Pikachu: Lightning Rod and Electric absorb, this should be easy for Pikachu.
Author: wrong.
Eevee: 'narrates' Last time, our heroes stopped bullying in the Pokémon institute, and Ash caught the starters, and Red and Leaf caught squirtles.. Squirtle, I meant squirtle. 'to author' You've confused me, happy?
Author: Revenge!.
Pikachu: and now, enjoy Chapter 8, the Third gym. And an intends battle abord the SSN that looks like the St. Anne from the anime.
Author: That's not the actual line. -
The sun shined brightly in the sky as the group arrived in Vermilion City, their excitement evident. Ash couldn't contain his eagerness, and Pikachu and Eevee mirrored his excitement with their cheerful exclamations.
Brock looked at the three Pallet trainers with a smile. "Time for you three to earn your third gym badges."
Ditto glared at Brock. "And –we, both of us, are gonna go with them this time. I don't wanna miss the action again," he declared firmly.
Brock chuckled. "Alright, alright, don't worry."
" We should go to the Pokémon Center first," Red proposed.
Leaf nodded in agreement. "Yeah. We should heal our Pokémon and prepare for the battle."
Ditto's mischievous eyes gleamed. "How about a race to the Pokémon Center?"
"Sure, why not?" Leaf agreed with a smile.
Red's face lit up with determination. "First one to reach the Pokémon Center battles the gym leader first. Deal?"
Ash and Leaf reflected his determined look. "Deal!"
They sprinted through the lively city, buildings and bustling streets serving as a backdrop to their race. The wind rushed past them as they vied for the coveted spot in the upcoming battle.
Ash handed his Pokéballs to Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, and Pikachu and Eevee jumped onto the counter.
"I assure you, your Pokémon will be just fine. I'll check the health of your Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle especially. So don't worry," Nurse Joy told Ash warmly.
"Thanks Nurse joy," Ash thanked her with a smile, then dashed off to the waiting room to wait for his friends and for his Pokémon.
Red and Ditto burst into the waiting room, gasping for air.
"I win!" Red declared
"No," Ditto corrected. "-I- win!"
In the midst of their disagreement of who one the race, they didn't notice Ash. So when he chuckled and Grabbed their attention, they were very surprised to realize he was the winner. "Huh?"
Ash grinned, "-I- did."
Leaf joined them after a second, muttering about being unable to catch up, and panting.
She sighed. "So you weren't even the winners?"
"Wait a minute! Brock's the last one?" Ash wondered.
"Huh."
The others shrugged.
B
Ash cradled Pikachu and Eevee in his arms as they stood near the front desk. And Ditto watched them with eager anticipation.
"Aren't you gonna rest and heal up? Ash asked the transformed Pokémon.
Ditto shook his head. "Nope. I'm not missing out on the action this time."
Ash nodded. "Alright, let's head to the gym then!"
"Yeah!" The others agreed, their hearts pounding with anticipation for the challenge that awaited them.
Ash was in the front as the group entered Lieutenant Surge's gym, ready to prove himself as a formidable trainer. "Hello? We're trainers here to challenge the gym leader!" He called out.
"Yo Surge, there's another Pokémon to send to the Center," a voice called.
Surge appeared, emanating authority, as his piercing gaze swept over the group.
"Well well well, another challenger," Surge remarked with confidence. He directed his attention to Leaf. "I feel kinda bad for you, girl."
Leaf couldn't help but feel a tinge of intimidation. "Thank you, but I'm not the challenger," she replied, stammering.
Surge looked puzzled. "Hmm? Then who is?"
Ash stepped forward, his determination shining through. "I'm first."
Surge's expression softened slightly. "Aw! A little baby with baby Pokémon. I feel bad for you too. How about you leave, and I won't send your Pokémon to the Center battered and bruised?"
Ash's resolve solidified. "No, I'm not leaving without a victory and a gym badge. And I'm not a baby."
Surge mockingly chuckled. "Oh, please. You won't win against me in a million years."
"Oh yeah? And why's that?"
Surge chuckled. "You'll see, you'll see."
The battlefield was set, the air in Lieutenant Surge's gym crackling with anticipation. Ash stood confidently on one side, Pikachu and Eevee perched on his shoulders. Surge stood on the opposite side, wearing a smug smirk as he held a Pokéball, ready for the challenge. The referee stood at the center, ready to oversee the match.
