Pikachu: Hi everyone!

Author: Narrate, Eevee!

Eevee: Last time, Ash and Red and Leaf got the Cascade badge from Misty, 'Whispers' her Starmie was scarily mysterious, 'narrates' and then they met AJ, who Ditto was about to whip with a REAL WHIP. And that's it.

Author: the next day, the group did not see anything extraordinary, and their they were, after the day, near a Pokémon school.

Eevee: 'cries' Please, give me a cookie!

Author: why are you doing that?

Eevee: 'smiles' I thought I'd get two cookies by making you empathize with me.

Author: empathize-… what? You want me to feel sad and give you more than one cookie, if I understood correctly?

Eevee: 'hopeful' yes?

Author: it did not work. 'Cookie levitates towards Eevee'

Eevee: 'shrugs however that works' at least I got one. 'Eats the cookie'

Pikachu: Hey, why can't I get a c–


Enjoy chapter 7 Starters, Bill?


Ash, Red, Leaf, and Brock were ready to set camp for the day. Their training was like usual, though Ditto improved his training, claiming he wanted to learn the abilities Team Rocket had unlocked in him. Pikachu still struggled with Thunderbolt, and Pika was getting faster. Kakuna and Metapod were even friendlier toward each other after the latter evolved. They had supplies, camp, but they did not have wood to cook dinner.

"Guys, you four go wander in the unknown forest alone without protection except for your Pokémon and get firewood so we can cook dinner while I prepare the tables and chares I put in my bag," Brock suggested.

"That was very… specific… details of what we should do, OK, let's go," Leaf agreed.

"Yeah," Red agreed, followed by Ash.

So the three Pallet Town trainers and the disguised as Ash Pokémon went wandering around the forest and collecting wood. They got lots of wood and were on their way back when they heard voices.

"When does Pidgey learn Sand Attack?" a young man's voice asked.

"Level five," a small voice replied.

"When does it learn Whirlwind?" another young man's voice asked.

"level nineteen."

"What is the signature move of Darkrai?"

"What's a Darkrai?"

"You Don't know Darkrai? The pitch-black Pokémon?"

"I didn't learn about it."

"Well then go learn and come back, GET OUTTA HERE."

"Please give me another chance!"

"Fine, which Pokémon holds the number one thousand and two in the pokédex?"

"Uh, what?"

"That's it! You don't deserve to even be in the Pokémon Teck."

"Yeah, how are you gonna improve if you keep going like this?"

"I'm sorry!"

It was that moment the three trainers and Ditto decided to come in.

"Don't apologize," Ash started. "You shouldn't be put on a running machine of some sort and asked hard questions like those."

"B-but-"

"Mind your own business kids," a young man from the gathered said harshly.

"No. Why are you asking him questions like those, he's a boy, not super intelligent AI or something," Red pointed out, in a scolding manner.

"We weren't asking hard que-"

"What's the signature move of Darkrai then?"

"Uh, Uh, *ahem* Darkrai's Ray of destruction?"

"It's a cool name for a movie, but it's not Darkrai's signature move," Ditto said.

"How do you know?"

"uh—I don't force a boy to run and ask him hard questions that might give me a headache?" Ditto said sarcastically.

"These are not hard qu- … never mind," another young man said.

"Much better."

"Why were you asking him those questions in the first place?" Red scolded again.

"It's our job to train him and give him information about Pokémon, well, not just ours but you got the point. But he's not improving or learning anything," another of the young men replied.

"Maybe stop asking him impossible to answer questions?" Leaf suggested, frustrated by their illogicality.

"No. He won't improve this way."

"Why are you 'training him' as you call it anyway?" Ash wondered.

"It's the Pokémon Technical Institute, duh."

"Pokémon what Instagram?" Ditto asked.

"Institute, not Instagram."

"Oh? What's that?"

"The Pokémon Technical Institute is a prestigious boarding school that trains Pokémon Trainers. It's located nearby, and the students are all required to wear uniforms in it. The school's curriculum is very cool, and the students are constantly being tested on their knowledge of Pokémon"… the young man kept rambleing about it for five minutes. "And our motto is 'Strength through Knowledge.'"

"What?" Ditto inquired, confused by the explanation. `Did someone help him memorize this speech? Or it's just lies?` "Please simplify it."

The young man sighed. "If you learn here, you get to enter the league without collecting eight gym badges. And also you'd have lots of knowledge."

"Do you have someone that we can talk to about this?" Red asked the kid that was running. "And please, tell me who you are."

"My name is Joe, and you don't need to talk to anyone about this, it's-" Joe was interrupted by a burst from Red.

"Tell me, can we talk, with someone, or not!" Redburst out, preventing the ability to argue.

"Uh, OK, OK, there's Giselle, a top student, but-" Joe was interrupted again.

"Take us to her!"

"O-OK."

"Hey, he needs to study for-"

"Do I look like I care?" Red asked, interrupting the young man.

The young man glared at Red, who returned the glare with an uncaring look.

"Joe, take us," Red ordered simply.

So Joe took them. The institute was big, full with people who seemed very rich, and when Ash asked about that, Joe told him that the school required a the students to pay a high price, and that was the reason for it. Joe took them where Giselle, the top, most expert, student in the entire institute was learning. When they saw her, Red promptly decided to start.

"you're Giselle?" Red asked inquisitively.

"Yes, I'm Giselle, anything I can help you with?" Giselle asked in response.

"The boy here" Red pointed at Joe "Is getting hard questions, and the people who -train – him, and I emphasize train, tell him that he's not good for the school if he answers wrong. It's not his fault when they ask him questions like those. Can you, Giselle, tell me what's the signature move of Darkrai?"

"Uh, sure, it's uh… the Dark rise?"

"You've gotta be kidding me! How is he, not the top student, supposed to know something that the –top student- doesn't know?!" Red shouted, angry at such carelessness and ridiculousness. "I'm sure you can answer that!"

"Well, that's why we come to this school, it's because we can learn from each other and-"

"There is no number one thousand and two Pokémon in the pokédex, these are lies, all lies!"

(I know there are one thousand and nine Pokémon, but Paradox Pokémon aren't supposed to be known to the public.)

"I see, I understand that, but what about other questions, like battling questions?"

"Battle me, and let's see how this school's doing."

"Sure, let's go to the battlefield!"


On the battlefield, Joe stood as referee as Red and Giselle faced each other, holding a pokéball as they waited for the start of the match.

"This battle is between, uh, what's your name?" Joe asked Red a question he whished he had asked earlier.

"Red," Red replied.

"Red and Giselle, it's a o-one on one?" Giselle nodded. "One on one for something I don't know, uh I mean begin!"

"Go, Cubone!" Giselle called. She threw out the pokéball in her hand, and it opened, and Cubone materialized before them.

"Clefable, come on out!" Red called.

"Freedom, the pokéball is so boring," Clefable mumbled once it was out.

"You OK?" Red asked the fairy-type, confused by itsact.

"Yeah, just bored, oh wait, I'm gonna battle, YAY!" Clefable cheered, nodding happily.

"That's a yes to me," Red declared, understanding the message. "Use Disarming Voice!"

"DISARMING VOICE!" Clefable cried loudly, lengthening the letter "O" in the word "VOICE".

Cubone cried as it felt the pain from the loud attack.

"Cubone, don't cry, use Bone Club!" Giselle called out.

"OK!" Cubone complied, holding a bone and clubbing Clefable with it.

Clefable stopped using Disarming Voice, confused by the attack's softness. "Is that supposed to make me feel anything?" Clefable asked confusedly.

"It didn't?" Cubone gasped. "Oh! I knew it! I knew it!" it shouted, beginning to cry. "I'm so weak! Useless!"

"No no, wait, it was s-strong and I felt it and it's powerful-"

"Clefable, it's not gonna work, Cubone always cry," Ditto informed, trying to comfort and calmhis friend.

"But that's sad!" Clefable stated, sympathizing with Cubone.

"Clefable, focus!" Red called. Then he ordered her to use Copy Cat.

Clefable did, and Bone Clubbed Cubone, who cried louder. Clefable wanted to comfort Cubone, but she could not, something was preventing her.

"Cubone, Bonemerang!" Giselle ordered.

"Bonemereng? Uh, right, Bonemerang!" Cubone called, Cubone made a boomerang out of a bone, and threw it, the bone hit Clefable twice, but for an unknown reason, she could not express her emotions, her facial expressions were… not working.

Red ordered Clefable to Copycat, and she immediately did without hesitation. But not out of determination, it was out of that mysterious power that was forcing her to do it. she made a boomerang out of a bone somehow, and threw it. the bone saured with incredible speed, striking Cubone twice, while going and coming back.

"Your Clefable can't keep using Copycat forever," Giselle pointed out tauntingly, patient and strategizing to take Red down.

'Metronome,' Clefable felt the order and began using Metronome, she wiggled her finger.

"Uh, Metronome is a move that could be almost any move," Joe observed, noting this to himself for the future.

Two blades of air shot towards Cubone, and hit it with strong force that sent it flying. It fell and flinched afterward.

"Cubone!" Giselle called in worry. "Bonemerang!"

'Reflect,' a barrier appeared on Clefable's side, stopping the Bonemerang and causing it to fall instead of go back to Cubone. True, people think the only use for Reflect is to weaken attacks, but sometimes, when and if used correctly, it can stop attacks too, if they were weak, of course. It depends on the amount of psychic put in the move. 'Copy Cat,' Clefable used that stopped Bonemerang, and struck Cubone twice, knocking it out.

"No way, Reflect doesn't stop attacks. And who would expect that a Pokémon's Bonemerang'd be used against it?" Giselle grumbled in disbelief.

"You're talking to a friend of a guy, who knocked out a sandshrew using its fissure," Red told Giselle.

"You did that?"

"He did," Red pointed at Ash.

"How? How'd you do that?" Giselle asked, bewildered.

"Oh it's hard! You gotta focus, and come up with an idea, and move your lips and do physical stuff like Newton and then tell your Pokémon to do it," Ash deadpanned.

Giselle did not respond, except with an even more confused look.

Ash sighed. "You need, to use, your mind, and, logic. Not depend on books!"

"Logic?" Giselle wondered. "Can you please focus on using logic in battles? Im the most top student in here and I whish to understand this to help my classmates to improve."

"No," Red refused. "This, figure out on your own."

Giselle smiled extraordinarily. "You think I'll let you escape with this amazing information?" the girl asked in a creepy tone. "Oh no no no."

"Joe?" Red called, concerned of the horror movie they had put themselves in.

"Mm?" Joe asked, wondering what did Red need.

"Follow us," Red told him, then turned and ran, followed by Ash and Leaf, Ditto signaled Joe to follow and ran, and Clefable stood there, looking relieved, before realizing that they need to run, so she waited for Joe.

Giselle was already with a microphone calling out everyone. "Catch the twins and their friends!" The speakers made the process of hearing the command easier, and soon, crouds of students, from little kids to grown adults, came out of nowhere and began the mad chase out the school.

"We're not twins," Ash called from far away.

Joe looked at Giselle as she smiled creepily, and realized why he needed to run right now. "Clefable, you're waiting for me?" he checked in a hurry.

"Mm-hmm," Clefable nodded.

"Let's go!" Joe ran after the group as quick as he could.


A very, very long crazy chase later.

"Alright Alright, stop!" Red yelled at the mob chasing after him and Ash, Ditto, Leaf and Joe. "what do you want?"

"Like I said before, teach me so I can teach the others and everyone's happy," Giselle called back.

"Seriously? You're an entire institute chasing four kids for this? Doesn't anyone of you know how to battle right? Let them teach you!"

"We all know the same way I used against you."

Red sighed, disbelieving of the fact no one in this big Pokémon Tech was actually a proper trainer. "Fine, you have five minutes, one at a time! Ask, and we reply. And stop, bullying, Joe!"

"What's Darkrai's signature move?" one person asked.

"Dark-"

"Don't tell them," Red reminded Ditto, who stopped immediately. "Ask another question."

"How do you know all this about Pokémon?" another person asked.

"We learn?"

"How much Pokémon there are."

"A lot," Ditto replied.

"How much?"

"Over one thousand."

(Not counting Paradox Pokémon, I mean surely there is a tenth generation.. right?)

(Wait, what?) (Oh, OK.) (Never mind.) (That's not "There is no tenth generation", that's a joke.)

"Wow."

"Are you twins? Because I think you said you're not."

"We're not twins," Red clarified.

"How were you carrying all this wood and still managed to outrun all of us?"

"Is that 'questions about Pokémon' or is it 'ask me personal questions you should mind your business and not ask'?"

"Sorry."

"The clock's ticking!"


Joe got back to the institute, and everyone apologized for bullying him. Giselle was told to by books, and when she said she had some, Red told her to read them and watch matches of the league. Red returned clefable. Overall, that ended well, except for one thing.

"Wait, aren't we supposed to get back and give the wood to Brock and set up camp?" Ash remembered urgently.

"Oh yeah, Brock!" Leaf and Red remembered.

"Leave it to me," Ditto said, he then transformed into pidgeot and signaled 'hop on'.

The humans and Pokémon did, and they were on their way.

Brock wondered where the others went, he regretted that he sent them alone, without protection, and just… regretted not going with them. But when he heard their voices, his face lit up with relief and delight.


In the forest, beneath the midday sun, a serene and happy scene unfolded. Sunlight bathed the tall and short trees alike, casting a gentle glow upon the forest floor. The cool and gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, making a soothing melody. The diverse array of trees, with some adorned with large leaves and others with normal foliage, formed a welcoming canopy that allowed people to wander freely. Pokémon such as Caterpie, Pidgey, and Metapod could be spotted, going about their business among the branches. The sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, infusing the scene with a radiant and joyful ambiance, invoking feelings of happiness. The air was filled with the enchanting sounds of Pidgey's coos and the soft rustling of leaves, embracing visitors with the familiar melodies of nature. A tall bridge stood at the forest's end, serving as a distinctive landmark. The lively atmosphere of the forest carried a touch of peace, making a harmonious balance. It was a place where the beauty of nature and the presence of Pokémon intertwine, forming a vibrant tapestry of life.

If the group were not lost, they would stand and admire the happy and lively vibrations coming from the seen around them.

"Remind me how did we get lost!" Leaf barked, frustrated bythem being in the middle of nowhere with no signal or anything to help them to find civilization.

"Someone!, decided to catch a pidgeotto, and then got us lost," Red replied, glancing at Ash before going back to looking around. "I don't see anything to go by, how am I supposed to know where are w-, hey, is that bridge on the map?"

"What bridge?" Leaf asked. When she saw Red pointing, she looked. "Oh."

"uh, no-o-o? It's not," hesitated, thinking of the possibility of this not being on a map. It was either a trap, or a place the mapper thought no one would get to this place. Still should have put it just in case.

"How is there a bridge not on the map?" Ash asked.

"no idea, but it isn't."

"Let's go explore it. Ignoring the fact it might be a trap or something because it's cool, and obviously isn't," Ditto suggested optimistically.

"When you put it that way," Ash started.

"Let's go!" the others finished eagerly.


The bridge was a trap.

And Brock fell in it. Or from it is the correct word.

It was seemingly simple, just cross the bridge, and it was over. That was until the bridge looked like it was collapsing and the group barely made it, without Brock. Ash and Ditto tried to help, but they were too late. Brock fell in the river below, and the stream took him away.

"BROCK, NO!" Ash called. He tried to jump in the river, but Pikachu and Eevee stopped him, they jumped in front of him.

"Hold it!" they called.

"You're not jumping in the river," Eevee scolded protectively.

"Yeah, you might get dragged away like Brock," Pikachu added in the same manner.

"They have a point Ash," Ditto agreed.

"Maybe I'll be more convinced if I understood what they're saying," Ash pointed out, urgently, whishing to help his friend.

"You're not jumping in the river. Cause you might get drifted away like Brock."

"but I- i-"

"NO," Eevee threatened, followed by Pikachu.

"*sigh* fine, but what are we gonna do, how are we gonna get Brock out of there?" Ash pointed at the river while asking.

"Follow the stream," Red answered, already walking away, in the direction the stream was heading.

Ash, Leaf and the Pokémon followed, Pikachu and Eevee walking near Ash, protection in their eyes. They could not allow him to fall in the river, they could not.

