and comforted his Pokémon, having lost half of his team to this beast of a Water-type. Red looked at May. "Next time, don't say that last part out loud."
May nervously chuckled as she looked back, knowing she had to do something about this. "Alright! Here goes!" She brought her Poke Ball out, bringing out Charmander. Green gained the biggest smile after seeing Fire-type.
She giggled loudly after seeing him. "She has a Charmander!" The fight briefly halted as Green happily ran to May. "I knew we could be great friends! Do you want to see my Pokémon plush collection?" Charmander and May looked somewhat overwhelmed.
"Uh..."
"Green," Ash called out as he knew that this wasn't the time, even though he knew that Green was just like this. "Let's focus on winning first."
Green gave an exaggerated groan. "Man. You're usually so much more fun, Ashie." The battle quickly started up again as everyone watched on, the crowd becoming bigger and bigger. Unknown to anyone there, the Squirtle they tried to capture never left. She stood by when she saw these guys weren't giving up, and a small amount of respect came from her as they stood their ground.
"Squir," She remarked as she mainly followed the Wartortle in battle. The Wartortle tried to launch an Ice Beam as Jangmo-o went for Iron Tail, both attacks being shunned by Feraligatr.
Charmander looked with fear, looking back at May with an unsure look. "I know this looks bad, but... actually, this is just bad." May admitted before clenching her fist tight. "But we have to try!"
Charmander, despite still being scared, agreed with the idea as he looked at the intimating Water-type. Damian scoffed after seeing that these idiots took Charmander as their own. "What I'd expect from people who can't beat one Pokémon?" He mockingly asked himself.
"Char!"
May nodded as she pointed at Feraligatr. "Alright, Charmander! Use Embor!"
Ash, Misty, Ryan, and Brock gained the biggest sweat drop imaginable after hearing that incredibly wrong attack. Charmander gave his Trainer a look that told her she was an idiot. Red slapped himself on the forehead after hearing that, and Green gave out the biggest laugh after hearing how funny it was. Even Faraligatr chuckled as he kicked Viney away from him.
"Uh! I mean, use Ember!" May said while keeping up her serious look. "Yeah! That's exactly what I said the first time." Charmander gave a giant eye roll as he launched small flames at Feraligatr.
It went as well as expected, as Feraligatr barely felt anything. The powerful Water-type focused on the other Pokémon as Charmander tried to make some impact. Crystal was enjoying watching this battle. "These kids are fun to watch." She mentally remarked as she gained a genuine smile. "That brown-haired girl with blue eyes is a bit dumb, but he's still fun."
Jangmo-o and Pyra were breathing heavily as they were one hit away from fainting. Feraligatr looked down at them, finding it honorable that they would still stand up against him. "Jangmo-o! Jang jan!" The little Dragon-type chanted as he stood up tall in the face of defeat.
Feraligatr threw his tail at them as they were knocked back by Aqua Tail, fainting on the ground. "NO!" Green ran over to her best Pokémon, with Ryan there for his fallen Dragon-type. "Pyra! Pyra, wake up!" She begged her Pokémon. For the first time, Green was being serious about this whole battle.
Ryan looked ahead to see Feraligatr take on Viney, the Water-type tossing him right next to Green as he went after the other Pokémon. "Ash! We can't win!" Ryan yelled at his friend after seeing all the damage they sustained. "We need to forfeit!"
"But we're so close!" Ash answered as he knew how dangerous this battle was but was not even going to try and give up. "We just need to confuse or paralyze him!"
"You aren't listening to me!"
Ash shook his head as he commanded Wartortle to use another Bite. Ryan wasn't the only one to share this idea, as Misty didn't want to see any more Pokémon faint because of Feraligatr. "Ash! Just call it off!" Ash didn't answer the girl's demands.
Brock and Red continued the battle as Green's last Pokémon, Luna, was now on the field. Green was quickly angry as she and Luna wanted vengeance for Viney and Pyra. "Now's your chance, Zubat!" Brock told his Poison-type.
"Bat!" Zubat had now begun to launch Supersonic, one of the last remaining hopes for the group.