"Go, Raichu!" Surge called out, releasing Raichu from its Pokéball. The electric Pokémon stood tall, exuding an air of superiority.
"I'm gonna show you what real power is," Raichu announced. It looked around in search of its opponent, only to see a Pikachu on a trainer's shoulder, sparking and ready to go. "Huh? I'm battling a baby?"
Pikachu bristled. "Hey, I'm not a baby!" he replied, annoyance evident in his voice.
"Aw, did I hurt your tiny feelings?" Raichu teased.
Pikachu growled.
"This match is a one-on-one battle between the challenger Ash and his Pikachu, and the gym leader Surge and his Raichu," The referee announced. "Are you both ready?"
(I just realized, one-on-one is with hyphens, not spaces like one on one. Oops!)
Ash and Surge nodded, their eyes locked in unwavering focus.
"Battle begin!" the referee declared.
Pikachu hopped onto the battlefield, sparks crackling around his cheeks.
"Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!" Ash commanded. Pikachu released a small electric current, aiming it towards Raichu. However, Raichu swiftly dodged the attack, a smug grin on its face.
Surge chuckled mockingly. "Raichu, show 'em a real electric attack, Thunderbolt!" Raichu conjured a powerful bolt of electricity and hurled it at Pikachu, but when it made contact, Pikachu absorbed it with a grin.
"Aw, and I was gonna turn you into a fried mouse," Raichu complained.
"The only one getting fried in this match is you!" pikachu replied confidently.
Ash smiled at the turn of events. "Pikachu, Quick Attack!" He commanded. Pikachu launched himself at Raichu with a burst of speed, leaving a streak of normal-type energy in his wake. Raichu used its tail to tie Pikachu up just before he could hit it.
Pikachu found himself restrained, a look of shock and worry on his face.
"Raichu, toss the baby and Iron Tail!" Surge ordered, confedent in Raichu's abilities.
Uh-oh!
Raichu flung Pikachu into the air and swiftly followed up with a powerful Iron Tail attack, sending Pikachu crashing to the ground. It then followed up with another one that sent Pikachu soaring towards Ash, who looked in shock, unable to do a thing.
"Uh oh!" Eevee alerted.
Pikachu landed on all fours, showing his resilience. "I won't lose to a raichu!" Pikachu declared, determination shining in his eyes.
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed. "Use Quick Attack again!"
(he should've used something else)
With a renewed sense of determination, Pikachu launched himself at Raichu with lightning speed, aiming to strike. However, Raichu's agility proved formidable once again as it dodged Pikachu's attack effortlessly.
(why didn't it tie him again?)
Pikachu sighed in annoyance, feeling the frustration building up within. Raichu chuckled mockingly, confident in its superiority.
Undeterred, Pikachu made another attempt to hit Raichu with Quick Attack, this time moving even faster. With a burst of speed, Pikachu managed to land a solid hit on Raichu, causing it to skid backward.
"That's all?" Raichu taunted.
"You haven't seen anything yet," Pikachu replied determinately.
"Way to go Pikachu," Ash praised. "Use Thunder Shock!"
Pikachu unleashed a surge of electrical energy in the form of Thunder Shock, but once again, Raichu evaded the attack effortlessly, seemingly unfazed by Pikachu's attempts. Pikachu let out a frustrated sigh, realizing that Thunder Shock wasn't proving effective.
"Raichu, use Mega Kick!" Surge commanded with a smirk.
Raichu delivered a powerful kick, sending Pikachu sprawling on the ground once more. Despite the blow, Pikachu quickly regained his footing.
"That's all?" Pikachu taunted sarcastically, his determination shining through.
Raichu responded by binding Pikachu with its tail once again, leaving the electric mouse temporarily immobilized. "Definitely not."
Ash, Eevee, Red, Leaf, and Ditto watched in apprehension as Raichu raised Pikachu into the air, subjecting it to a series of flips, tricks, and movements before ruthlessly throwing it to the ground.
"Iron Tail!" Surge commanded.
"Pikachu, use Agility to dodge!" Ash urged. Pikachu quickly regained his footing, a quick psychic glow surrounding his body as his speed increased. With lightning-fast reflexes, Pikachu skillfully evaded Raichu's Iron Tail attack.
Pikachu let out a sigh of relief, grateful to have dodged the potentially devastating blow.