"What are you doing here?" a Pokémon's voice shouted angrily.

"Ignore it," Ditto said, continuing to walk.

"I heard you."

"So?"

Two vines grabbed Ditto and pulled him away.

"Ditto!" Ash called, worried.

"Keep going, I'll follow you soon!" Ditto assured.

"Ash, come on," Red urged.

Ash sighed.


"Alright, why are you dragging me like a doll?" Ditto asked the bulbasaur.

"You're in a place you shouldn't be in, how did you even get here?" bulbasaur replied.

"Like a normal person?"

"You can understa-"

"Move on."

"Fine. Why are you here? Whatever you're planning to steal, you won't steal it. Got that?"

"Why would I steal anything? I mean, I've tried stealing before, trust me, it's IRRITATING!"

"Nice try, you're not tricking me."

"Sure, whatever. Where are you taking us?"

"Melanie'll know what to do with you."

"Is that an answer?"

Bulbasaur did not respond, as they, he and Ditto, saw Brock being helped out of the water by a girl, who Bulbasaur knew was Melanie.

"What the?-"

"Ha!" Ditto freed himself from the vines.

Bulbasaur growled, and extended its vines again, and tried to tie Ditto.

"Alright, enough!" Ditto raged, transforming into Pidgeot. His wing was covered with steal as he struck Bulbasaur, who did not have time to react, and was sent flying. It cried painfully as it landed.

"What are you?" it asked, shock and confusion evident on its face.

"A Pokémon you don't have the right to attack!"

"Whatever you are, you and those humans you were with are not welcome here, out, now!"

"You're not the boss of me!"

Bulbasaur growled in response.

"Whoever -you- are, mind your own business. And don't, hurt, my, friends, if you know what's good for you!" Ditto warned, his blood boiling. Then he turned around and flew away.


**First person view: Bulbasaur.**

Who said I don't get scared? Because I need to punch them in the face.

That was terrifying, how did that shape shifting thing make that face?

Oh well, it left.

So I got back to the hidden village. The place where I live, where I take care of my friends and family.

And what did I see? Melanie bringing four strange humans, with the shape shifter being the fifth, to the village.

I sighed. Why are humans so easy to manipulate? What if these people are thieves, evil trainers or… poachers?

"Hey Bulbasaur!" one of them said smiling.

"Stay away from me," I growled. True, he didn't understand me, but the body language is something else.

"Bulbasaur, come on, don't do that, say hi!" Melanie requested.

I sighed. "Hi."

"Hi, nice to meet you, I'm Pikachu, and this is Eevee, and this is our trainer, Ash!" the Pikachu on the boy's shoulder introduced. "Why are you sad?"

"Me?" I asked sarcastically. "Oh, it's nothing, I'm just curious how do humans treat their Pokémon."

"I'm not answering that."

I knew it, even the pikachu didn't like that human. Wait, where did he go?

"Ash, let pikachu and Eevee talk with it, it might hurt you you know," the boy, the shape shifter said.

"I have a gender, don't call me it," I growled, annoyed.

"Do I look like I care?" the shape shifter replied. "*sigh* OK, just don't hurt these guys and everyone's happy, got that?"

I growled.

"It's not working."

"Ditto, what's wrong?" the boy, whose name was Ash asked.

OK, now I know what the shapeshifter is.

"Shh, let's go have a race, and let Pikachu and Eevee talk with Bulbasaur," Ditto said.

"Why are you treating me like a three-year-old?"

"I wanna get you as far away from this, thing, as I can. NOW, MOVE!" Ditto ordered, scarily.

That Ash showed his speed back then when he ran fearfully, I admit, it was impressive.

"Hey Bulbasaur!" Pikachu innocently said while approaching with the Eevee. "Sorry I couldn't answer your question about trainers."

Aw, the poor Pokémon, it was so innocent! Was that trainer using violence on him to the point of being like that?

"It's OK," I replied. "I had a trainer."

"Really?"

"hmm," I nodded. "You can see where that left me."

"Caring for lots of awesome Pokémon with an awesome trainer?"

"No, *sigh*, Melanie isn't my trainer."

"Friend?"

"My friend, yes. My trainer, no. My trainer left me, and Melanie found me. She took care of me, and taught me that there is at least one good human in this world."

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the pikachu was surely apologizing from the heart, the expression showed it clearly, clearly like the sun in the sky.

"You don't need to apologize, you didn't do it."

"True. But if Ash left me alone, I'd be sad!"

Did he love his trainer that much? Or did that trainer feed him, so that was why he said that.

"You love your trainer that much?" I repeated my thought.

"Oh yeah!" the pikachu turned excited, like a water torrent when he started. "Ash is the best. I lived with him for… hold on, two years and he's been the nicest-"

"How did you meet him?"

"Oh, he gave me berries, and me and Eevee slept on top of him, and then that man was angry, and we were best friends afterward."

Seriously? Berries? What is this, a cartoon show made as a fanfic with a writer that doesn't know what he's doing with Pokémon? A human gives some Pokémon berries, and they become friends?

Wait, what?


**Omniscient view. **

After fifteen minutes.

Ash got back from the race with Ditto, and Bulbasaur immediately ran away. Pikachu and Eevee had bombarded it with so much speaking, and it needed to rest. However, it did not seem possible, as he needed, or thought he needed, to protect an oddish from Leaf, whom he thought was trying to trick and hurt the Pokémon.

"Stay away from her!" Bulbasaur growled threateningly, extending its vines.

"Whoa wait a minute, I don't want to hurt oddish, I just think it's cool and-"

"I'm not repeating myself," Bulbasaur extended its vines even more, and directed them towards Leaf threateningly, interrupting her. "Move!"

"OK, OK, no need for vines," Leaf said nervously, then turned and went away.

"How many times do I need to tell you not to hurt the humans, you dinosaur thing!" Ditto scolded from behind Bulbasaur.

"What's a dinosaur?" Oddish asked confusedly.

"I won't allow you, them, or anyone who I don't trust to come close to the Pokémon here," Bulbasaur retorted firmly.

"Oh yeah?" Ditto jumped above Bulbasaur, surprising it, then landed and held Oddish and started playing with it. "What are you gonna do about it, throw me in a hole?"

"Yes!"

"Try!" Ditto transformed into pidgeot, and flew left and right tauntingly.

"GET DOWN HERE!"

"You're not the boss of me, right Oddish?"

"I, um, I'd rather not get between Bulba and you," Oddish answered.

"It's OK, I didn't care anyway."

"Oh."

"At least show her some respect, she didn't do a thing to you," Bulbasaur said angrily.

"Hmm, maybe. If you apologize to Leaf."

"Never in your best of dreams."

"Can you please put me down? I'm really afraid of heights," Oddish requested.

"Sure," Ditto gently put the Oddish down. "You could've told me before you know."

"I'm sorry," Oddish apologized, fealing guilty.

"What are you apologizing for, you don't need to do that."

Oddish felt more guilty. "Oh, sorry."

"Don't apologize."

"Oh, OK, sorry about that."

"JUST STOP SAYING SORRY, OK?" Ditto requested, confusion and frustration evedant on his face.

"I apologize for that."

Bulbasaur could not hold its laughter anymore. "You're trapped in her circle of apology."

"What does that even mean!?" Ditto asked in disbelief.

"Oh, nothing, see you after half an hour!" Bulbasaur said, leaving.

"HELP ME!"


Away, very far away, Jessie and James were watching the twerps and another twin of Ash's doing stuff, some appeared to help Pokémon.

`I think I saw that twerpette give that Pokémon tea!?` James thought.

Others Seemed to talk with Pokémon?

`I just wish Meowth was with us right now,` Jessie thought wishing.

Jessie sighed pessimistically. "When are we going to steal Pokémon, and get back Meowth?" she whined.

"patience Jessie, it's all about the element of surprise," James said calmly.

"Since when are you becoming the master mystery!?" Jessie scolded.

"Shhh, keep it down!" James whispered.

Jessie sighed.

Horizontal (wait a minute, why did Jessie and James not make an appearance last chapter?)


**first person view**

They say I'm overprotective, well they shouldn't, because I'm not. I mean sure, I set a bridge trap, sure, I don't let humans come even close to Pokémon I treat like my brothers, sure, I was about to strangle a ten-year-old girl because I thought she was trying to hit Odish, but…

But…

Never mind. I am overprotective. But they can't blame me, I went through a lot.

And I'm just protecting Pokémon, and keeping the humans, other than Melanie of course, away from them, I'm not throwing people into traps that I made like a tree trap to make people stuck above a tree or something!

What? No, seriously…

OK, I maybe did that, but it was for reasons. Anyway, but why was that Pikachu overprotective of that Ash? And what was wrong with Red's one? Why was it standing there, staring into space? Did these trainers hurt their Pokémon that much? Or was I just… living in past memories?

Well, whatever it was, I didn't care, at least that Ash wasn't hurting the Pokémon.

"Come on, catch!" Ash said excitedly, throwing a ball. He was playing with the Pokémon, who were very happy, Oddish threw it with her leafs, alright, how did she do that?

"Ash over here, over here!" Ash's eevee called, bouncing.

"And, CATCH!" Ash exclaimed. "Or is it fetch?" he shrugged. Well, good question.

The ball bounced towards me. Uh-oh! Now their gonna ask me "Hey Bulbasaur play" or whatever. Whhhhy?

"Hey Bulbasaur, can you give me the ball?" Eevee requested.

I extended a vine, and threw it strongly towards Eevee.

Eevee caught it, and smiled. "Thanks, PIKACHU!" Eevee gave the ball to Pikachu by throwing it. OK, I'm starting to think these are Ditto.

*Whoosh*

M?

A balloon-lifted platform thing appeared, and a vacuum machine started sucking in all the Pokémon when it got on the ground.

NO!

"What the-" Ash exclaimed in shock.

"Prepare for trouble," a female voice said.

"Make it double," a male continued.

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people with in our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reach to the stars above."

"Jessie" the female announced.

"James!" the male introduced.

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now or prepare to fight."

Silence.

"I mean, that's right," the female said.

"I really miss Meowth."

"JESSIE, JAMES, I'M OVE' HERE!" the Meowth called. "AND THAT IS RIGHT!"

"MEOWTH!"

I knew humans are evil! They were stealing my friends!

"Team Rocket, what are you doing here?" Ash asked angrily.

Someone acts well.

"Duh, we're here to steal the Pokémon twerp," that Jessie lady said. "Also to get Meowth."

Wait, she called him twerp? Why did she do that?

"You're not stealing anyone," Ash said determinately. "But you can get Meowth though."

"What? No, I caught him Ash, are you helping the bad guys?" the girl Leaf, asked disbelievingly.

"Oh, right, sorry!"

I sighed, and that twin of Ash's did as well. His pikachu used Thunderbolt, but it was absorbed into some… weird suit things.

The Team Rocket humans laughed. "Did you think we'd come unprepared?" Jessie taunted.

"Those suits are electric proof," James added in the same way.

Why was I even standing there and waiting for help from humans? I need to protect, the Pokémon! I can't let these thieves steal them!

I extended my vines, and.


**Omniscient view**

Bulbasaur extended its vines, a thing it regretted a moment later, as it was in the range of the vacuum that Team Rocket use to steal the Pokémon, and Bulbasaur was absorbed inside, almost.

Before Bulbasaur was fully inside the machine, he felt something pulling him out. Ash was pulling with all of his strength, he wanted to pull Bulbasaur away from the vacuum. He needed assistance despite his efforts.

"Guys, help me get Bulbasaur away!" Ash called urgently.

"COMING!" Ditto called, dashing quickly towards them.

Once close, he delivered a punch to the machine.

`Why are they helping me?` Bulbasaur thought.

"Bulbasaur, use your vines to push yourself away," Ditto suggested, pulling as strong as he can, with Ash continuing to do too.

"What?" Bulbasaur questioned.

" Just push with us, in the same direction!"

Bulbasaur understood. It extended its vines and pushed with all its might. "HAAA!"

It did not work, no matter what they did, Ash and Ditto were only slowing Bulbasaur's absorption, Ditto was turning blue from pressure, and Ash's body was shaking, Bulbasaur's vines were getting weaker and weaker, and with every passing moment, Bulbasaur felt more helpless.

It retracted its vines, with a sigh of sadness.

"No, keep pushing!" Ash encouraged.

"But-"

"Listen, less talk, more action, please, get back to pushing!" Ditto requested with a shaky voice, his body also shaking.

Bulbasaur extended its vines, a mix of emotions filling its face.

`Why are the two helping me? Why aren't they helping there Pokémon? Do they hate them that much?` Bulbasaur thought in worry. "Why are you helping me? Go help your Pokémon, they need help."

"You're a Pokémon that needs help, and we're gonna help everyone here, don't worry about our friends. Come on, push harder, I know you can do it!" Ditto encouraged.

Bulbasaur was surprised at hearing this, it did not expect such words from Ditto, and what it did not expect more, was for Ash, the human boy he met two hours before, to nod in agreement to Ditto's words, even he pushed harder, seeing this, the boy doing what he was doing, of risking himself for Bulbasaur, made it realize. `I live in the past, I now know it for sure. My previous trainer was ruthless and selfish, but that was one human, and Melanie is a different kind, what if I… give the humans another chance?`

He would, just one single chance.

But how was he going to do that?

He needed to get out and help the humans, the good ones, of course.

Barely in its eyesight, Bulbasaur saw a glowing… tail, and suddenly it felt free, its body shot backwards like a bullet, and landed a few centimeters back.

*Smash*

The motionless Pikachu Pika sprang into action again when Red ordered, and he smashed the vacuum machine with his Iron Tail, freeing Ash, Ditto, and Bulbasaur, the former two let long sighs of relief.

"Thanks so much Pika!" Ash thanked with a smile.

Pika wanted to smile, but he could not, it seemed Red was still in his `Battle mode thing`.

"Why did you help me?" Bulbasaur inquired.

"Like I said, because you were in need of help. Now, would you help us?" Ditto replied smiling.

"Hmm," Bulbasaur nodded determinately.

"Bulbasaur's gonna help us," Ditto told Ash.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed, happy with the turn of events.

"SOMEONE STEAL MY POKÉBALL FROM HER ALREADY, PLEASE!" Meowth pleaded, debating the idea.

"We can't," Jessie said.

"Sorry Meowth!" James apologized.

"I mean I don't really mind, it's just I'm having an inside fight about who should I stay wid and if nobody does sometin', I'm gonna lose my mind," Meowth told them.

"Retur-"

"NO NO NO, ANYTING ODER DAN DAT!" Meowth interrupted Leaf's attempt in returning him to his pokéball.

"Sorry!" she apologized unhappily.

"ash, I think I have a plan, but I'm gonna need your help," Red requested, and Ash nodded with determination. "Get Pikachu to use Thunder Shock, and Eevee to use Swift from inside this… thing, aim right there!"

"Got it," Ash said in understanding. "PIKACHU, EEVEE, CAN YOU HERE ME? IF YOU DO, AME ON NEAR THE HOLE IN THAT… VACUUM… THING. OK?"

"SWIIIFT!" Eevee's voice was heard, then a barrage of stars hit the crack, opening it and causing parts of the machine to fall and break, soon another voice was heard.

"Thunder Shock!" it was Pikachu, he let out a destructively powerful Thunder Shock, and Pika added his own Thunderbolt to the mix, and then-

*OOM* the machine exploded, sending the balloon-lifted platform flying, and Jessie and James plummeting toward the ground, yelling in fear.

"Vine Whip!" Bulbasaur exclaimed, using Vine Whip to tie the criminals.

"hey! Let go!" Jessie shouted.

"Yeah, you better let go before I do something that'll send you crying to your mommy!" James added.

"No, -you- better shut your mouth before you see what happens when I become angry," Ditto ordered. "Do you wanna see that?" he grinned mischievously.

Ditto turned scary face mode.


Meowth was trying to wake Jessie and James up.

Three hours earlier, they had seen the most terrifying face of Ash's in their life. Well, Ditto as Ash.

"Meowth?" James stuttered, regaining his consciousness.

"Jimmy, are you OK?" Meowth asked gently, worried for and happy for his friend.