"I don't think so," Executive instructed Fearligatr to snipe Zubat out of the air. As Feraligatr was about to attack, he felt something down below, seeing a weakened Pikachu while giving him a big smile. Pikachu had kept himself hidden, waiting for a chance like this.
"Thunderbolt, Pikachu!"
"PIKA CHUUUUUUU!" Pikachu used all his energy to launch a mighty Thunderbolt at point-blank range. Feraligatr felt this powerful attack as electricity went throughout his body. The Executive seemed surprised by this as Fearliagtr glared down, readying his arm for a punch. Pikachu continued to smile even when the next Earthquake that Fearligatr launched knocked him out.
Pikachu landed on the ground with a smile on his face. Fearligatr seemed to struggle as his body froze up for a second, realizing that the Pikachu had paralyzed him. Zubat's Supersonic landed as Fearligatr saw it come, but Brock gasped when he saw the Water-type not suffer from the move. "No! Fearligatr didn't get confused!" Red went to his Pikachu to pick him up gently.
"Your Pikachu is strong." Red looked up with silent surprise. Executive looked at the boy with a calm gaze. "The Electric-type is powerful, but it was unfortunately burdened with fighting such a superior foe. I would be curious to see who would win in a far more balanced battle."
Red kept a calculated stare on the Executive. "I appreciate the praise, but you are still my enemy." He replied with some coldness in his voice. The Executive nodded as he told Feraligatr to use Dragon Pulse, taking out Zubat with minimal difficulty.
Brock's breathing became uneven as he looked at who was left in the battle. He knew that sending Geodude out would make no difference in this fight, seeing Oddish taken out with a critical hit Aqua Tail. "Do you have any other Pokémon to help out, Red?"
"I have a Bulbasaur, but I doubt that will do any good," Red replied, recalling how all past Grass-types were easily handled. "We just have to rely on luck now. I can't help anymore, as my Pokémon will not be of significant assistance."
"I'm in the same boat," May replied, seeing the girl come right next to them. "The only other Pokémon I help is a Beldum that harms itself, and that doesn't exactly sound very useful."
"Charmander was taken out?" May sadly nodded as Red looked at the battle, now seeing Pinsir and Nidoran emerge as Luna activated Metronome. Red made a quick debate in his head, taking out Bulbasaur. "I'll see what I can do with what's left."
"Clefable!" Luna got a Metronome off as her attack conjured a pink wind, directing Fairy Wind to Feraligatr. While it did okay damage, this got Feraligatr's attention as the Water-type began to direct his attention to the poor Fairy-type. "Fairy!" She cried out as she began to run.
"War!" Wartortle landed a Bite on Feraligatr's leg, causing the Water-type to look down in pain. Despite his superior health and defense, all the attacks that had come his way had started to show on the Pokémon, becoming a bit exhausted after enduring so much. Wartortle let go to avoid a clawed hand coming his way, looking up to see Fearligatr licking his teeth angrily.
As this happened, a seed was placed on his back. Feraligatr looked back to see that Bulbasaur launched a Leech Seed at him. The speed began to sprout little vines all over his arms and back, glowing red after taking over. Feraligatr felt his health being sapped from him as Feraligatr went for Aerial Ace. Unfortunately, his body froze as paralysis kicked in.
"Pins!" Pinsir charged ahead with Vital Throw, bringing Feraligatr to his knees. Nidoran also tried to help with Fury Attack, but that was less painful than what the Pokémon just did. Nidoran managed to get four hits until he was hit with an earthquake, taking him out instantly as his body lay near Feraligatr. The powerful Water-type stood back up, giving a mighty roar to show off his power.
Feraligatr went to use a powerful Aerial Ace at the one who caused his health to be constantly drained. "Pinsir!" Pinsir got in the way, taking the full force of an Aerial Ace for him. Bulbasaur could only gasp as he saw the fainted Pinsir before him.
"Oh no!" Ryan cried out in fear. His entire team was practically wiped out at this point. He called back his Bug-type as panic set in. "What do we do?! What do we do?!" He repeated as his breathing became highly uneven.
"Why are you asking me?" May asked in pure fear as well. "Do I look like I have the answer?"