"For a minute there I thought it was over," Ditto commented, relieved.
Ash issued his next command. "Pikachu, try Thunder Shock once again!"
Pikachu nodded with determination. He gathered his energy, and launched Thunder Shock towards Raichu. However, Raichu effortlessly dodged the attack once more, sighing in boredom. "When'll you understand? This isn't gonna work."
"I'll keep trying anyway," Pikachu declared defiantly.
"Raichu, Hyper Beam!" Surge ordered, wanting to get the battle over with.
Ash's expression shifted to one of worry as he realized the imminent danger. Red, Leaf and Ditto, in the sidelines, shared his concern, their faces reflecting worry.
"Uh-oh!"
"That's gonna hurt!"
Ash refused to let Pikachu go down that easily. "Pikachu, use E-"
"Don't even try, it's over," Surge interrupted confidently.
(But… Endure! It's Surge's falt he didn't command pikachu to use it.)
Ash's heart sank as he watched Raichu unleash its devastating Hyper Beam attack. The powerful beam of energy shot with incredible speed, and Pikachu was not able to do a thing except brace himself as it got closer, and…
*Boom!*
The Hyper Beam collided with Pikachu, launching the mouse Pokémon through the air.
Pikachu soared across the gym, unable to regain control, until finally crashing into the wall, *thud,* the thud resounded in the gym.
Pain radiated through Pikachu's body. He fell on the ground, unable to continue the battle.
When Pikachu did not get up, the referee stepped forward and made the official announcement. "Pikachu is unable to battle. Lieutenant Surge wins!"
Pikachu's ears drooped, and tears welled up in his eyes. The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, and Pikachu couldn't help but feel a mix of disappointment, frustration, and exhaustion. "No," he cried in defeat.
"Pikachu!" Ash rushed to Pikachu's side, his face etched with concern. He gently cradled him in his arms. "Pikachu, are you OK?"
"No. Well, kinda. I lost to raichu, I disappointed you."
"Don't say that," Eevee comforted. "You didn't disappoint him. You fought hard, and we're both proud of you."
Ash was unable to understand their speech. So when he agreed with Eevee, he made Pikachu smile. "You did amazing for your first battle, don't cry, buddy."
"This is its first battle? No wonder it's so weak," Surge told Ash, having gotten close with Raichu. "Tell you what, you go evolve it and come back. I can make Raichu here teach it a few things."
"NO!" Pikachu shouted. "At least not before I defeat him!"
Raichu sneered. "Never then."
Pikachu growled.
"No. I won't," Ash refused.
"Hmm?" Surge wondered.
"Him shouting and growling at Raichu surely doesn't mean 'I wanna evolve.' we're gonna train, and come back and beat you two," Ash declared determinately.
Surge literally ignored him and walked back with Raichu to his side of the battlefield. "Who's next?" he asked, addressing the rest of the group.
"Me," Red answered.
"Clefable, come out!" Red called out, standing on the battlefield where Ash, as the challenger, stood earlier. He threw the pokéball he was holding.
The Pokéball burst open, and Clefable emerged with a cheerful expression.
Surge's face lit up with pleasure. "Hey, a fairy-type! I've always wanted to meet one. Too bad I'm gonna make it cry."
Confusion washed over Clefable's face. "Why? Is there something wrong?"
"No. He's just… trash talking? I think?" Pika assured. "Just… ignore him."
Surge threw his own pokéball. "Go, electabuzz!" Electabuzz burst forth, its electrifying presence undeniable.
"Hel-el-el-el-le-le-le-le-lo!" it called out energetically.
(you may be wondering why does electabuzz speak like that. And the answer is in the fourty-second episode of the Pokémon anime. Go back and watch it.)
Clefable recoiled in horror. "Ah! It sounds like someone put a man's hand on an electric Pokémon's tail, and the Pokémon electrified the man, and the man's just… paralyzed and… suffering!" she suddenly turned calm. "Also, it sounds like a man pretending to be cold, but he's not, and when he thinks that people are not caring, he makes that loud sound to get their attention."
"Huh, nobody described it as accurately as you did. Impressive!" Electabuzz acknowledged. "Still though, not very good."
Clefable smiled.
The referee stepped forward to announce the rules. "This match is a one-on-one battle between Red's Clefable and Surge's Electabuzz. Are both of you ready?"