"What happened, where am I?"

"Don't worry, everyting's gonna be fine!"

"That was terrifying!" James admitted, recalling Ditto's Scary Facing.

"I know, Ditto does dat sometimes," Meowth told James comfortingly.


**first person view, Bulbasaur**

OK, so I know I didn't wanna give humans another chance before, and that was why I was standing on a battlefield, sorta, with Ash's Eevee as my opponent. I told myself "Hey, I should give Ash a chance because he helped me!" and also because I wanted that Swift shooter to hit me because I didn't trust humans, I should've from the start, I mean, how do that Brock guy make that delicious food? And how is Ditto so friendly, yet so… not friendly? What's happening to Red's Pikachu? And Ash and his Pokémon are. AWESOME!

So, after a talk with Melanie, I decided, if Eevee beats me in a battle, I join Ash, if not, well, too bad for him I guess.

"Begin!" Red called.

"Vine Whip!" I exclaimed, whipping Eevee like a ball, being thrown around by the vines I'm using.

"Eevee, use Swift!" Ash called.

Oh no! Swift doesn't miss!

I tried blocking the stars of energy blasted at me with my vines, but it was useless. It was as if I was just holding a book under a waterfall and expecting the former to stop it. Yeah, that… doesn't work very well.

I growled painfully.

Eevee grinned.

I produced sharp leafs that spread around, and hit Eevee, who cried, at first in surprise, but after in pain. Razor Leaf!

"Eevee, Quick Attack, quick, use it quickly, as quick as you can!" Ash called out.

"Quick quick quick quick quick quickly, Quick ATTACK!" I was sent flying when Eevee exclaimed that.

How is Eevee so quick. Not my problem, I dashed towards Eevee, and tackled it, and Eevee fell in hurt. "TACKLE!" OK, there was one small problem.

I don't have other moves, which meant I had revealed my moves, all of them to Ash.

Wait! Except-

Oh, he was already holding a pokéball? Well, the battle was fun, I wasn't gonna struggle, if the thing caught me, Ash could keep me, if not, I was bored, so.

Horizontal line. -

**omniscient view**

Ash threw the pokéball, and Bulbasaur was absorbed in it. the ball shook once, twice, thrice and.

"Prepare for trouble," Jessie said.

*Ding*

Bulbasaur was caught.

"Make it double," James continued.

"I need to stop listening to that, and yeah, you're right, Meowth does finish the motto better than just you two talking and then just… nothing," Leaf remarked.

"Thanks," the trio said.

"Sure, Pikachu, Thunder Shock, Eevee, Swift!" Ash called out.

Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt.

James and Jessie were under full force from the attacks. When the energy stars, Swift, came in contact with them, they exploded. They were painfully shocked by the two electric attacks, which sent electricity coursing through their veins and into their bones and caused their bodies to violently shake.

The human duo blasted off. "Looks like we're blasting off again!"

As for Meowth, he stayed with his trainer.

*Twinkle appeared*

"YEAH!" Ash exclaimed, pausing the catching pause. "I caught—a bulbasaur!"


It was time for Bulbasaur to say good bye, the group were about to leave.

"-and bye Oddish! Make sure you eat lots of healthy food! And tell Melanie to tell me hi when you leave to go back to the forest," he said with a soft smile.

"OK, Bulba, I will," Oddish replied, sadly.

"And you two, don't cause trouble, I won't be around to convince Melanie to forgive you OK?" Bulbasaur ordered some Rattata.

"OK," the two rattata replied.

"And Melanie, you've been the best human I've met in my life, take care, and call from time to time!" Bulbasaur called teary-eyed.

"Bulbasaur, we'll miss you, take care of yourself, and the other Pokémon, protect them like you protected us, and make sure you tell Ash to call from time to time, I'll miss you!" Melanie called sadly, waving .

The scene soon turned into an emotional goodbye between Bulbasaur and his friends, no, family that he loved and protected for years. He (yes, male), he did not know if he was going to come back, but he was sure of one thing, he was going to make the Pokémon, all of them, proud. And if he came back, he wanted to be the strongest he could be.

He wished he had never took the decision, but he could not back down now, he said he would give humans another chance, and he was going to do it. He now had a trainer, Ash.

And he was going to be his best Pokémon, and make good memories too.

And so, after an emotional goodbye, Bulbasaur accepted that he was leaving with his new friends, and he was looking forward towards the future.

As the journey continues.

Wait, no, that's not the end of the chapter.


**first person view: Charmander**

The weather was cool.

I was happy, and ready to battle. A poliwag stood facing me, but I'm not afraid of water-types.

"Alright, you better not lose this OK?" Damien said.

"Count on me," I said determinately.

"Use Flame Thrower, now!"

"FLAME THROWEEER!" I let out a blast of fire that hit Poliwag, but it didn't seem to effect it.

"Pathetic," the poliwag said arrogantly. "Water Gunnn!" after a second, I was covered in cold water from the poliwag's Water Gun.

I shivered from the coldness, and I should be excused, I'm a fire-type, I'm weak to water.

"Quit crying and use Skull Bash!" Damien ordered.

I wasn't crying. I tugged my head, feeling warm for a second, and felt more enduring, then the cold returned once my head wasn't covered, and I started dashing towards Poliwag, and I called defiantly, "Skull Bash!" and hit the water-type, who stopped using Water Gun. A feeling of heaviness from the water was still on my tail, but why?

"Flame Thrower!" Damien ordered.

I complied. Or did I?

Well, I tried, but it was cold, so so so cold, I couldn't use the flame thrower. A feeling of urgency filled me as I tried and tried, but failed to use Flame Thrower.

"Poliwag, finish that charmander off, Pound!" the trainer opposing us called out.

Poliwag struck me hard, and I fell. Poliwag kept striking, hitting, and pounding me, and rolled me away, towards Damien, and I couldn't continue.

Nobody can blame me, I'm a fire-type. I'm Charmander. And even though I'm not afraid of water-type Pokémon, I was weak to them, hadn't battled them a lot, and inexperienced. I was weak.


**Omniscient view**

Back with the group, a day later, Ditto's keen eyes spotted a Charmander sitting alone on a rock. The poor creature looked tired and wounded, a shadow of its former self.

"Guys?" Ditto started.

Everyone looked. "Hmm?"

"What's a Charmander doing sitting on a rock?"

"How are we supposed to know that?" Red queried.

"*sigh*, wait for me, I'm gonna go check this out," Ditto approached cautiously, knowing he may get burned if he did not. "Hey there, charmander!" he said, smiling.

The charmander looked up at him. "Oh, hey there, uh, boy!" it greeted, motioning.

"Why are you sitting on a rock alone in the middle of nowhere? Do you need help?"

"Oh no no no, don't worry, my trainer's coming back after maybe, half an hour or so I think? Yeah."

"Oh, OK, but what about your tail?"

"Huh? What's wrong with my tail?" the charmander moved its tail, looking, and trying to feel anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. "There's nothing wrong with my tail."

"No, not that. Your fire!"

"My fi- oh! It's getting low, oh no," charmander said shakily. "But don't worry, Damien's coming, we'll just go to the Pokémon Center and heal up! Don't worry about me."

"Are you sure?"

The charmander shook its head, yes.

"*sigh*," Ditto turned and waved. "stay careful., OK?"

"OK, bye!"

"What was that all about?" Ash asked Ditto once he was close.

"Trainer told 'em to stay there till he comes back. He? Yeah, I think Damien's a male," Ditto replied, mumbling that last part, about Damien, to himself.

The group continued, unaware that this encounter was very important.

(That's called foreshadowing!)


A five-minute walk to the Pokémon Center later.

The group handed their Pokémon to Nurse Joy, and while on their way to the waiting room, they could make out some things were being said.

"-I've caught lots, I mean, look at all those," a voice bragged.

"Woah dude, that's a lot of Pokémon. How do you carry all those?" another exclaimed.

"Yeah, aren't trainers allowed to carry six Pokémon?" another added.

"That's normal trainers, I'm special. And those are empty, I carry seven, well, carried seven," the first informed.

"What happened to the seventh?"

At this point, the group could see what was in the room. A bunch of trainers, gathered around a trainer, probably was the one first one speaking.

"I abandoned it."

"Huh?"

"He was weak, so weak in fact that he couldn't even defeat a poliwag."

"But what was it?"

"A charmander."

The trainer was not able to continue speaking, as in the second after he said "charmander", Ditto was literally on top of him.

"What?" Ditto asked in plain shock.

"What's what? Get, off of me!"

"No! What's the Pokémon?"

"A charmander. And girl, how are you not heavy? I think I'm tough as stone to be able to carry you like this!" the young man declared. Ditto punched him on the face, and the man fell. "OW!"

"A charmander, on a rock?"

"Uhhh, yeah?"

"And your name's Damien, right?"

"How'd you know? Wow, we have a psychic in here!"

"I'M NOT PSYCHIC! AND THE CHARMANDER YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT'S ABOUT TO DIE YOU STUPID FOOL!"

"Hey, don't call me stupid fool," Damien countered. "What's your business? It's my charmander."

"No it's not."

"Pardon?"

"You heard me. If you abandon a Pokémon, it's not yours anymore."

"So?"

"So… go, tell it you abandoned it, and get it, sorry, him to the Pokémon Center, because his flames are turning off."

"Turning off?" everyone in the room asked in utter confusion.

"You know what I meant, his flames are going out!"

Damien was not upset.

"You're not even worried, are you?" Ash asked angrily.

"Why should I be? Like I said, he was weak, unable to even defeat a poliwag," Damien replied.

"But –he's- a fire-type, those are naturally weak to water, every type of water!" Brock countered.

"Exactly."

"I'll make sure you regret what you did," Red declared, furious at such treatment for the Pokémon.

"What's that supposed to even mean?"

"GO AND HELP CHARMANDER!" Ditto roared.

"YOU'RE NOT THE BOSS OF ME!" Damien retorted, starting to get annoyed by those trainers.

"As long as you except to get scary faced, you are correct," Ditto chuckled darkly, smiling an evil smile that made his Leaf-face change drastically. He was gonna enjoy terrifying this person for hurting a Pokémon. Scary Face mode, activate!

"Scary faced?" Damien questioned in confusion.

Three seconds later, Nurse Joy was in the room, stairing at a passed out Damien, held by five shocked and terrified trainers that screamed at the top of their lungs, "SHE'S A VAMPIRE!"

Nurse Joy gasped in horror. "What happened!?"

"SHE'S A VAMPIRE!"

"Who?"

"SHEEE!"

"You?" Nurse Joy pointed at Ditto, who stood there, angry, but acting calm, his Leaf-face as normal as ever.

"Uh, no," he said, pretending to be utterly confused.

"Well, who then?"

"He, left his charmander to die. And they're trying to help him!" Ditto replied angrily, pointing at Damien's passed out body.

"What happened? Why is he passed out like this?" Nurse Joy asked.

"SHE'S A VAMPIRE, RUN AWAY NURSE JOY, SAVE YOURSELF!" the other trainers screamed.

Amidst the chaos, Ditto's voice was very clear when he ordered scarily, "Quiet, now!"

The room fell silent.

"Nurse Joy, the charmander needs help, and vampires don't go out at day so please ignore them and let us go get charmander for you to check on!" Ditto demanded.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Yes, that's more important."

"Anyone of you five speak, and you know what'll happen," Ditto threatened. "Keep him in a room till he wakes up, I want to have a chat with him!"


**first person view: Charmander**

I was still waiting on the rock.

After my loss to the poliwag, Damien was sad. So he went for a walk and left me on a rock to rest. But the poor human was so sad that even after a night and half a day, he still didn't come back.

Which was worrying.

Where was he?

I was scared, and that thought made me scared even more, and the cold air caused me shivers.

The cloudy sky signaled the imminent arrival of the cold rain. The sound of the wind and the whistling it made struck fear into my heart. And the loneliness added on top of that, and don't blame me when I wanted to cry.

But I remembered something. Damien can't have a walk in the rain, right? So if I wait here five more minutes, he was going to be nearby, and I would jump at him, and then we'd go to the Pokémon Center.

Right?

I waited, but the only sound I heard was the loud whistling of the wind, and the only thing I could see was the cloudy sky, getting cloudier, and the sun setting.

A rain drop fell on my back, startling me. I shook from fear and surprise, but when I looked around, nothing was there. I was more scared.

I heard a sound, a sound that struck hope in me at first, but soon, this changed into fear and horror. I thought it had been Damien's steps, but they were Rain drops, it was raining, and I was getting more scared and cold by the passing of the seconds.

Uh-oh!

If Damien doesn't come and pick me up, I was gonna be-

Wait, what was that sound?

Footsteps? What? He came?

No, no he didn't.

It was that boy from before.

"Charmander, rain's starting, and Damien isn'- I mean, let's go to the Pokémon Center, it's safer there!" he said sympathetically.

"I can't, Damien might come searching for me," I said in my small voice, which was starting to drown in the sound of rain.

"*sigh*, look, I'll tell Damien that you went to the Pokémon Center, let's go," He said, surprisingly unsympathetically, he was frustrated for some reason.

"But-"

"Charmander, I'm sure Damien'll understand why did you go to the Pokémon Center and didn't stay on a rock he left you on and ABAND-, just for a while until you're flame's better, OK?" he said, sympathetically.

I nodded.

At that point, my body was almost completely affected by the rain.


**omniscient view**

Ash, Brock and Ditto were trying their best to keep Charmander's tail-flame from going out whilst they ran as fast as their bodies could. Ash was covering the flame, and Brock and Ditto protected charmander's body, the charmander kept crying his name weakly every minute, and Ditto would whisper something in the sort of, "don't worry," words, which made the fire-type quiet down every time.

After a fifteen-minute walk to the Pokémon Center, finally, the warmth caused Charmander to fall asleep after a weak, yet peaceful cry.

"Charmander!" Ash called worriedly.

"Relax, he's just tired. Nurse Joy!" Ditto whispered, handing the charmander to Nurse Joy.

The Nurse took him with a smile. "You did good by bringing Charmander here. I assure you, everything's going to be fine!"

The group nodded.

"Nurse Joy, is Damien awake?" Ditto asked.

"No," the nurse shook her head. "He is still passed out for some reason. If you want, I can tell you when he wakes up," she offered.

"Yes, Do please!"


Team Rocket were very confused. They were covered by rain, but they saw the cheerful twerp running as quick as he could, no umbrella, no jacket or something, nothing.

It was odd.

They followed him, and they saw him talking with a charmander, then he, and his twin, and that Brock guy, carried the charmander with urgency, and the twerp did not look like usual, but his twin had his face or something, it was like they switched places.

That was not what confused Jessie and James though, as what confused them was the twerps twin covering the tail-flame of charmander. Was that not killing it? And why was it on a rock in the rain? And why have they not stolen it?

"hmm," Jessie hummed thoughtfully.

"What do you think that's all about?" James asked her.

"I don't care, I want to steal that charmander," Jessie stated.

"Why?" James asked, or rather checked.

"Ffor the boss! Also to annoy the twerps and to get back Meowth."

"Agreed. Let's prepare ourselves!"


At five a.m. The next day - in the Pokémon Center.

"Hi, morning!" Ditto greeted, seeing Damien wake up.

"You?" Damien mumbled, spotting the shapeshifter in Ash's form. "your friend's a-"

"Shut up and let me speak. My friends and I are not monsters, vampires, or anything of the sort. But you on the other hand, you?" Ditto's eyes emitted flames, his anger on that trainer was not the least lessened by the timehe spent by him passed out.

"Me?" Damien objected. "Your friend's the one who jumped on me, which is still weird, how was she not-"

"I said shut up. You, are a monster, a human-type monster. You abandoned charmander, you left him on a rock, and he was dying when we got there to help him, what is wrong with you?" Ditto scolded angrily.

Ditto did not give a chance for an answer. "You, are, just, wrong. This is wrong. And you should be put in jail for only this. In addition you made him battle against a type that he has a disadvantage against, and then you didn't take him to the Pokémon Center, knowing that he might die! This, too, is, absolutely, wrong!"

Damien was about to speak but Ditto prevented him. "I don't have any care in the entire world who, what, and why, you abandoned him, you now, go tell him, and apologize, and break his pokéball in front of him. Then leave him alone and never bother him with your commands again!"