Bulbasaur was quickly taken care of with a critical hit Dragon Pulse. "You did very good, "Red soothingly assured his Pokémon, placing him back in his Poke Ball. The only ones that were left were Wartortle and Luna. "Ash,"
"Wartortle, use Protect!" Wartortle made a shield for himself to dodge the oncoming Dragon Pulse. The Water-type had heavy sweat on his face, breathing in and out hard as he was in the battle longer than anyone else.
"Fable!" Luna cast a Metronome, knowing that this would possibly be her last move as Feraligatr ran to her. Instead of calling upon a move that could harm Feraligatr significantly, or a least weaken him, she got Fairy Lock. Glowing pink chains surrounded Feraligatr to prevent him from switching out the next turn... even though he wasn't going to switch out in the first place.
Feraligatr came by with a strong Aqua Tail, knocking out Luna with the devastating stab move. "No!" Green cried out as she went to comfort her last Pokémon. "My babies! What kind of mother am I?"
Feraligatr looked down at his last opponent, licking his lips as he came closer. Squirtle was still watching, seeing how these kinds fought to the very end, even if they weren't exactly impressive against Feraligatr. She quickly moved and began to run straight for the battlefield. Seeing how brave Wartortle was made her finally help out since she had nothing to lose by doing this.
Ash grew fear for his Pokémon as he saw Feraligatr tower over him. "Wartortle!" He called out. "Just... just use Protect again!"
"Ash! Call this match off now!" Everyone was shocked, as Brock had never raised his voice like this. "Wartortle will faint!" Ash's breathing became more ragged as he looked on, his stubbornness and pride not wanting the match to end before its natural conclusion.
Wartortle attempted to cast Protect again but gasped when he saw it didn't work. He looked up as he was now at the mercy of Feraligatr. "Feral lig atr eral." He calmly assured the Pokémon as he readied an Aerial Ace, intending to finish this once and for all. Wartortle closed his eyes tightly to brace himself for the oncoming move.
"SQUIRTLE!"
Suddenly, a shield protected Wartortle from the attack as Feraligatr was pushed back. The Pokémon looked up to see that a Squirtle had joined the battle, sending a cocky smile as she pointed at him. Everyone was caught off-guard for a moment. "Wait. Squirtle came back?" Ryan asked in surprise.
"YAY!" Green said in joy. "Now we have three turtles with us! Isn't that neat?" Everyone was too focused on the battle to give a proper answer.
Squirtle looked at Wartortle as he got back up. "Squirt le irt quir?" She asked if she was late for the party.
"War! Wartort le war le tort." He responded angrily, noting how she could've helped at any time besides this one. Squirtle rolled her eyes and got a good chuckle from seeing him so mad. Feraligatr looked at the two Pokémon, freezing up from the paralysis.
"War Wartortle tort tle?" Squirtle nodded at the request for help.
"Squir tle squ ir tl." She remarked that she always enjoyed a good fight, hiding in her shell and approaching with Rapid Spin. Wartortle launched an Ice Beam that Feraligatr could shrug off but was surprised when Squirtle hit him on the side with her Normal-type move.
Feraligatr was having difficulty keeping track of the two little opponents, as they would use their surroundings and moves to get the jump on him quickly. Wartrotle slid away with the ice from Ice Beam, and Squirtle used Rapid Spin to get anything off of her. Executive was surprised at how these two attempted to win with intelligence and misdirection, not pure power.
"It's just a bunch of stupid turtles!" Damian complained after seeing this going on for more than a minute. "Just take them down already!"
Everyone was watching, feeling the hope finally spark within them again. "There's no way they could win this... right?" Misty thought in disbelief.
"KEEP GOING!" Green cheered, joined by Ryan as well. Squirtle was able to knock Feraligatr off his feet, the two small Water-types going to go for a double Bite Attack on the downed opponent.
Feraligatr looked at the two approaches, giving a sharp glare. As the two had jumped over him, the powerful Water-type leaped up. "Gatr!" Feraligatr grabbed the two from the air as he stood up, holding each one in his arm. Feraligatr growled as he held each one by the neck, pressing down hard as the two struggled.