Both Red and Surge nodded in agreement.
Red's face lost all emotions, and so did Pika and Clefable.
Red ordered Clefable to use Metronome. The Fairy-type Pokémon began her performance, swirling gracefully on the battlefield.
Surge grew confused by Red's inaction. "So, you're just going to stand there or…" he trailed off, waiting for a response. When none came, he decided to take action. "Alright, Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch!"
Electabuzz's fist crackled with electric energy as it charged toward Clefable, ready to deliver a devastating blow. In the nick of time, Red instructed Clefable to evade the attack while still maintaining her Metronome attack. With a graceful sidestep, she narrowly avoided the Thunder Punch.
As Clefable finished using Metronome, the ground beneath them trembled violently, causing Electabuzz to flinch and cry out in pain.
"Electabuzz, get up and use Thunder!" Surge commanded. Electabuzz swiftly rose to its feet, summoning a powerful bolt of Thunder. Red ordered Clefable to use Copycat. Clefable mirrored Electabuzz's Thunder attack, skillfully countering the Electric-type move. Surge grew frustrated. "Grr, I officially dislike fairies."
Electabuzz looked at Clefable, puzzled. "Uh, Clefable? Earth to Clefable."
Red ordered Clefable to use Light Screen. Clefable erected a protective Light Screen. Red ordered Clefable to use Disarming voice. Clefable's voice resonated in the gym, amplified by an echoing boost as she used Disarming Voice. Electabuzz cried out in pain, feeling the emotional damage done by the harshness of Disarming Voice.
"Electabuzz, Wild Charge!" Surge commanded. Electabuzz charged at Clefable with a Wild Charge, striking her and sending her flying.
Instead of landing, Clefable flew towards Electabuzz.
Red ordered Clefable to use Metronome. While flying towards Electabuzz, Clefable used Metronome, her movements imbued with a graceful elegance that defied the chaos of battle. A surge of power emanated from within her as she prepared to unleash her next move.
Nothing.
Everyone looked puzzled.
"That's splash," Ditto remarked, trying not to chuckle.
"I can't say I didn't expect this to happen," Red admitted.
"That's Metronome for you."
Clefable's expression turned sad, she had disappointed her trainer, and did not help him with her splash.
Electabuzz observed Clefable, astonished. "You… You have emotions!" it exclaimed, scanning her up and down.
Confusion filled Clefable's expression. "Uh, yeah? I mean, doesn't everyone have emotions? Also you saw me horrified a minute ago."
"I know that everyone has emotions, and I know you're a fairy-type, so especially -you're- supposed to have them. So why didn't you show any while you're battling?"
"I can't-" Clefable did not finish.
Electabuzz observed Clefable's return to a neutral emotional state, mirroring Red.
Red ordered clefable to use Metronome again.
From Clefable, a blinding beam of energy erupted and sped at lightning speed in the direction of Electabuzz with a sound of a blast. Hyper Beam. The blow struck hard, causing Electabuzz to cry out in agony as it collapsed, unable to continue the fight.
The referee wasted no time in announcing the outcome. "Electabuzz is unable to battle. Red wins the match!"
"You've gotta be kidding me! That's not fair!" Surge shouted in disbelief.
"Says the guy who finished a poor Pikachu with an even more powerful Hyper Beam than this one," Red replied, unfazed.
Surge pulled out a Thunder Badge. Impressed, he approached Red, holding it out. He chuckled. "Hahaha, that was an amazing battle, congratulations… uh, what's your name?"
"Red."
"Congratulations, Red, you've earned the Thunder Badge, and my respect." With a smile, Red took the badge.
Surge then turned to the rest of the group. "Alright, next."
"I go-"
"Hold it right this… place?" Ditto interjected. "Don't move. You battled with me and Bulbasaur in the last gym, how about using Meowth?"
"No, no, no!" Meowth refused harshly. "I ain't battlin' for anybody!"
"Battled with Bulbasaur and Her? And there's a cat that talks…" Surge mused. "I think your clefable used Nightmare on everyone in the gym, which explains your victory," he told Red.
"Uh, nope. You're not in a dream. The meowth talks, this Leaf like Ditto battled, and you haven't seen anything yet," Red replied.
Surge moved on. "Alright, so this is a Ditto, and this is the last challenger, Leaf?"