Silence.

"Got that?" Ditto continued.

Damien glared.

"Do, not, Glare, at me, human!" Ditto threatened.

Hearing this made Damien gulp in fear. `Definitely not a human then.`

"Get up, follow me!" Ditto commanded, opening the door of the room.

Damien did.

Ditto was heading to the front desk, only to see pikachu before he arrived. "Pikachu?" Ditto questioned, wondering why he was not in bed.

"Oh Ditto good. Seen charmander around?" Pikachu asked in a hurry.

"Isn't he resting in the rooms in the back or something? I was going with –him-" Ditto pointed at the scared Damien "To tell him something."

"No, he's not. Nurse Joy told us she went to check on him, but she didn't find him in there," Pikachu clarified in concern.

"WHAT?" Ditto exclaimed in shock. `What if he went back to waiting on the rock for DAMIEN?` "Get Ash and the others, I'll wait with the –guy- outside!"

"Got it!" with that, Pikachu dashed away, hoping that Charmander was safe.

"I can't believe he went back to wait for you on the rock!" Ditto raged at Damien, about to deliver a powerful punch,containing himself at the last moment.

"I'm clueless about what's going on, and I'd rather stay like this," Damien informed, fearing the boys rage, and careless for Charmander.

"Charmander is outside, in the rain, sitting on a rock. And waiting for –you- to go pick him up. Again!"

"See? That proves how much he's an idiot, pathetic, and-"

"Hush! Follow me!"


Ditto and Damien waited for the group to arrive. Once they did, Ditto explained the situation and his theory about charmander going back to waiting on the rock, even if it was raining. So they hurried, dragged with them by Red was Damien, to the rock where they saw Charmander the previous day. the rain was worrisome.

When they arrived where they know charmander was, he was there, sitting helplessly on a rock, being attacked by angry spearow, and weakened by the rain.

"Charmander!" Ash exclaimed, worry for the fire-type engulfing him.

"Huh! He can't even defend himself from a spearow flock," Damien stated coldly.

Ditto growled in frustration. "HEY SPEAROW, WE HAVE TASTY HUMAN MEET WITH US. COME GET IT!"

Ditto tackled Damien with full force, knocking him to the ground with a thump, making him yell in pain, attracting the spearow compleetly. Ditto then hurried to check on charmander.

"Are you OK?" he questioned sympathetically.

"You?" charmander said weakly.

"Charmander, are you OK?"

"Yeah," charmander's voice was barely heard. He was absolutely exhausted, his voice was weak, even for Ditto's sense of hearing. "I'm just waiting for my trainer."

Ditto sighed, he could not believe he was going to do this, he could not believe he was about to tell a Pokémon it had been left to die, by its trainer no less. He questioned why were humans so evil, yet some were so good. Some are on the good side, while the others were on the other side., Should he tell? Or should he keep the lie? But the words left him, and he could not stop them. "Damien's with us, I brought him here because he wanted to tell you he abandoned you."

"WHAT?" charmander's voice was louder than the rain, and the spearow, and Damien screaming "Get those things away from me". "WHAT DO YOU MEAN? DAMIEN WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, NEVER, NEVER!" Charmander shouted.

"*sad sigh* Sorry charmander!" Ditto apologized with a sad expression.

Charmander's reply was starting to cry. Shock and despair falling over him, he saw everything go dark, as some strange dark coverd everything around himitself.

That is what a Pokémon feels when its friend just goes "Hey, I don't care about you, I want to throw you out of my life!" despair.

Before anything could happen, two nets appeared. Grabbing charmander in one, and Meowth, Pikachu, Pika, and Eevee in the other were none other than Jessie and James.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie proclaimed.

"Make it double!" james continued.

"To protect the world from devestation," Jessie continued.

"To unite all peoples with in our nation," james smiled.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love."

"To extend our reech to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James."

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"

"What is wrong with you?" Ditto shouted, maddened at such monstrocity from the two members of Team Rocket. `I didn't think they can be even more evil and mean than they already are. Grr.`

"What?" Jessie wondered in confusion.

"I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH COLDNESS AND HEARTLESSNESS LIKE YOURS! Charmander is crying, weak and is abandenned and you just… COME AND STEAL EVERYTHING?" Ditto shouted, dashing towards them, enraged by the criminals actions.

"Don't you dare call us heartless and kindless. And also, we're criminals, what do you think we'd do, feed the thing and sing to it till it falls asleep?""

Ditto growled angrily. "Shut, up!"

Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt. But it did no damage.

Jessie and James laughed. "You think we're not prepared?"

"Again, you need to know who you're dealing with," added James.

Red glared at Team Rocket. "Let go of the four right now!"

"And if we don't…?"

"Eevee, Swift!" Ditto, pretending to be Ash, ordered.

Eevee blasted powerful stars of energy at the net, almost freeing himself. But a sticky glue stuck him to the net, immobilizing his energy star barrage. And causing him to cry in surprise.

'Iron Tail!'

nothing.

Red glared at the duo of thieves even harder.

It was hopeless, Team Rocket stole the Pokémon, Charmander was mentally destroyed, and no attack was helping to free the group after Eevee's immobilization.

In Charmander's mind, the fire of determination was about to burn like Groudan's wrath. `I'm not one to make fun of. If Damien abandenned me, I'll show him, I'll show everyone, I'm not weak, I'm Charmander, the flame Pokémon. I'll burn cruelty to ashes! I'll…`

When Charmander heard a helpless sigh escape Ditto, the burning fire in him subsided. `I'll never be able to do that. Who am I kidding? I'm weak, just like what Damien's Pokémon told me! I'm never gonna be strong, I… i…` Charmander felt a strange power awaken deep inside him.

But just as hope seemed lost, Charmander let out a loud cry of anger. And that got everyone's attention. He emitted flames like he never did before, burning his net, and his flame thrower was so intense, burning the net the other Pokémon were trapped in at last. Pika, Meowth, Pikachu, and Eevee were finaly free, a little scorched but a little would not hurt. They would blast Team Rocket away, as powerful as they can, they would show them their rage, their dislike of their actions, excluding Meowth, who started dibating if he should go with the duo or not.

"Charmander!" everyone, excluding Jessie, James, and meowth exclaimed in awe.

The spearow fled the scene, respecting Charmander's newfound blasing power. Once they did, Damien stood up and rushed towards the blasing fire-type with sparkles in his eyes.

Ditto caught him by the hand. "Not one more step, or else!"

Charmander shot a flame thrower at the villainous duo. And with the help of Pika's Thunderbolt, Eevee's Swift, and pikachu's Thunder Shock, they blasted off. "Didn't I tell you we need fireproof clothes?"

"Shut up James! Who would've thought charmander would run away and burn us with this weird new flame… power thing?" Jessie retorted.

"WE'RE BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" both yelled, disappearing into the rainy sky.

*A twinkle appeared in the sky*

"Charmander, that was amazing!" real Ash said in awe.

"T-thank you!" charmander thanked shakily.

"Don't lie!" Ditto commanded, addressing Damien.

"None of your business!" Damien replied, earning a glare. "Hey Charmander!" he started, as gently as he could. "How's it going?"

"Damien?" Charmander asked in disbelieving happiness.

"Look, I was going to abandon you."

"WHAT?" Charmander asked, despaire falling over him again.

"No, no, wait, I said I was, but I changed my mind."

"I knew it, liar!" Ditto burst out. "He only saw your flame thrower, that's why he wants you to join him!"

"So what? I want him to join me, that's what's important!" Damien retorted.

"Charmander, yesterday he was laughing and bragging about leaving you on a rock, trust me, he doesn't care about you!" Ash informed, the expression on his face begging the fire-type to believe him. "Please, believe me!"

Damien glared. "Charmander, who are you gonna believe, some people you just met, or your friend and trainer, me?"

"Well, I mean to be fair, that is a good question," Pika remarked.

"Yeah, how can he know that Damien was proud of releasing him, and that he was showing off his other Pokémon?" Eevee added.

"How did you know that? We were getting healed at the time, we weren't with our trainers," Pika wondered, looking at Eevee in suspicion.

"Oh I heard the commotion."

"Commotion?" Charmander asked. "In the Pokémon Center? If that's true, then that means what your trainer told me is true. S-so, I'm now left alone? Or recaptured by Damien… the monster?"

"Uh-"

"No, I don't want to go back with you!" charmander refused Damien's offer, or rather, lie to him.

"Your my Pokémon, like it or not, you'll obey me. Now, Charmander, return!" Damien commanded harshly, pulling out charmander's pokéball, and its beam of energy was about to absorb Charmander when…

"No!" Pikachu and Charmander shouted in horror. Pikachu reacted quickly, leaping into the path of the beam and unleashing a potent Thunder Shock at the ball, and Charmander launched a boosted Flame Thrower. Damien's ball was shattered, and the attacks continued their wrath, striking Damien and knocking him to the ground with a powerful crash.

Damien got up, shook himself, looked at the glaring Pikachu, and his fiery charmander, previously his fiery charmander, and ran away screaming. "AHHH, MOMMY!"

"And don't come back!" Pikachu shouted after him, still standing protectivelyin front of Charmander.

Charmander started to cry.

"What's wrong charmander?" Pikachu asked softly, sad for the Pokémon and hoping to cheer it up.

"I'm abandoned, left alone, I'm scared, I miss my trainer, I want a friend!" Charmander sobbed.

Thoughtful minutes followed, with the only sounds heard being Charmander's crying, and the pouring rain.

"Charmander? How about you come with us?" Ditto asked all of a sudden.

"Why, so you can leave me somewhere else?"

"No. My friends never abandon anyone, I was with them for like… nine days, and I assure you, they're the best friends anyone, human or Pokémon might whish for. Ash would never abandon you, neither'll Red or Leaf," Ditto informed with a comforting smile.

Charmander did not reply.

"Please Charmander! We feel so bad for you. That's why my trainer and the others decided to help you!" Eevee insisted hopefully.

"I…

Silence.

Charmander thought about it. Why should he not give another chance? Everything happened so quickly the poor Pokémon barely processed it, but that did not mean that he should not give another chance. Until that point, charmander did not see except nice treatment from Damien, except when he lost, or anything of the sort. Well, true Damien treated him bad, but that did not mean everyone would do the same. `Right?`

So with hesitation, he answered, "OK, I will."

"ALRIGHT!" Eevee cheered, bouncing up and down.

"Someone, mind filling us in?" Ash requested.

"Charmander decided he'd travel with us!" Ditto answered, joy evident in his voice and on his features.

"What?"

"Catch him!"

"But-"

"Why won't you? You're the one who helped keeping him safe during the rain. And you showed the most care for him," Ditto pointed out, confused by Ash's hesitation to catch Charmander.

"Yeah, but Brock and you also helped a lot, Brock treated his injuries while we got to the Pokémon Center. Brock, catch him, you deserve it."

"No Ash, you can catch him. I only wanted to help, and besides, you did the hard work," Brock assured.

"I-"

"Listen here, mister Pokémon trainer who wants to become a Pokémon master, Charmander is there, waiting for catching, and you don't want it? Catch, Charmander, this instant!" Ditto commanded. "Or-"

"OK, OK, I will," Ash interupted with a smile, happy because he would catch Charmander. "Charmander, do you want me to catch you?"

"M," Charmander nodded.

Ash pulled out a pokéball, and threw it towards Charmander, exclaiming, "Go, pokéball!"

Charmander bounced happily, letting himself get caught.

The pokéball shook three times and *ding* Ash caught Charmander.

Ash paused the Catching Pause, happy that he had a new friend. "ALRIGHT! I CAUGHT A CHARMANDER!"

Ash opened the pokéball. "Welcome to the team, Charmander!"

"Thank you so much!" Charmander thanked happily, bouncing up and down. "Wait a minute, how were you" Charmander looked at Ditto "understanding me?"

"Oh I'm a Pokémon disguised as Ash," Ditto replied casually.

"What?" Charmander exclaimed in surprise, Ditto revealed his clever guise.

Charmander's eyes widened with amazement, As Ditto explained his rare talent. His ability to mimic with precision, A skill that defied all logic and reason.

"I can understand you, I'm a Pokémon. A friend who saw you struggle, and needed to put an end to it."

Charmander nodded, now aware, Of the bond that they could share. With Ash as his trainer and friend, Their journey together would never end.

As the rain continued to pour down, A new adventure would soon be found. Charmander embraced this fresh start, With hope rekindled in his heart.

So, let their tale continue to unfold, With each new chapter, legends untold. For in their unity, they'll strive and thrive, In the vast world where Pokémon thrive.

(Why is everyone speaking in poems now?)

(and no, that's still not the end of the chapter)


To Vermilion City they'd go, With Brock's guidance to show, But alas, fate had a hole bestowed.

Two days later, their spirits high, Their journey commenced, oh my! With routes aplenty, they set forth, Dreaming of their next great worth, Yet destiny played a trick, oh hi!

Down they tumbled, without a sound, A hole in the earth they had found, Their excitement turned to surprise, As darkness enclosed their prize, But their spirits, determined, rebound.

In the midst of confusion and cheer, Ditto's question rang loud and clear, "Who dug this deep hole?" he inquired, With suspicion, his gaze never tired.

Brock replied, "Who other than them?"

"Hahahahaha!" echoed laughter, distinct, Voices emerged, playful and succinct, But Meowth interjected, setting things right.

"No, those aren't Jessie and James in sight," Curiosity sparked, their attention succinct.

"You're right, we're not those people, Those names don't define us, we declare, For we are the ones who proudly stand, The Squirtle Squad, mighty and grand!" Voices from above proclaimed, a daring affair.

"Squirtle what?" Pikachu questioned, astounded, Perplexed by the name that had sounded.

"The Squirtle Squad," voices chimed, As their presence continued to climb, Pika's response, unamused, resounded.

"Boring name," Pika deadpanned, unimpressed, His dry humor standing the test, But the Squad had a bond, tight and true, Through adventures, their loyalty grew, Their name may be simple, yet filled with zest.

"Says the guy who lives with trainers that speak in poetry. Nice poeming by the way!"

"Poeming?"

"Poetry making."

"Why would you call poetry making poeming?"

"It's a joke that you make the poems off the top of your heads and-, ah, never mind!"

(Terable joke, and not breaking the fourth wall)

"Uh, what?"

"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash called, sending Bulbasaur out.

"Whoa, that's a big hole, bigger than the ones I made at least?" Bulbasaur mused.

"You make holes?" asked a squirtle.

"Was before I found my friend Ash."

"Oh, please, humans are never friends."

"I literally told you he's my friend. What part of 'my friend, the human, Ash' don't you understand?"

"Bulbasaur, Vine whip, get us outta here!" Ash requested.

Bulbasaur was out in five seconds, and he got everyone else out afterwards.

"Alright, what's going on?"

"You've been tricked by the Squirtle SQUAAAAAHHH-" the Squirtle was interrupted by a powerful Thunderbolt.

"Say squad one more time!" Pika threatened.

Water soon splashed the group, and laughter followed. Water Gun.

*Squirtle laughing*

"Squad!" the same squirtle cheered. He was electrified along with the other squirtle a second later.

"I warned you," Pika stated after stopping his Thunderbolt.

"I wonder what's going on?" Brock wondered.

"Pokémon fighting and annoying others?" Ditto pointed out.

"Yeah. I wonder why though."

"Maybe they're hungry?" Leaf suggested. "I mean, I wouldn't splash others if I'm hungry, but I'm not a squirtle."

"Hungry? Yes, yes, we're so hungry!" a squirtle exclaimed.

"We don't take things from enemies!" the squirtle from earlier rejoined.

"But boss…"

"No!" the boss squirtle warned.

" They're hungry," Ditto translated.

"I said no!"

"He said thank you for offering food."

"I did not!"

"I'm not translating that."

Curiosity sparked, a mystery unveiled, Understanding flowed, their speech unveiled, "How do you even understand me?" the leader pondered, The beauty of comprehension, wonders squandered, A connection formed, a bond set, not curtailed.

"Ah! Curiosity, it's beautiful!"

"I can splash you with water again!" sang the seemingly leader of the squad.

"I dare you to try!" Eevee growled.

"Huh? When did you get here?"