Ash gasped as he quickly stepped up. "Don't do it! Please!" Ash begged, Wartortle trying his hardest to look back at Ash.
The Executive had his arms behind his back as he looked at Ash. "Have you finally admitted defeat? Just give your response, and we can call this battle off. I implore you to make your choice now."
Ash was now in the front of all this, as this was his decision. He saw Feraligatr slowly tightening his grip, ignoring the unfortunate attempts to kick and scratch him. Squirtle felt her neck becoming smaller and smaller, gasping for air as she kicked widely. "Squirt!" She cried out in sharp pain. This cry of torture was the last push for Ash.
"WAIT!"
Feraligatr stopped his tightening grip, looking at Ash as the boy stood only a few feet away. Crystal gave a curious look at what was happening now while Damian and Executive kept their gaze fixed. "Are you willing to give up on this battle?" Executive asked the boy. Ash wanted to say something more, that he would find some way to win, that there was hope. But right now, all he could was submit.
"I... I surrender,"
Ash's voice was weak as he looked down in pure shame at what he had just said. Feraligatr looked at the two Water-types in his hands before dropping them on the ground softly, finally letting them get the oxygen they were desperate for. Wartortle and Squirtle weakly crawled over to the oncoming Ash, landing in the boy's arms as he hugged the two.
Ash held them tight as he didn't want to let them go, not after they had just witnessed. Executive watched as the three had a touching scene, feeling some ounce of remorse as he looked upon them. "I am glad you could look past your pride." He told Ash, but the boy didn't even look up. "Going into battle will not always turn out for the better."
Feraligatr calmed down as he stood by his Trainer, taking a much-needed break from the multiple Pokémon he was put through. Crystal stepped up as he looked at the group. "Thank you for being mindful of your safety." Crystal complimented, glad that nothing terrible happened to these kids. "As fun as this was, we have a mission to complete."
Everyone looked, knowing that nothing could be done to stop these individuals. Everyone stood aside to make a clear path for the three. The Team Rocket members calmly walked through and passed by Ash, who was still on the ground as he held Squirtle and Wartortle.
The Executive suddenly stopped, looking down upon the boy. "I appreciate your surrender." He admitted in a softer voice. "And I... do mean that." Ash glared at the boy with intense anger, not even caring about how genuine he sounded. He gave a look of pure anger as the Executive merely looked at him, calmly turning away from Ash and walking away.
For the briefest of moments, Ash's eyes lost their brown color. It was becoming something blue.
But this strange change wasn't noticed by anyone as Ash looked down at the two Pokémon, seeing how Wartortle had passed out from exhaustion in his arms. He looked at Squirtle, who seemed somewhat nervous, giving a grateful look for a second before looking back down. Ash could only think about what had just happened as everything weighed on him.
The three members, alongside Feraligatr, made their way across the town as they heard police sirens. "Stop right there, boys!" Jenny said as she pulled up with her motorcycle, taking out a Poke Ball. "You have gone far enough! You are certainly up to something, and I am here to prevent that."
"What makes you so sure we're here for crime?" Executive calmly asked her with respect. "We have done nothing illegal, as we are simply walking across this path."
"The battle you had could certainly count," Jenny replied. "That was an unauthorized battle in a civilian area."
Crystal was thinking about how to answer. "But we didn't start the fight. Ask one of those kids, and you'll hear that they were the ones to make the first move."
"Even so, I can still arrest you for participating in an organization such as yours," Jenny answered as she had her Poke Ball out. "We have called for help from the Pokémon League. It will be a matter of time before someone comes that you won't be able to win against."
"As interesting as it would be to see who will come, we must leave before then." Executive answered as he petted Feraligatr. "We just need information for our mission. I am confident that you know about what has recently happened and that you must have learned something that could be crucial."
"Maybe, maybe not," Jenny said. "I know I won't win, but I can at least slow you down! Arcanine, go!"