"Yup," Leaf replied eagerly.
"So you gonna use your Ditto or?…"
Leaf stood on the battlefield, her eyes fixed on Surge. The air crackled with anticipation as both trainers prepared for the battle that was about to unfold. Each of them had a Pokémon by their side. Surge had a Voltorb, a round, spherical creature with a metallic shell, crackling with electric energy. Leaf had her loyal Bulbasaur. The two Pokémon stood facing each other, ready to battle.
Bulbasaur glanced at Voltorb, breaking the silence with a curious tone in her voice. "So, do you have any memories from when you were an actual Pokémon? Or are you just…"
Before Bulbasaur could finish her sentence, Voltorb interrupted with a robotic voice. "The inventors based their creation of the Pokéball on me. Do you actually believe that theory about me being a Pokémon trapped for so long in a Pokéball to the point of fusing with it? That's a ridiculous idea."
Bulbasaur shook her head. "Nope, just checking." She seemed satisfied with the response, ready to focus on the upcoming battle.
The referee stepped forward. "Alright, this is a one-on-one battle between Surge and Leaf," the referee announced, his voice carrying across the battlefield. "You know the drill by now. Are you both ready?"
Surge and Leaf nodded.
"Battle begin!"
"Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!" Leaf commanded, her eyes locked on Voltorb. With a swift motion, Bulbasaur shot a barrage of sharp leaves towards her opponent, each one propelled by the power of Razor Leaf. The leaves sliced through the air, finding their mark and landing on Voltorb's metallic shell, causing it to emit a sharp cry of pain.
Surge, undeterred, responded quickly. "Voltorb, use Rollout!" he ordered. Voltorb responded by propelling itself forward, rolling towards Bulbasaur. It made contact, crashing into Bulbasaur, albeit with a gentle impact. Voltorb then circled around and gathered more momentum, crashing into Bulbasaur once again, this time with a stronger force.
"Bulbasaur, tie it up with Vine Whip!" Leaf called out. Bulbasaur extended her vines, whipping Voltorb multiple times with precision. Each strike caused Voltorb to let out a soft cry of pain. Eventually, Bulbasaur managed to entangle Voltorb with her vines, immobilizing the electric Pokémon.
Surge urged,"Voltorb, keep rolling out!" However, Leaf had a different plan in mind.
"Bulbasaur, use Sleep Powder!" she urgently instructed. Bulbasaur responded by releasing a fine powder into the air, laced with sleep-inducing properties. The particles engulfed Voltorb, causing it to succumb to drowsiness and fall into a deep slumber.
Bulbasaur spoke, "Huh, I guess I really did need that move."
The scene shifted, revealing a flashback where Ditto, transformed into Leaf, faced Bulbasaur. Leaf herself, with Meowth perched on her shoulder, watched attentively from the side.
"You're the transformation guy… Pokémon, figure it out," Leaf encouraged.
Ditto pondered for a moment before an idea struck. "I think you should teach her some powder moves," Ditto suggested. "Like Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, or Stun Spore."
Leaf considered the suggestion, mulling over the possibilities. "How can we do that though?" she wondered aloud.
Ditto's tone turned sarcastic as he deadpanned, "I dunno. Too bad you don't have a device that can help us with that and a transforming blob to help your Pokémon," He sighed with feigned disappointment. "I guess we'll never be able to do it."
Suddenly, realization dawned on Leaf. "Oh!"
Leaf swiftly pulled out her Pokédex and aimed it at Bulbasaur.
*Beep*
The Pokédex's mechanical voice began, "Bulbasaur, the-"
Leaf interrupted the voice and pressed a button on the device. "Move list," the pokédex said.
Scrolling through the list, Leaf found what she was looking for.
Sleep Powder.
She clicked on it, and the Pokédex responded, "Besides leveling up, Bulbasaur can learn Sleep Powder by using the following instructions..."
The end of flashback. Back in Surge's Gym, Ditto addressed Bulbasaur triumphantly. "Ha! I told you," he said.
Bulbasaur glanced at Ditto, slightly annoyed. "I wasn't making a bet or something," she retorted.
Ditto grinned mischievously and turned to Leaf. "And I told you too," he added.