"I was here all along."

Unnoticed, Brock set up camp nearby, With Pokémon food, a feast to satisfy, "Guys, I have poké food!" he called aloud, Unaware, their antics unbowed, The squad, hunger prevailed, caught their eye.

(poké food is a short term for Pokémon food)

(What?)

(Let's just move on)

Towards the camp, the Squirtle leapt, "Hey, come back here!" leader's voice crept, "We don't take food from enemies!" it cried.

"Dude, don't care, I'm hungry!" one replied, Resolute in hunger, defiance swept.

"I mean, they have a point, I'm hungry too," the squirtle admitted. "WAIT FOR ME!"

"Someone's very hungry," Eevee chuckled.

"Let's go eat," Pikachu suggested.

"How long do you think they didn't eat?"

"No idea."


After what seemed like three hours to Jessie and James, the group of trainers and those squirtle finally finished eating.

"Did you notice that this is the third time we're caught spying on the twerps this chapter?" James wondered.

(They always break the fourth wall)

"What?" Jessie asked confusedly.

"Nothing, just a joke. Anyway, when should we strike?"

"How about now?"

"Sounds good."

They both prepared a net, and dangerously explosive bombs.

"Wait!" James hollered suddenly.

"What?"

"If we do our motto during the explosion, it won't be heard."

"*gasp* you're right, let's recite it now."

"*ahem*"

" Prepare for trouble."


Back with the group.

"Did anybody hear the words prepare for trouble?" Eevee asked.

"Uh, nope? We're the trouble makers around here, so why would anyone other than us say that?" the leader replied.

Eevee shrugged it off. "OK."

"Jessie!" a familiar voice called, getting everyone's attention.

"James!" a voice of a male called.

Everyone except Meowth sighed.

"Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light."

"Surrender now, or prepare to fight fight fight!"

Silence.

"I KNOW YOU'RE NOT WITH TEAM ROCKET, BUT MEOWTH, JUST… SAY IT!"

"Meowth, dat's right!" Meowth exclaimed, bouncing joyfully.

"Meowth, we missed you!" the duo called.

"Also, we're sorry for what we're going to do," James deadpanned. `I'm not.`

"What?" Meowth asked, confusion evident on him.

He, Leaf, Ash, Red, and Brock, along with their Pokémon were soon blinded and deafened by a big explosion that filled the air with smoke, and echoed deafeningly in the area.

"What's-" Ash was trying to speak, but his gasp of air filled with smoke made him incapable of doing so. "*cough, cough, cough*!"

"Ash!" Eevee called worriedly.

"Oh no Ash!" Pikachu added his worry.

"Zubat, go!" Brock called, releasing his zubat. "*cough*, flap your wings quickly, get rid of this smoke *cough, cough*!"

"*zzzzzz! Supersonic sound*!" Zubat cried out, spinning and flapping its wings, resulting in a powerful gust, not a move, of air to blast the smoke away. "zzz."

"Way to go Zubat," Brock complemented.

Ash was not feeling good, he inhaled a huge amount of smoke, his worry before led to him gasping for air, Eevee and Pikachu had tried their best to help him not hurt himself, but it had not worked, and the boy passed out.

"No, Ash!" his partners called in concern.

Eevee tried jumping on him, it did not work. Pikachu was about to try shocks, but Pika stopped him.

"Wait, don't, you might kill him," Pikachu's questioning look made Pika clarify. "He's out cause he inhaled a lot of smoke, if you shock him, his brain might not work right!"

"How does that work?" Pikachu asked frustratedly.

"You're a Pokémon, you're supposed to know this by instinct. Calm down."

"*sigh*, Ash."

"Ash, Ash, can you hear me?" Ditto whispered.

No response.

"Help me carry him!" the disguised Pokémon requested, and Eevee and Pikachu tried, it was not a big help, but their surprisingly incredible strength helped a lot.

"Alright, what now, what are you up to?" Red shouted, looking at Team Rocket.

"To steal your Pokémon is our goal," Jessie started.

"Jessie, we've talked about this," James pointed out.

"Oh—right, no motto."

"Ash, Ash, please wake up!" Eevee called.

No.

"Why you!" Eevee growled angrily. "You hurt my friend, nobody, hurts, my, FRIENDS!" Swift was blasted towards Team Rocket, and it hit the duo. It continued hitting them, until they fell from their air balloon.

"AHHH!" they yelled.

"Eevee, wait!" Ditto tried, to no avail, and things got worse when Pikachu joined in too.

"HA!" the mouse cried, letting out a powerful Thunder Shock, which, with the Swift, meant total annihilation, not literally, but destructive anger from Pikachu and Eevee, whom no one dared to stop anymore, seeing the change in personality and facial features, and the immense power they were producing.

(Someone is overprotecting Ash again!)

All the squirtle swallowed. "I'm scared," one whispered.

"Don't worry, as long as we don't stand in their rage range, we'll be fine.. I t-think," the leader whispered back.

(He didn't mean the move Rage, he meant their anger)

When Jessie and James hit the ground, they were crying.

"Who knew such cute Pokémon can do this?!" Jessie cried.

"I didn't," James shouted.

"Don't, hurt, Ash!" Pikachu and Eevee growled intimidatingly.

"What was that all about?"

"Don't hurt da twerp, ASH, I MEAN AHS, UH, ASH!" Meowth translated, after earning a glare.

"We didn't hurt the t-," Eevee and Pikachu gave Jessie a glare too, so she corrected herself. "We didn't hurt, Ash. Why would we?"

"Uh, Jess, dat's Ash," Meowth said, pointing.

"*gasp then gulp*," Jessie gulped. "Oh. That wasn't intentional.

"Eevee, Pikachu, I think Ash's waking up!" Ditto whispered softly.

Two milliseconds later, and Eevee and Pikachu were on top of their trainer.

"Wow!" Ditto said, impressed. "That was quick."

"Is he really waking up?" Eevee asked softly.

"Yeah, look, his breathing's normal, his eyes are opening and clo- oh, yup, he woke up."

"W-what happened?" Ash asked, shakily.

His face was covered with a Pikachu and an Eevee who teared tears of joy.

Horizontal line. -

After the emotion confusion that had transpired.

"Now, back to stealing poké-" James stopped. "Or you know what? Let's let Pikachu and Eevee enjoy the moment."

"What moment? Their trainer gasping smoke that you caused with your explosives, passing out for three minutes then waking up? Oh sure, thank you for caring," Red deadpanned.

Pika blasted the evil duo off with Thunderbolt.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" they yelled, flying away, afterwards a twinkle appeared.

"Te-terified, I was terrified!" a squirtle said in fear. "T-those explosions, then that Pikachu Eevee super powerful thing, then, well honestly nothing afterward, I'm just bored afterward."

"Dudes, this was so incredible, Where did you get this super-powered spectacle?" The Squirtle leader questioned with awe, Pikachu and Eevee replied, unsure what they saw.

(Someone is exaggerating!)

"It's normal for Pokémon, isn't it?" they asked, skeptical.

"No it's not. You've gotta teach me, you have gotten to!"

"Phrase your sentences correctly," Eevee chimed, Trying to make sense, reasoning timed.

"It's correct, in my sentencer," Squirtle claimed, Lost in translation, their words maimed, A linguistic confusion, their conversation entwined.

"Your what?"

"Sentence making."

"Poeming? Sentencer? What's happening to day? It's like someone who recently learned English's trying to make up words."

()

Suddenly, a blast, attention diverted, All eyes turned to where the water spurted, Not a bomb, but a Pokémon's aim, Commanded by a familiar face, not in vain, Pallet trainers recognized, their curiosity asserted.

"Gary?"Ash shouted in shock.

"Hmm? Well well well if it isn't Ashy boy!" Gary called.

"What are you doing here?"

"Following that Eevee," Gary pointed at an Eevee.

"Woah, you're an Eevee too? I'm an Eevee!" Ash's Eevee exclaimed, jumping towards the newcomer, eevee.

"No way!" the eevee exclaimed, bouncing happily. "I found another Eevee, Yay!"

Both greeted each other emotionally, I mean the happy kind of emotionally.

"Aw, they're so cute like this!" Leaf cooed.

"Oh, I gotta run, see you!" the eevee said, ending the meeting.

"Ash, don't let it runaway!" Gary called urgently.

Although Ash was perplexed, he decided to try it and see what happened. He attempted to obstruct the eevee's path by quickly running in front of it. The eevee immediately stopped, looked around, and jumped in Ash's direction before abruptly changing course, taking him by surprise and passing over him, much to Ash's surprise."What the…"

"Catch it catch it catch it, don't let it escape!" Gary called, running after the eevee. He passed by Ash, and He stumbled and fell to the ground after taking a step over a hole, one leg was in the air and the other leg was on the hard ground, so he fell on the ground. "Ouch!"

"*sigh*, OK, now I can catch my breath," the eevee decided, slowing down a little.

"Squirtle, quick!" Pikachu notified, pointing at the eevee.

"The SQUIRTLE SQUAD'LL HELP YOU!" the Squirtle Squad assured, jumping, running, and finally surrounding the eevee. One squirtle splashed it with Water Gun.

"Ah!" the eevee squeaked.

It tried to jump, but it was met with a Water Gun to the face.. literally. It looked around, and while it was trying to escape, the group made their way, after helping Gary of course, to where it was surrounded.

It looked around urgently, more Pokémon. "*inhales air* OK, it's OK, I'm just surrounded by humans, and Pokémon who are just… not hurting me.. y-yet, if I don't go as far as attack them, maybe they'll allow me to go, it's OK, it's- AH, WHO AM I KIDDING? I'M DEAD AFTER SOME SECONDS! I'M GONNA DIE!" the eevee wailed.

"Uh," Ash said in thought.

"No, it's not OK," Ditto replied immediately.

Eevee approached the new eevee. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked gently.

"I'm surrounded by humans and Pokémon.. AGAIN!" the eevee replied fearfully.

"So? What does being surrounded mean to you?"

No reply.

"Gary?" Ash said.

"m?" Gary wondered, looking at Ash.

"What do you want with the eevee? I know you might wana catch it, but it's crying, so…"

"No. I want an eevee but not this one. This one I was asked by gram's to catch for someone named Bill. Said he needed it desperately."

"Oh."

"Well, did he tell you where does that Bill live?" Red asked.

"He sent me a location.. sorta," Gary replied.

Red looked inquiringly at Gary.

"It is a location, but it's near the see, and very far from where people live, It's near here, but I don't think it's the right place," Gary elaborated. "Maybe gramps made a mistake? I don't know, i-"

"Take us, pokéball, go!" Red threw a pokéball at the eevee, who looked in horror as it got absorbed in.

"Hey, I was gonna catch it."

"Too bad, now let's go. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about this," Red said in some mysterious tone. (That tone in movies or episodes, where there are characters in an adventure and they see something strange, and one of them says " I have a bad feeling about this", that tone that adds suspense, everyone knows the one)


The mysterious beach unfolded before the group, its wide expanse of sand disappearing into the distance. Gusts of wind whipped across the shoreline, causing ripples on the water's surface and giving the air a restless feeling. Above, the cloudy sky added a touch of obscurity, casting shifting shadows upon the beach. The sand, unremarkable in appearance, covered the shore with its familiar texture. Water-type Pokémon playfully navigated the waves, adding an element of intrigue to the scene. A sense of normality lingered in someone at the first gaze, but upon deeper reflection, an enigmatic ambiance began to emerge. It was as if the beach held secrets within its depths, waiting to be unraveled by those who dared to delve further. Yet, for the casual observer, it retained the façade of an ordinary seaside retreat. Across the way, on the other side of the beach, a mysterious lighthouse stood tall, its beam of light piercing through the cloudy haze, beckoning curious souls.

"There it is," Gary pointed at the lighthouse. "Huh, I didn't think it'll be here."

"I didn't think Ash was going to beat me two years ago, but he did," Red said.

"Moving on, let's go!" Ash exclaimed, running.

Once on the other side of the beach, he rang the lighthouse's bell. The loud, deep and resonant clang could be heard, the sound that was both familiar and eerie, the sound that was both a warning and a comfort.

"Who's there?" a voice asked from, huh, turned out the lighthouse had an intercom for communication. (Is intercom the right word? Yeah, I think so)

"Professor Oak asked me to give you an Eevee, if you're Bill," Gary replied, stopping beside Ash.

"Ah, yes, I am Bill, I'd let you in but there's a small problem, so please Gary, wait for a few minutes."

Silence.

Silence, for two minutes.

*the door opened*

"Please get in," the obviously Bill said.

"Hello?" Ash called. "We're Gary's friends, can we come in too?"

"I don't see a problem with it, it's-" *thump*

"Bill?"

"Yeah, you can get in," a voice called from the intercom, it seemed far and echoey.

The group got in, and saw the normal appearance of a normal, ordinary lighthouse.

"Bill?" Ash called.

"I don't think he's here, I don't see any- WHAT THE!" Brock exclaimed, seeing a Pokémon falling towards them.

The Pokémon fell on Ash, who did not move in time. "OW!"

"Ash no!" his Pokémon partners exclaimed in worry.

"Don't worry, I'm not that heavy, he should be fine," a Pokémon assured them.

Upon examination, the Pokémon was a small Pokémon, so surely Ash was fine.

"You're a… clefairy?" Pika asked from Red's shoulder.

"No, I'm Bill, I just… *sigh* long story," Bill replied.

"I don't think you're Bill, you're another talking Pokémon ," Leaf thought aloud.

"No no no, please, believe me, I'm Bill. I,-"

"That's exactly what a talking Pokémon who's not Bill would say."

"But that's what would I say because I'm Bill too. *sigh* help me!"

"I dunno, I think he's telling the truth. What would a random talking clefairy do in a famous scientist's lighthouse away from people?" Ash wondered.

"Get experimented on? But that's not the point, I'm not a random talking clefairy. Please help me!"

"OK, I'm convinced," Leaf told everyone.

(huh)

So the clefairy led the group, who were surprisingly still followed by the Squirtle Squad, through the lighthouse, until they reached a room thing, famous in lighthouses.

"What now?" Ash wondered.

"Now, I tell you what happened," bill started looking at the group. "So I was just making experiments like usual, but then i got trapped in the pokémon's botty because i messed up while trying to fix the teleporter and clefairy was in the other pot."

" So whatta we do to help you?" Ash asked.

" I'll put myself in the pod, and you just click the button and activate the system. That should defuse us," Bill explained.

"OK."

Bill put himself in the system teleporter, and the group waited for a sign.

" Should I click the button?" Ash asked.

" Yeah, I think so. We waited for enough time," Ditto permitted.

The teleporter made a sound, and a few seconds later, Bill was out, and the Clefairy was out from the other pod too.

" Huh, so you weren't a Pokémon," Leaf understood.

" I told you, I am not a Pokémon," Bill said. " So you must be Gary," he continued, looking at Gary.

"Yup, that's me," Gary said proudly.

"Now, about the eevee…"

"I got it," Red chimed in. "I –caught- it."

"Oh, I see. Please give it to me so I can start checking it."

"Sure," Red handed the scientist the pokéball containing Eevee.

"Thank you!"

"Mister Bill?" Leaf started.

"Yes?"

"What interest's you in that eevee?"

"well, you see, there are Pokémon different from their own species, such as shiny Pokémon, alpha Pokémon in the old times, and giant sized Pokémon, not like Gigantamax, but giant size, but there are some Pokémon that are the same in shape, but.. different in powers, they're more powerful than the normal Pokémon, and sometimes more friendly and overprotective. Scientists know of their existence, but they've never studied them. And I'm unsure, but I think this eevee here" he opened the pokéball "Is one of those Pokémon."

(He got the wrong eevee. Ash's one is the partner eevee)

(what? You all know that, you've entered the story knowing it, it's in the summary, that's not a spoiler or anything)

"Wow, I never knew that there are special eevee," Eevee commented, looking at the new eevee.

(He doesn't know that about himself, I've established that.. I hope)

"Me neither," the new eevee said in response.

"Well, what are you gonna do with it?" Leaf asked Bill.

"First, I will take a blood sample," Bill replied, the eevee shivered. "I'll check if it has a different blood than the normal Eevee.-"

"But how would you know what is the actual eevee blood?"