What came out was a majestic-looking Fire-type. Arcanine was a quadrupedal, canine Pokémon with an orange pelt marked by jagged black stripes. She had diamond-shaped ears with beige insides, black eyes, a black nose, and two pointed teeth from her upper jaw. The head, muzzle, and chest were covered in shaggy, beige fur except for the ears and eyes. Long tufts of hair grew behind the elbows and around the ankles. Her underside was black and had a billowing, beige tail bent in the middle. "Arcan!" Arcanine growled as she came out.
Feraligatr was stunned momentarily as he grabbed his chest, still suffering from paralysis. Crystal stepped forward as she sent a smile to the Water-type. "Don't worry, big guy. I'm here to help."
"Feral lig atr fer." He complained, not wanting any help. Imagine what that would make him look like if he needed help.
Crystal just smiled as she took a Poke Ball out. "You're always so hardheaded. Maybe that's why you two are so good for each other."
Damian couldn't believe these two were chatting like friends, even though one was superior. Executive rolled his eyes as he looked forward. "So, about that help?"
What stood beside Feraligatr was pale-green reptilian Pokémon that resembled a sauropod dinosaur. She had a long neck, yellow eyes, a short, blunt snout, and two stamen-like antennae on top of that snout. Her antennas were slightly shorter than a boy's. Encircling her neck were large, pink flower petals with a yellow central pattern and white edges—three claws on each foot with a stubby tail.
"Meganium!" The Grass-type happily called out, having an amiable smile on her face as she looked at her best friend. Feraligatr seemed a bit nervous as the two looked at Jenny and Arcanine. Arcanine placed his foot heavily on the ground to prepare himself to strike. Damian watched as his new leaders took care of the people that he most feared.
Back with the main group, everyone tried to ensure they were okay. Nothing could be done about the fainted Pokémon, as they had no revives to work with. May and Green had volunteered to find Nurse Joy or someone to help them with their issues. All of them were too stunned to move for minutes, especially Ash, as he was still in the same place with the two Water-types.
Ryan looked on, unsure of what to do as he saw how Brock was trying to comfort the distressed Misty. "W-What's going to happen now?" He asked out loud.
Red looked at Ryan. Red was usually one to have an answer for something like this, but what could he say now? "I... I think we'll stay here for a few minutes. It's clear no one wants to move." Ryan nodded, still shaken by the events as he sat on the ground.
Ash felt extremely angry, all of which was directed at himself. He felt entirely responsible for all the loss his friends had to go through and how his friends were seriously harmed. The boy didn't want to cry, as he knew that would not be a brave thing. It took all his willpower as he kept a distant look.
"Ash!" Ash felt scared momentarily but visibly calmed down when he saw it was Misty. The girl tried smiling for him as her soft hand was on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Ash's answer didn't come for a solid ten seconds.
"What's... What's... wrong with me?" Ash asked himself, seeing everything that he had caused. The realization hit the boy like a boat, as all he could do now was see the friends he ultimately couldn't protect. For the first time, Ash couldn't fight his way out of it. Ash hit himself in the head as he was on his knees. "Why... Why am I such an idiot?!"
END OF CHAPTER 11
...So that just happened. What happened was a tragedy, something you can't simply forget about. A journey of any kind isn't just about fun and games, as there are points where something forces one to become serious at that moment. This loss will affect Ash later, and we'll see what the boy feels about himself a few chapters later.
Edit 6/23/23: This chapter was unsparingly dark and featured OCs that no one would ever think to care about. This was probably one of the biggest failures before I rewrote it, and thank goodness, I finally fixed this thing up. Even though everyone made it out, it will not be easy for Ash or anyone else. Along with this, our first Elite Four member will finally appear, along with a character that I doubt anyone expected in the next chapter. As for these two new Rocket members... well, you'll see.
Ash's Team: Wartortle (M), Pidgey (F), Nidoran (M), Bulbasaur (M)
Misty's Team: Starmie (N/G), Azumarill (M), Horsea (F), Magikarp (M), Jigglypuff (F)
Misty's Other Members: Seaking (F)
Ryan's Team: Pinsir (M), Butterfree (M), Jangmo-o (M), Oddish (M)
Brock's Team: Geodude (M), Onix (M), Zubat (M)
May's Team: Beldum (Shiny, N/G), Charmander (M)