"Dear, I'm obsessed with eevee. Why do you think I especially requested an eevee from Samuel?"

"Oh."

"Anyway, next, I'll make it battle its eeveelutions," Bill continued, the eevee gulped. "So I can check how much power does it have more than the normal eevee. After that, well, I dunno."

Confused looks were on him the moment he said "I dunno."

"What?"

"What do you mean you don't know? You were planning just that for it?" Red asked in disbelief.

"Of course not. I only thought of that in the meantime, I want to study it, and check what can it do, and everything. I'm just putting a low goal incase I'm so busy to the point of not being able to study it," Bill explained.

"A-anyone? Can you please, please get me away from here?" the eevee asked pleadingly.

"No," Ditto replied. "Stay here."

"Oh, OK, s-sorry!" eevee said.

"do, not, apologize," Ditto said, remembering oddish.

"I'm so-, I mean OK."

"Much better."

(Poor Eevee)

Everyone enjoyed the food that Brock and Bill prepared, and while they dined, they listened to Bill's story.

"A long time ago, on a cloudy and foggy night like this one, I was sitting alone in the lighthouse, when I heard a mysterious voice calling from the depths of the sea, 'Let us be friends!' I don't know how I understood it, but I did. I went out to see what was happening, but didn't see the source of the sound, there was a lot of fog. After a while, the sound faded and disappeared, leaving me bewildered and amazed. Months later, on a similar night, I heard the same voice, and immediately, I went out and looked as far as I could see, to see a strange Pokémon that was barely in my line of sight, I called out as loud as I could 'I want us to be friends too, who are you and where are you from?' The voice didn't answer me, But it sang a sad song, I didn't understand the lyrics, but I understood the sadness and loneliness of the Pokémon. And until now, I'm still waiting for this Pokémon to respond, hoping that it will accept my friendship and tell me about itself, what it is, where it is from, why does it not reveal itself to me. All these questions have been with me for more than a year at this point, and I hope I'll find answers for them, and more."

"Wow, so cool," Ash commented.

"Yeah, very mysterious encounters indeed," Ditto added.

"I wonder why it didn't wana be friends afterward," Leaf said.

"It didn't clarify, you know," Red pointed out.

"Yeah, but if it sang a lonely song, and just… disappeared, I don't think that's an ' I agree' response."

"We can't say for sure, but what I know is that this was an awesome story," Ash summarized.

The mysterious sound came again.

"huh? There it is again!" Bill exclaimed.

"huh?" the group gasped.

Bill was the first in the group with the clefairy, followed by Ash and Red, then were Leaf and Gary, and Brock was the last of humans, the Squirtle and the eevee were last. That was the order they ran outside in to see the source of the voice, that that Bill suspected was a Pokémon, and he was right.

Under the shimmering moonlight, the group's eyes widened in awe at the magnificent sight before them. Silhouetted in the water of the see was an oversized Dragonite, its wings spread wide, and its presence commanding. Its voice, high-pitched and majestic, resounded from the water, addressing Bill.

"Will you be my friend?"

Bill's heart swelled with a mixture of excitement and apprehension. He glanced at the group, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of the moon. They exchanged curious looks, their anticipation building.

"I'd love to, Dragonite, you don't know how long I've been waiting to tell you!" Bill replied with a mixture of emotions.

Dragonite sang its song, its song that carried the sense of loneliness and sadness, a song that even with its lirics ununderstood, gave the listener every bit of information about the singer. While it was singing, Dragonite got closer to the shore, and the closer it got, the more Bill's heart pulced with excitement and hope.

Unexpected bombs detonated, alarming the dragonite, who screamed loudly and appeared distressed. After being struck by a bomb, it roared angrily.

"What the-," Bill wondered in shock.

Roaring was heard as a response.

"Dragonite, look out!" Bill shouted, seeing multiple bombs heading the dragons way.

A confused, but worried cry from dragonite was the only thing it did, before it was hit with a barrage of bombs that sent it flying towards Bill and the group.

"NO!" Bill shouted. "Clefairy, see what you get from Metronome!"

Psychic.

The dragonite was held in place, roaring in pain and rage, while clefairy hummed in a constant and stedy high tone.

"Thank goodness it's psychic, or we and Dragonite would've been dead right now!" Ash said in relief.

*Roar, roar, roar!*

"Dragonite, calm down, please!" Bill pleaded.

"Why are there bombs in the middle of the see?" Ditto asked Bill. "Were you planning to harm Dragonite?" his voice was full of aggression when he asked the last question.

"N-no, I wasn't, I didn't even know it's coming, i-I-"

"Then there's someone out there, and they're the ones who blasted Dragonite with those bombs. And I think I know who they are," Ditto was growling at that point, literally, his human voice was about to disappear from anger.

"Team Rocket," Ash finished.

"Who?" Gary asked.

"Later, let's go!" Red commanded.

*Roar, roar, roar-*

"Dragonite, please, calm down!" Bill begged.

"I trusted you, you told me you'd be my friend, and now you hurt me with bombs, and you tell me to calm down?" Dragonite roared, his majestic, gentle high-pitched voice gone a long while ago, replaced with a terrifying, rumbling low-pitched majestic one. "*ROAR!*"

"He didn't trow da bombs, didn't ya hear him?" Meowth shouted so Dragonite could hear him.

The bombs turned out to be not for Dragonite, or at least, not solely for it, as they were being thrown everywhere, and were exploding and destroying the entire area.

*ROAR!*

"Dragonite, we need you to calm down, and help us find out what's throwing those bombs, please!" Ditto requested.

*ROAR*

Dragonite looked at everyone, and seemed to think about the idea.

The response was clear after lots of seconds passed, it stopped struggling and roaring, and turned calm. "I will help you."

Ditto smiled, and the clefairy put the dragonite down.

"Uh," Bill said. "Talking meowth?"

"Get on Dragonite's back!" Meowth translated.

"I really should've asked you what did you mean by another talking Pokémon when you said it," Bill told Leaf.

Leaf jumped on Dragonite's back after Bill did, and the rest of the group followed suit.

"Just for safety, and that you don't escape," Red told the new eevee, then put it back in its pokéball, then he jumped.

"We Squirtle Squad'll swim after you, go!" the leading squirtle of the Squirtle squad said, Meowth translated, so Bill told Dragonite to fly, it roared, then took off.

After a small flite, Dragonite got down, in the water, it kept its body out of it for the most part though.

"Good idea, they'll probably be near the water and-, there they are!" Ditto informed, pointing. "Team Rocket, just as I expected."

Horizontal line. -

With Team Rocket's admin, Archer, the grunts were looking at the giant-sized Dragonite they blasted earlier coming back with a group of Pokémon trainers, and the scientist Archer wanted to find, `Aw! How nice of him to come to me.`

Archer looked at the humanoid feline Pokémon on his side. "So?"

'There are two Pokémon of that species you asked me to find, one is outside of those devices you call pokéballs, and one is in one of them, which one do you want,' a voice echoed, not asking, just giving the impression of it.

"Get the one in the pokéball for the boss, it being in a pokéball makes it less likely they'd notice, and use Shadow Ball on that Dragonite!" Archer replied.

'm.'

Suddenly, Archer saw a pokéball heading his way, he caught it in his hands. "Why did you give it to me?" he asked the Pokémon on his side.

'I shouldn't have?'

"You could've taken it to the boss immediately."

'M.'

the Pokémon disappeared, and with it the pokéball.

"Alright, now that that's over with, let's see how are they handling being hit with a vicious Shadow ball!" Archer said, grinning malevolently.

Horizontal line. -

A massive shadowy object traveling at a high rate of speed toward Dragonite was noticed.

Being the first to notice the thing, Ditto shouted out a warning. "Ah! Look out!"

Concerned and afraid, dragonite managed to evade the explosion that would have destroyed it. The enormous explosion that resulted from the gigantic spherical colossal ball slamming into a wave caused the entire sea to shake violently,and waves to throw anything around for a bit. Worse than an earthquake.

The relief the group felt when Dragonite avoided that gigantic ball of mysterious energy was indescribable.

They sighed in relief, all of them.

"What was that?" Ash asked.

"Shadow Ball," Ditto replied.

"No," Bill said. "It can't be. True, Shadow Ball is very powerful and can be very big, but no move can be that big."

(That's not true, Pikachu's Electro Ball in gen five did, and on two occasions) (One is canon, and the other was supposed to be )

"Yes, it was, Bill. It was definitely Shadow Ball, I saw it."

"But how?"

"I don't know, and I don't care."

Team Rocket were close enough so the battle can begin.

Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt, and Pika obeyed.

"Archer, I see you," Ditto called. "Whata you want?"

"Ah, a boy I've never seen before recognized me! Well, just the scientist, you –Ditto-, and the other Pokémon as well, please, hand them with out a fight, because it'd be very sad if the police found five dead kids on the shore tomorrow," Archer replied maliciously.

"There's no way we're giving you our Pokémon," Leaf retorted.

"Oh well, I asked nicely, but remember girl, you asked for this," Archer said. "Houndoom, finish them."

*Pokéball opening. ROOAAR* houndoom's roar echoed through the water, it was a predator chasing a prey roar that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

"I changed my mind, I'll come with you," Ditto said in fear.

"No, you won't. And this time, I'll finish you off, even if Archer doesn't want me to" Houndoom roared intimidatingly.

Ditto swallowed, and gave no reply.

"Ditto, are you alright?" Leaf asked, worried.

"Please, return me to my pokéball!"

"What? But-"

"Plee-e-eaase!"

Leaf pulled out Ditto's pokéball, and he looked at it, and with surprising relief, he returned himself by himself.

Leaf understood something was wrong, Ditto never looked that scared before, Houndoom surely said something to him, `but what? And why?`

"Eevee, I choose you!" Ash called out. Eevee jumped from his shoulder onto Dragonite's back, and growled resolutely, his eyes determined and focused on the ship and who were inside it.

"Bulbasaur, go!" Leaf called, throwing her Pokémon's pokéball. Bulbasaur materialized on Dragonite's back, and growled at Team Rocket.

"Nido cuple, go!" Gary exclaimed, releasing nidorino and nidorina, who looked at each other in a love, then blushed, then focused on the battle. "Wartortle, come on out!" Wartortle materialized, then jumped in the water, ready to battle.

Pika jumped on the battlefield when Red chose him.

"Onix, ha!" Brock threw Onix's pokéball, and Onix roared upon releas. "I know you have a weakness to water, so be careful. Zubat, let's go!" he then sent out Zubat, who hovered above everyone.

"Dragonite, please help us, but try to stay steady!" Bill requested, to which Dragonite cried gently.

"Bulbasaur, Razor Leaf!" Leaf commanded, her voice steady and focused. Bulbasaur's vines extended, releasing a flurry of razor-sharp leaves that sliced through the air, aiming towards Team Rocket's ship.

"Fearow, Gust!" Archer called out. A large, bird-like Pokémon soared from the ship, flapping its wings vigorously making a powerful gust of wind. The Gust attack intercepted the Razor Leaf, dispersing the leaves before they could reach the ship.

"Wartortle, Hydro Pump!" Gary shouted. Wartortle withdrew into its shell, and water surged from its cannons, propelling a powerful stream towards Team Rocket's ship. The forceful torrent crashed against the vessel, causing it to rock violently.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang!" Archer commanded. Raticate, a large rat Pokémon, scurried forward, its fangs gleaming menacingly. With a swift motion, it lunged towards Wartortle, aiming to sink its teeth into his shell.

"Wartortle, Rapid Spin!" Gary countered. Wartortle spun rapidly, making a whirlwind of force around its shell. The intense rotation sent Raticate flying back, staggering from the impact.

"Eevee, Double Team!" Ash commanded. Eevee multiplied, making several illusory copies that darted around, confusing their opponents.

Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt. Pika crackled with electricity, gathering a surge of power before releasing a powerful Thunderbolt attack. The electrifying blast crackled through the air, targeting the Team Rocket grunts who were caught off guard.

"Weezing, Smog!" one of the grunts ordered. Weezing, a large gas-filled Pokémon, expelled a noxious cloud of smog towards the group of trainers on Dragonite's back.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip, protect us!" Leaf commanded. Bulbasaur's vines thrashed, making a protective barrier of entangled vines. The smog dissipated harmlessly against the thick foliage.

"Onix, Bind!" Brock called out, his voice resonating with athority. Onix lunged forward, its massive body coiling around a group of Team Rocket's Pokémon, constricting them tightly and leaving them vulnerable to attacks.

"Now, Clefable, go!" Red called out, releasing clefable.

"Yay, free-, a? What's going on?" she asked, before being ordered to use metronome. She did, willingly.

"Don't let it finish. Weezing, use Hyper Beam!" a grunt ordered. The beam of energy formed inside weezing, and its two heads cried its name, before releasing what the grunt called, "Duo Beam!" the beam, beams were quickly accelerating in speed, heading to strike clefable, who was busy with her metronome.

Clefable's Metronome transformed into Blast Burn, a powerful surge of energy coursed through her body. The air around her shimmered with an intense heat, and her entire form became engulfed in a swirling vortex of flames. The flames blazed with an otherworldly intensity, emitting a scorching heat that could be felt even from a distance.

With a forceful thrust of her arms, Clefable unleashed the searing inferno of Blast Burn towards the incoming Duo Beam. The blast collided with the combined energy beams, causing a cataclysmic explosion that illuminated the water in a blinding cascade of light.

The sheer magnitude of Blast Burn's power overwhelmed the Duo Beam, disintegrating it into scattered fragments of energy. The intense flames engulfed the beams, eradicating them before they could reach Clefable. The force of the explosion rippled through the water, causing a powerful shockwave that dispersed the remnants of the Duo Beam.

The trainers and Pokémon on Dragonite's back watched in awe as Clefable's Blast Burn acted as an impenetrable shield, neutralizing the dangerous attack from Team Rocket. The display of Clefable's sheer strength and the explosive nature of Blast Burn left everyone momentarily breathless, including the Team Rocket grunts who were now forced to reassess their strategy.

The blinding light gradually faded, revealing Clefable standing resolute, her form surrounded by fading embers and wisps of smoke. Her eyes gleamed with a renewed determination, her metronome technique having unleashed a devastating force that had saved her from harm.

Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt. Electricity was blasted towards the ship, and several Pokémon were knocked into the water by it, growling in pain.

"Onix, Skull Bash!" Brock called out. Onix let go of the Pokémon he was surrounding, and moved towards the raticate from before, after getting a defense boost, and hit it with his head, sending it flying into the duo beam weezing, who was floating in the air, and caught it with a cry of its name.

"Duo Beam, again. This time, that clefable's doomed," the grunt ordered.

Uh-oh!

"No, Dragonite, please help us!" Bill requested urgently. Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt. Electricity was blasted towards the ship, and several Pokémon were knocked into the water by it, growling in pain.

"Onix, Skull Bash!" Brock called out. Onix let go of the Pokémon he was surrounding, and moved towards the raticate from before, after getting a defense boost, and hit it with his head, sending it flying into the duo beam weezing, who was floating in the air, and caught it with a cry of its name.

"Duo Beam, again. This time, that clefable's doomed," the grunt ordered.

Uh-oh!

In a desperate attempt to counter the incoming Duo Beam, Bill pleaded with Dragonite for assistance. "No, Dragonite, please help us!" Bill requested urgently. With a resolute cry, Dragonite unleashed a devastating Hyper Beam from its powerful jaws. The beam of intense energy surged forward, colliding with the Duo Beam, causing a colossal explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the water.

The combined force of Dragonite's Hyper Beam and the Duo Beam made a massive display of power. The clash of energies illuminated the entire battlefield, casting an ethereal glow over the raging waters. The explosive impact sent shockwaves reverberating through the air, causing a tumultuous cascade of water droplets to rain down upon the battling Pokémon and trainers.

Houndoom, standing tall and exuding an aura of malevolence, showcased its mastery over fire and darkness. The flames dancing around its jaws intensified, casting an eerie glow on its sleek, black fur. It bared its fangs, emitting a bone-chilling growl that echoed across the water.

With a sudden burst of speed, Houndoom launched itself forward, agile and relentless. Its fiery eyes locked onto its target with an unwavering focus—a devastating display of its relentless pursuit of victory.

"Eevee, Swift!" Ash called out, hoping to disrupt Houndoom's advance. Eevee swiftly responded, unleashing a flurry of stars that streaked through the air, aiming to impede Houndoom's progress. However, the dark canine Pokémon skillfully maneuvered, effortlessly dodging the projectile stars with calculated movements.

"Houndoom, Dark Pulse!" Archer commanded with a sinister grin. Houndoom's jaws opened wide, and from the depths of its throat, an intense orb of concentrated dark energy began to form. The ominous sphere pulsated with malevolence, growing in size and intensity. Houndoom unleashed its attack, and while it passed through the air, it left destruction in its way.

"Eevee, Double Kick!" Ash shouted, determined to protect his allies. Eevee leaped into action, his swift kicks slicing through the smoke, aiming to counter Houndoom's assault. But Houndoom's speed and agility were unmatched, effortlessly dodging the attacks with incredible evasion.

Leaf, her voice resolute, commanded her Bulbasaur, "Tackle, go!" Bulbasaur charged forward, its determination unwavering. However, Houndoom proved to be a formidable opponent, swiftly sidestepping the oncoming assault, leaving Bulbasaur to collide with the smoke-shrouded aftermath of its missed strike, and then to fall in the water.

"Nidorina, Bite!" Gary commanded. Nidorina lunged forward, jaws agape, aiming to sink her teeth into Houndoom's flank. But Houndoom's agility prevailed once again, effortlessly evading the attack and countering with a retaliatory blast of dark energy that sent Nidorina skidding backward.

"Pika, Quick Attack!" Red commanded. Pika darted through the smoke, a streak of lightning weaving its way towards Houndoom. But Houndoom, sensing the incoming assault, released a powerful burst of dark flames, engulfing Pikachu's path and forcing him to veer off course, and, like Bulbasaur and nidorina, fall in the water.

"Zubat, Wing Attack!" Brock shouted. Zubat swooped down from above, its wings slashing through the smoke with razor-like precision. Yet Houndoom's eyes glowed with an intense determination, and it summoned Dark Pulce that engulfed Zubat mid-flight, causing it to spiral downward, disoriented and weakened.

Dragonite, sensing the urgency, mustered its strength and unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam, making a blinding beam of energy that streaked towards Houndoom. The attack collided with Houndoom's defenses, resulting in a cataclysmic explosion that sent shockwaves rippling through the water, momentarily halting the fierce confrontation.

With a resolute roar, Houndoom emerged from the smoke and debris, seemingly undeterred by the previous onslaught. Its fiery eyes burned with an unyielding determination as it prepared to unleash even greater havoc upon the group of trainers. The flames dancing around its jaws burned even brighter as Archer's eyes narrowed with a cold determination.

"Houndoom, show them the full extent of your power! Dark Pulse!" Archer commanded with an authoritative voice. With a bellowing growl, Houndoom unleashed a concentrated blast of dark energy from its maw. The pulse shot through the air like a malevolent wave, distorting the surrounding water and engulfing everything in its path. The sheer force of the attack sent shockwaves rippling through Dragonite's back, causing the trainers and their Pokémon to brace themselves against the attack.

Ash, wide-eyed but resolute, called out to Eevee, "Eevee, Double Kick!" Red ordered Pika to use Quick Attack again. Pika streaked through the water with blinding speed, electrifying his body as he closed in on the dark energy. With a powerful jolt, Pika's Quick Attack collided with the pulsating darkness, causing an explosive clash of lightning and shadows. Meanwhile, Eevee focused his energy. He leaped into the air, executing a series of rapid kicks, each strike infused with the determination to break through the oppressive force of Houndoom's Dark Pulse.

"Bulbasaur, Vine Whip! Use your vines to push back the Dark Pulce!" Leaf called out. Bulbasaur's vines thrashed and whipped through the water, making a swirling vortex of foliage. The verdant tendrils stretched out, entwining and coiling around the dark energy, exerting a force to push against Houndoom's attack.

Gary seized the opportunity, "Wartortle, Hydro Pump! Nidorino, Double Kick!" Wartortle harnessed the water around him, summoning a massive surge that transformed into a torrential downpour. The cascading water collided with the Dark Pulse, causing a clash of elements that crackled with power. Nidorino, charging forward with lightning speed, executed a swift series of powerful kicks, aiming to disrupt the flow of Houndoom's attack. Each strike reverberated with determination, channeling the collective strength of the group into a focused counterassault.

Red ordered Clefable to use Disarming Voice. Clefable opened her mouth, releasing a harmonious and enchanting melody that resonated through the water. The ethereal sound waves rippled outward, dispersing the dark energy and imbuing the "battlefield" with a sense of calm and serenity.

"And that's why I hate fairy-types. HOUNDOOM, TAKE CARE OF THAT ANNOYING THING! USE CRUSH CLAW!" Archer ordered with a venomous sneer. Houndoom, fueled by its trainer's command and relentless in its pursuit, lunged forward with blistering speed. Its claws glowed with a dark aura as it aimed to strike Clefable with a crushing blow. The ferocity of the attack, combined with Houndoom's formidable strength, threatened to overwhelm Clefable's defenses.

Red ordered Clefable to use Reflect. Clefable reacted swiftly, summoning a protective barrier in the form of a shimmering, translucent field. The Reflect shield enveloped Clefable, fortifying her defenses against the impending assault.

Houndoom's razor-sharp claws collided with the barrier, causing a powerful shockwave that reverberated through the water. The impact sent ripples across the battlefield, the clash of forces creating a momentary stalemate as Clefable's Reflect held strong against Houndoom's onslaught.

Red made a quick decision. "Clefable, well done! Return!" Red exclaimed, withdrawing Clefable into her Pokéball. He glanced at his remaining Pokémon, knowing he needed to make a strategic move.

"Pikachu, it's your turn!" Ash declared, his voice filled with unwavering confidence. Pikachu jumped from his shoulder, determination shining in his eyes. Pikachu's cheeks sparked with electricity as he glared at Houndoom, his determination mirrored in his piercing gaze. The air around them seemed to charge with tension as the stage was set for their showdown against Archer's formidable Pokémon.

Houndoom, radiating an aura of power and menace, surveyed the battlefield with a sinister grin. Archer's command echoed through the air, fueling Houndoom's determination to annihilate its opponents.

With relentless ferocity, Houndoom lunged forward, its eyes gleaming with an intensity that sent shivers down the spines of the trainers. Its speed and agility were unmatched as it evaded attacks with graceful dodges and weaved through the chaos with ease.

Bulbasaur's vines thrashed desperately, but Houndoom swiftly countered with a powerful Flamethrower, engulfing the leafy projectiles in searing flames. The attack overwhelmed Bulbasaur, forcing Leaf to recall her Pokémon, her face etched with concern.

Wartortle, valiantly holding its ground, unleashed a torrent of Hydro Pumps towards Houndoom. However, the menacing Pokémon nimbly dodged the blasts, evading the water torrents with calculated agility. In a retaliatory strike, Houndoom unleashed a blast of Dark Pulse, striking Wartortle with brutal force, leaving it incapacitated. Gary's heart sank as he recalled his fallen partner, his expression a mix of determination and worry.

Onix, though formidable in size and strength, found itself struggling against Houndoom's relentless assault. Despite its best efforts, Houndoom's Fire Fang pierced through Onix's defenses, leaving it battered and weakened. Brock, his face etched with concern, made a difficult decision and recalled his Pokémon, determined to find a way to turn the tide.

Even Dragonite, the mighty guardian of the group, faced the onslaught of Houndoom's power. Dragonite, though resilient, found itself pushed to its limits, the strength of Houndoom's attacks wearing it down. Bill urged Dragonite to endure, knowing they needed every ounce of strength to protect their friends.

Amidst the chaos and devastation, Ash's Pikachu stood firm, his determination unwavering. The little Electric-type Pokémon crackled with energy, his eyes locked on Houndoom with a mixture of defiance and readiness.

Houndoom, its eyes narrowing with amusement, directed its attention towards Pikachu. It recognized the spark within the tiny Pokémon, the potential for a true clash of power.

"hahahaha, you have a determined Pikachu," Archer laughed evilly. "Houndoom? Please, destroy the other Pokémon, make that tiny pathetic mouse suffer mentally before being finished by your flames, -for good-."

Houndooms face could not be more terrifying when it grinned its evil and wicked grin as the words, for good, sank in everyone's mind. It wanted death, not just finish Pikachu as to knock him out. "Take down that Eevee first, then take out the rest. Keep that pikachu for last."

With a burst of speed, Houndoom lunged towards Eevee, its fangs bared and flames swirling around its jaws. Eevee, filled with fear but resolute, braced himself for the incoming attack. In a devastating display of power, Houndoom unleashed a torrent of scorching flames that engulfed Eevee, overwhelming him completely.

"Eevee!" Ash cried out, his heart sinking as he witnessed his Pokémon being overcome by Houndoom's fierce assault. Eevee fell in the water, barely conscious.

"NO!" Pikachu shouted, then jumped forward, trying to catch Houndoom, who easily avoided him.

Meanwhile, Pika leaped into action, electricity crackling around his form. He unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt towards Houndoom, determined to protect his companions. But Houndoom, effortlessly, swiftly evaded the attack.

Houndoom retaliated with an onslaught of its own, launching a devastating combination of Dark and Fire-type moves. Pika, Gary's Nidorino and Nidorina, and Brock's Zubat fought valiantly, but were ultimately overpowered by Houndoom's overwhelming strength. One by one, they fell, unable to withstand the intensity of the attacks.

Amidst the chaos and devastation, Ash's Pikachu remained the last one standing. His fur bristled with determination as he faced the formidable Houndoom, his resolve unyielding.

Archer's malicious grin widened as he reveled in the destruction caused by Houndoom. "Hahahaha! Witness the true power of my Houndoom," he taunted, his voice dripping with malevolence.

Pikachu's heart raced with a mix of fear and determination. He knew that his friends had fallen, but he refused to let their sacrifices be in vain. With a fierce determination burning in his eyes, Pikachu prepared himself for the ultimate showdown against Houndoom.

"Houndoom, show no mercy! Flamethrower!" Archer commanded with a wicked grin.

Houndoom opened its jaws wide, summoning a scorching inferno within its maw. A relentless torrent of searing flames surged towards Pikachu, engulfing the battlefield in a blaze of fiery destruction. Pikachu darted and weaved, narrowly evading the onslaught, but the intense heat singed his fur, leaving him breathless and disoriented.

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack to dodge and counter!" Ash shouted, his voice filled with determination.

Pikachu mustered his strength, his muscles tensing as he propelled himself with blinding speed, evading the searing flames. However, Houndoom, with its cunning instincts, anticipated Pikachu's maneuver and swiftly intercepted him, sinking its sharp fangs into Pikachu's side.

Pain shot through Pikachu's body as he struggled to free himself from Houndoom's grip. Determination fueled his resolve, and he retaliated with a Thunder Shock attack. Bolts of electricity crackled and surged from his body at Houndoom, but the sinister canine Pokémon simply let go and nimbly dodged the attack, its dark agility unmatched.

Archer's grin widened with each passing moment as he reveled in his Houndoom's superiority. "Your Pikachu is no match for Houndoom," he jeered, his voice dripping with sadistic pleasure. "Howl!"

Houndoom, sensing its advantage, seized the opportunity to strike back with a bone-chilling howl that sent shivers down Pikachu's spine. The eerie sound pierced through the air, leaving Pikachu momentarily paralyzed by fear.

"Now, Houndoom, finish this with Dark Pulse!" Archer commanded, his voice resonating with malevolence.

Houndoom's eyes glowed with an ominous aura as it conjured a sphere of pure darkness between its fangs. With a sinister snarl, it launched the Dark Pulse, an onslaught of concentrated shadow energy aimed directly at Pikachu.

With a surge of determination, Pikachu refused to succumb to despair. He knew he had to find a way to turn the tides of the battle, even against overwhelming odds.

"Pikachu, don't give up! Use Agility to dodge the Dark Pulse!" Ash called out, his voice filled with unwavering faith.

Pikachu's instincts kicked in, and with lightning-fast reflexes, he leaped and twisted through the air, narrowly evading the oncoming wave of darkness. As the Dark Pulse dispersed harmlessly behind him, Pikachu landed in the water with a splash, ready to retaliate.

"Now, Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Ash commanded, his voice infused with conviction.

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electric energy as he focused his power. Bolts of electricity surged from his small body, shooting towards Houndoom in a dazzling display of sparks and crackling energy. However, Houndoom, with its superior speed and agility, managed to evade the Thunder Shock, darting aside at the last moment.

Archer's grin widened as he saw Pikachu's attack miss. "Houndoom, strike back! Use Flamethrower!" he ordered, his voice dripping with confidence.

Houndoom opened its maw, unleashing a torrent of scorching flames that surged towards Pikachu. The intense heat washed over Pikachu, causing him to stumble back, singed by the fiery assault. Despite the pain, Pikachu refused to give in, his determination burning brighter than ever.

"Pikachu, hang in there! Use Quick Attack!" Ash encouraged, his voice laced with unwavering support.

With a burst of electrifying speed, Pikachu propelled himself towards Houndoom, zigzagging through the air in a swift and agile manner. But Houndoom, still fueled by its earlier dominance, anticipated the attack. It met Pikachu's Quick Attack head-on, countering with a powerful Dark Pulse that sent Pikachu flying backward, crashing onto Dragonite's back.

Archer laughed triumphantly. "Is that the best you can do? Houndoom, finish it with your Shadow Ball!" he sneered. Houndoom's eyes glowed with an ominous light as it conjured a dense sphere of dark energy, growing larger and more threatening by the second. With a wicked grin, Houndoom launched the Shadow Ball towards the dazed Pikachu, ready to deliver the final blow.

As the menacing Shadow Ball hurtled towards Pikachu, time seemed to slow down. Ash's heart raced with desperation, knowing that Pikachu's defeat was imminent if he couldn't find a way to turn the tide.

""Pikachu, Endure!" Ash shouted urgently, remembering Professor Oak explaining the move to him once, having learned that Pikachu had it.

A shimmering aura enveloped Pikachu, acting as a protective shield against the impending impact of the Shadow Ball. The attack crashed into Pikachu, causing an explosive burst of energy that rippled through the water.

When the dust settled, both Houndoom and Pikachu stood at a distance. The intensity of the clash had taken its toll on both Pokémon, but neither was willing to back down.

Archer's face contorted with a mix of surprise and frustration. "Impressive, you two, you still dare to defy us," he hissed, his voice laced with a newfound seriousness.

"Pikachu, we've come this far! We won't give up now!" Ash declared, his voice filled with unyielding determination.

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electric energy once again as he prepared for his next move. He knew he had to seize this opportunity to turn the battle in his favor.

"Houndoom, no more playing around. Use Flamethrower!" Archer commanded, his tone dripping with renewed determination.

Houndoom unleashed a searing stream of flames towards Pikachu, intent on overwhelming him with its fiery assault. But Ash had a plan. He had to capitalize on Pikachu's agility and speed to outmaneuver Houndoom's attacks.

"Pikachu, dodge and counter with Quick Attack!" Ash shouted, his voice filled with tactical insight.

Pikachu's lightning-fast reflexes kicked in as he dodged the flames with acrobatic grace. He darted and weaved through the air, leaving afterimages in his wake. With a burst of electrifying speed, Pikachu closed the gap between him and Houndoom, delivering a series of lightning-quick strikes with his Quick Attack.

Despite Pikachu's valiant efforts, Houndoom's overwhelming power continued to dominate the battlefield. With each clash, Houndoom's jaws dripped with malice, while Pikachu struggled to keep up. The intense flames that engulfed Houndoom's body seemed to grow fiercer with every passing moment.

Archer watched with a cruel smile as Houndoom's attacks mercilessly struck Pikachu, pushing him to the brink of exhaustion. Pikachu's movements slowed even more, his electric sparks dimming.

The group on Dragonite's back watched in growing concern. The hope that had burned brightly in their eyes began to waver, replaced by a sense of desperation. Their Pokémon, defeated one by one, lay weakened and battered.

Ash clenched his fists, his determination undeterred, even in the face of adversity. "Pikachu, don't give up! You can do this!" he shouted, his voice filled with unwavering belief.

Pikachu struggled, his body trembling with fatigue. The battle had taken its toll, yet a flicker of determination still burned within his eyes. He refused to succumb to defeat.

Houndoom, sensing its impending victory, prepared for the final blow. Flames danced around its body, casting an eerie glow in the water. With a menacing growl, it launched a devastating Flamethrower attack towards Pikachu, the scorching heat closing in.

Pikachu closed his eyes, ready to face the flames head-on. But in that moment, a surge of energy coursed through him, reigniting his spirit. His body glowed with an inner resolve as he mustered the strength to withstand the onslaught.

"Pikachu, Endure!" Ash called out, his voice filled with desperation.

In a display of unwavering resilience, Pikachu braced himself against the scorching flames. The fiery blast enveloped him, causing his body to shake from the intense heat. But with every ounce of willpower, he endured.

Archer's eyes widened in surprise as Pikachu emerged from the flames, battered but unbowed. The attack that was meant to break him had only fueled his determination.

The group on Dragonite's back watched in awe and renewed hope as Pikachu stood defiantly amidst the remnants of the Flamethrower attack. The tides of battle seemed to shift ever so slightly as their faith in Pikachu's unwavering spirit was reignited.

"You're pathetic, rodent," Houndoom spoke.

Pikachu looked at it, its face showed boredom, it was like it did not even battle. "huh?" Pikachu asked, shocked.

"You're pathetic," it repeated. "All this fighting is for nothing and you know it. You're weak, I'll defeat you like nothing, i don't enjoy doing that. I love a good tasty meal, not a weak rodent that didn't even put up a fight. Give up! Don't imbariss yourself more than you already have."

"No," Pikachu replied determinately.

"huh?"

"No. I won't give up, not after all my friends fighting. Not after you hurt them. Not to you, Team Rocket."

"You're pathetic."

"I'm not pathetic, or weak. YOU HEAR ME? I'M NOT PATHETIC, OR WEAK. AND I'LL NEVER GIVE UP, NEVER!"

"Never give up till it's over, Pikachu!" Eevee encouraged, still in the water.

Pikachu, filled with newfound determination, focused his energy. Electric sparks crackled around his body, growing in intensity with each passing moment. The air around him became charged with electricity, heralding the brewing devastating attack.

With a resolute cry, Pikachu unleashed a surge of electrifying power. Lightning bolts erupted from his body, arcing towards Houndoom with unstoppable force. The thunderous attack crackled through the air, engulfing the dark Pokémon in a fearsome display of power. Houndoom howled in agony as the electricity surged through its body, its fiery aura dimming with each strike. The overwhelming force of Pikachu's assault proved too much for even the fearsome Houndoom to withstand.

As the final bolt of electricity dissipated, even the waves in the sea fell silent. Houndoom staggered, its strength waning, until it collapsed in the water with a defeated growl. Pikachu stood triumphant, his eyes gleaming with victory.

A collective gasp escaped from the group on Dragonite's back, their hope rekindled by Pikachu's astonishing display of power. The tides had turned once more, and their spirits soared with renewed vigor.

Archer's face contorted with rage and disbelief. His formidable Houndoom, once the harbinger of destruction, now lay defeated at the hands of Pikachu's indomitable spirit. "Such strength. What are you?"

"I'm Pikachu, the one who'll put an end to you, Team Rocket. And to anyone like you," Pikachu replied, though not understandable to humans, his words delivered the message somehow.

Archer recalled his defeated Houndoom, frustration evident. "You'll all pay for this. You'll regret messing with us. Never forget the name Team Rocket. I'll be sure to make it chase you, everywhere, even in your dreams," Archer threatened, then gave them a frightening laugh.

"We'll make sure you never do that," Ash replied determinately. "We took you down now, and we'll do it again every time we see you!"

"Oh please, look!" Archer pointed behind him, where grunts holding pokéballs stood, and more Pokémon as well, all grinning wickedly, waiting for any command from Archer to strike, the sheer amount on its own made the group gasp. "Hahahaha, all of those grunts are waiting for one word to attack you, but no, I think that's enough, after all, we got what we came here for, so we don't need Bill anymore," he addressed a grunt. "We're leaving, go. And stop by vermilion, Petrel's lost, and doesn't know about the next mission, and I'm the one who's supposed to tel-… why am I even telling you, GO!"

"Yes sur!" the grunt complied, running to steer the ship.

"Send Ditto my greetings girl," Archer told Leaf.

"How do you know Ditto?" she asked tensely.

"Can't tell if he didn't, tell him Houndoom misses him. Hahahaha!"

And with that, the ship sailed away.

Ditto's pokéball burst open. "Hi!" he greeted innocently. "Whoa! What happened here!?"

"L-long story," Pikachu replied weakly, before giving in to exhaustion, and falling in the water.

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in worry.

"I got him," Ditto reassured, transforming into Leaf and pulling Pikachu out of the water, then handed him to Ash, who sighed in relief.

"Thanks!"

"Team Rocket," Gary said thoughtfully. He addressed Ditto. "You seem to know who they were."

"They're an evil organization that steals other people's Pokémon," Ditto explained.

"And –they- seemed to know you."

Ditto gulped. "Uh… uh… I think I… no it's just… i-"

"Uh, uh, I, you, what, did Meowth eat your tongue or something?"

"*sigh*, I don't wana talk about it, especially with someone I barely met."

(Ignoring the fact he talked with Clefairy about it because I made it clear that he knows her from a long time ago.)

(What do you mean I didn't?)

"Fair enough."

"Dragonite, I'm sorry you saw all this. I really wished we can meet again but not in circumstances like those," Bill apologized. "I really wish you won't leave, but I understand if you do after you saw the cruelty of humanity!"

"It is true, Bill, I've seen the cruelty of the humans today, and before as well. But today, I've also met people that are kind, not cruel, and I have made a friend at last. OK, can anybody translate that? I don't have telepathy," Dragonite requested.

Ditto translated.

"Does that mean… you're gonna stay?" Bill asked hopefully.

"Yes."

"Alright, my friend!" Bill exclaimed in joy.

"Uh, Bill?" Red spoke, getting the scientist's atention.

"hmm?"

"You making a friend is nice, I'm happy for you and all, and I don't wish to ruin the moment really, but… someone stole the eevee we caught."

"WHAT?"

"Red, are you sure it's not back in the lighthouse?" Gary wondered, shocked.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I returned it to its pokéball so it wouldn't run away," Red replied. "But now, I don't find even the pokéball."

"But how did it escape?"

"Maybe it escaped in its pokéball?" Ash theorized.

"No ash, that's not how pokéballs work."

"You sure you didn't drop its pokéball while we were battling?" Leaf asked.

"If I did, I would've felt so, or at least someone would've seen it, even if Team Rocket," Red pointed out.

"Oh, right."

"How did it disappear then?" Bill wondered worriedly.

They stood there, deep in thought, as the moonlight shined on them and on the water around them.

"Guys, maybe Team Rocket stole it," Ash proposed. "Remember, that guy said they got what they came here for, but they got nothing except beaten, that can't be what they're here for, right?"

Red thought about it. "Huh, that actually makes sense. But wait, how did they steal it?"

"I don't know, but it's possible right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, whatever happened, we can't do anything about it," Brock said with slight sadness. "Poor Eevee."

"Maybe it's in the ocean around here, we'll keep searching for it," Bill said hopefully.

"Right," Ash agreed.

If splashing in exhaustion was a no, then Eevee surely did not agreewith Ash on helping Bill. But it's not.

"Eevee," Ash gasped in worry.

"I'll keep searching for it alone then," Bill said, worried for Eevee. "I'll take you back to my lighthouse, and you should all rest for the night. You're kids after all."

"I'm fifteen," Brock said disappointedly.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't get some rest -teenager-. Happy?"

"Yup."

(Quick question, was that, what Pikachu used to finish the battle, Pika papow?)


Back with the Squirtle Squad, near the lighthouse.

Earlier, they had followed the trainers and the scientist to see what was going on. But their instincts kept them back when they saw that houndoom. Its destructive power struck fear and terror into their hearts. And pikachu's unknown move impressed them, and showed them what a true bond between a Pokémon and its trainer looks like.

When the good humans defeated the bad humans, the bad humans left, and the humans started to talk about stuff the squirtle did not care about. Eevee fell in the water from its trainer's shoulder, so the humans decided to go back to the lighthouse. The squad followed, hoping to travel with the good humans, helping them on their adventures, and getting some new trainers thatmight help them forget their past experiences.


The next day at breakfast- in the lighthouse

"So you know that they stayed in the lighthouse, and you didn't mind?" Red asked.

"Not at all. Why should I? Squirtle are rare Pokémon, and I had the chance to observe their actions, how did they withdraw into their shells, how did they group up to sleep, everything," Bill replied. They were talking about the Squirtle Squad, when Bill found them inside the lighthouse the last night when he got back from his search for Eevee or its pokéball. Unfortunately, he found none of both. But he found the squad, who were just outside the lighthouse, when he entered, they followed, and when they slept on the floor. He watched them for half an hour, smiled genuinely in happiness for their safety, and went to get some sleep. Of course, Dragonite was left outside. (But I still think him, I mean Bill, watching a bunch of squirtle sleep is weird, just… staring at them for like, half an hour or something until they fall asleep I think. Never mind it's just me… maybe)

"Huh."

Silence.

"Huh, I didn't think about that," Gary whispered to himself. "Who's that other girl that looks like you?" he asked Leaf.

Leaf was about to answer, "That's-"

"I'm me, you don't have to know everyone you know," Ditto replied in Leaf's form.

"Well, she did return you to your pokéball, So you're a Pokémon. Ditto probably ," Gary guessed. "Oh wait, Ditto can't talk."

"I am a special Ditto. And I literally transformed in front of you yesterday."

"Was deep in thinking about the whole Team Rocket and the Dragonite things."

"Cause they defeated your lovebirds?" Leaf asked playfully.

"The nido couple are… actually yeah, they're kinda lovebirds, more love poison-types who'll poison anyone who gets close to them and can't breed with each other when they evolve couple."

"That's a long name," Ash said. "Keep it as Nido couple."

"I didn't plan to change it."

"Eevee?" Pikachu called.

"Yeah?" Eevee looked at Pikachu, who appeared serious.

"About what happened with Team Rocket, what do you think was that… attack I did?"

"Uh…"

Pika chimed in, "You don't know?"

"No, do you?" Pikachu wondered.

"Nope. But if you tell me about it, like what were you feeling, and where did you get all the power, I might be able to help."

"I don't know. It's… I think I can call it my instincts? It's really-"

"It's the same feeling I get when I use those special move… things," Eevee tried.

"That's still not telling me anything," Pika told them.

"I'm sorry, special move?" Ditto wondered, intrigued.

"Pikachu used a super special move when we battled Team Rocket's Houndoom," Eevee explained, and Ditto shivered in fear. "And he defeated Houndoom with it… uh, are you OK?"

"Y-yeah. S-so Pikachu w-won and Team Rocket left, right?"

"Well, yeah. I mean, think what would've happened otherwise."

"Oh, right, they, would be… around here… maybe…"

"Ditto?" Leaf addressed him.

"huh?"

"Something wrong?"

"N-no. I'm f-fine."

"Well then, back to the topic," Gary declared. "You still didn't catch ten Pokémon?"

"For the last time,quality, not quantity!" Red concluded.

"I really don't know what those moves we use are, Pikachu," Eevee said thoughtfully.

"Well, whatever they are, I hope we can use them again, but at will," Pikachu hoped.

Eevee nodded.


It was time to leave.

"Thanks for everything!" Leaf expressed her gratitude to Bill, a wide smile on her face.

"Of course," Bill replied, his smile matching hers. "Now you take care of yourselves."

" Mm-hmm, and if we see Eevee, we'll call you, so don't worry," Ash assured Bill.

"Thank you," Bill's mood momentarily shifted to sadness. "But I think this Eevee may have ended up lost in the ocean inside its Pokéball. The poor thing!"

"No, I'm sure it didn't. It has to be somewhere other than the ocean, safe and sound. I just know it."

"I hope you're right. I truly feel sorry for it," Bill sighed.

"Listen, we told you we'll call when we find it because we know it's not dead in the ocean. So don't worry and study other eevee until we find this one," Gary commanded. "And let's move on to a happier goodbye."

"Fair enough."

"And let's look at the bright side—you have a new companion in Dragonite," Leaf pointed out, directing Bill's attention towards the magnificent Pokémon.

"Yeah," Bill's mood brightened once again. "You're absolutely right. I'll appreciate my time with Dragonite, continue my Pokémon studies, and together, we'll search for Eevee."

"See? Bright side."

"Alright, I think it's time to leave. Also time to have a battle with Red to regain my pride, that defeat two years ago's still bugs me to this day," Gary declared, striding away. "Oh, bye Bill."

"Gary!" Red scolded.

Bill chuckled. " I don't want to delay you kids any longer, go. And have a fantastic Pokémon journey."

"Thanks, good luck with your research," Ash smiled.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE, HUMAN KIDS WE MET YESTERDAY!" three voices called, as three squirtle burst out of nowhere.

"Squirtle?"

"Where are the rest of the squirtle squad?" Ditto asked.

"That's not important. Listen, you can translate for us. Tell them to catch us," the squad leader requested.

"Leaf, Ash, Red, pick one squirtle and catch it."

"Wait, really?" Ash exclaimed.

"No… not a joke."

"Alright, now-"

A pokéball came out of somewhere and caught a squirtle.

"Red, calm down."

"I always wanted a real starter," Red exclaimed. "Though I wanted Charmander."

"Hey," Pika complained.

"Uh—Pika, I didn't mean I don't appreciate you or something, it was just… a desire you know?"

"See? Pokémon trainers are careless," Meowth chimed in. "Uh, Leaf?"

Silence.

"I tink your friend's not OK. Shock her," Meowth suggested.

*ding, ding*

"YES!" Ash and Leaf exclaimed. "WE CAUGHT OURSELVES—SQUIRTLE!"

"Oh, Dey were focusing."

(I love when Important things happen off screen. Or off writing? Off words? I dunno)

"Gary, wait for us!" Ash and Leaf called out, their excitement evident as they dashed away. "Bye Bill!"

"Calm down, and wait for us!" Brock called after them, he then addressed Bill. "Bill, it was an honor to meet you in person. Hope we meet again," then Brock ran after Ash and Leaf.

"Likewise, I hope we meet again. And try not to fuse yourself with a Pokémon again, OK?" Red playfully suggested, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Bill chuckled warmly. "Don't worry, Clefairy and Dragonite will keep me in check, even if I ever consider it."

"I think those two'll do it," Ditto chimed in good-humoredly. "Now, let's get going. I wanna race!" he playfully challenged Red.

"You're on, bye bill!" Red called, running.

"Take care!" Bill called after the departing group, a sense of contentment filling his heart.

Bill stood there, watching them leave, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He knew that his encounter with these remarkable young trainers would not be forgotten easily. Their enthusiasm, determination, and unwavering belief in the bonds between humans and Pokémon had inspired him deeply.

As the group left, they were thinking of the mysteries of the previous night. What was that move Pikachu used? Where did Eevee go? What did Team Rocket want? But they knew, if they focus on things too much, their journey would not be the amazing journey they had wished for their entire life. They would never forget the mysteries, but they would not let them prevent them from having the best journey there ever was.

And so, with high spirits, they left, joining Ditto and Red in the happy race, even Gary joined in. With fun as an atmosphere, they headed toward their next destination, Vermilion City. As the journey continues.

(Yes, that's the end of the chapter)


Eevee: And that's the end.

Pikachu: But why was it so quick?

Author: well, I needed to finish this chapter quickly, so…

Eevee: OK. Uh, when are you gonna make Pikachu learn Thunderbolt?

Author: Wait and see.

Eevee: 'makes an innocent face' can't you tell me after the end of the chapter?

Author: No cookie for you next chapter then.

Eevee: 'looks worried' On second thought, I don't wanna know. Why would I need to know something like that?

Pikachu: Again, why can't I get a cook-

Feel free to tell me to correct any mistake I've made.

And thank you for reading!