Leaf gestured for Ditto to calm down and refocused on the battle at hand. "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!" she commanded, her voice filled with determination. Bulbasaur opened her mouth wide, and a small green seed appeared in it. She shot the seed at Voltorb. The seed attached itself to Voltorb's body and began to glow green. Bulbasaur remained still while using Leech Seed, her eyes glowing green. The seed was draining Voltorb's health slowly but surely.
Surge couldn't help but express disbelief at the sudden turn of events. "SERIOUSLY?!" he exclaimed, startled by the unexpected move. His outburst jolted Voltorb awake immediately.
Voltorb, with a loud and high-pitched robotic voice, panicked. "WHAT HAPPENED? OH GOD, HELP ME! IT'S LEECH SEED!" it cried out, clearly distressed.
Surge's initial surprise turned into amusement. "Huh, I didn't know that would happen," he chuckled, trying to regain composure. He cleared his throat. "I mean," he composed himself and issued his next command. "Voltorb, use Thunder!"
Voltorb summoned a powerful surge of electricity, unleashing a thunderous attack towards Bulbasaur. The electric bolts crackled and sizzled through the air, aiming to strike Bulbasaur head-on. However, Bulbasaur, being a grass-type Pokémon, proved resilient against electric attacks, and the impact of Thunder didn't affect it significantly.
Leaf raised an eyebrow, slightly bemused by the underwhelming results. "O…K?" she remarked.
"You know grass-types resist electric-type attacks, right?" Ditto teased Surge.
Surge, feeling somewhat defensive, retorted, "Of course I do!" He shot Ditto a somewhat annoyed glance, but a mischievous grin played on Ditto's face.
Surge quickly recomposed himself and issued his next command to Voltorb. "Use Double Team!" he exclaimed.
Bulbasaur groaned in frustration. "Oh no," she muttered, realizing the challenge she now faced.
Leaf let out a sigh, a hint of boredom in her voice. "Here we go again," she remarked, preparing for the onslaught of Voltorb's clones.
True to Surge's command, Voltorb multiplied into ten identical copies, surrounding Bulbasaur from all directions.
Surge smirked. "Voltorb, Rollout!" he commanded.
Bulbasaur looked around, trying to determine which Voltorb was the real one amidst the clones. She did her best to strike out with her vines, attempting to hit the elusive target, but the copies proved too quick and agile to be caught.
The Voltorb copies converged upon Bulbasaur, crashing into it simultaneously. Bulbasaur tumbled to the ground, letting out a pained cry. Leaf's worry spiked as she called out to her Pokémon, "Bulbasaur!"
Summoning her determination, Leaf composed herself and commanded, "Try using Razor Leaf! It can't miss them!"
Bulbasaur gathered her strength and launched a flurry of Razor Leaves. The sharp leaves scattered, striking the Voltorb copies one by one. Each hit caused the clones to vanish into thin air, revealing the true Voltorb.
The remaining Voltorb let out a robotic cry of pain, visibly affected by the relentless Razor Leaves.
Leaf's excitement grew as she noticed something unexpected. Bulbasaur seemed unscathed, absorbing energy from somewhere.
Bulbasaur tilted her head, a curious expression on her face. Leaf gasped, realization dawning upon her. "Leech Seed did its job!" she exclaimed. "Bulbasaur, use Vine Whip!"
Bulbasaur, fueled by its newfound strength, launched its vines towards Voltorb once again. The whip-like strikes connected with precision, delivering powerful blows to the electric Pokémon. Voltorb cried out in pain with each impact, its robotic voice echoing across the battlefield.
Leaf's cheer filled the air as she witnessed her strategy coming to fruition. "Yeah!"
Surge, unfazed by the turn of events, commanded, "Voltorb, burn the vines with Thunder!"
Voltorb unleashed another surge of Thunder, aiming for Bulbasaur's vines. The electric bolts crackled and sizzled as they struck the coiled vines, causing Bulbasaur to retract them into its body. The attack succeeded in burning some of the vines, eliciting a pained gasp from Bulbasaur.
"Thunder!" Surge repeated. Voltorb unleashed a critical Thunder attack. Bulbasaur cried out in pain, feeling the full force of the electric assault.
Leaf became more concerned, but she refused to let her Pokémon falter. "Hang in there, Bulbasaur!" she urged determinately. "Try Sleep Powder again!"
"Oh no you don't," Surge told Leaf. "Voltorb, DoubleTeam!" he ordered.
The field became crowded with ten identical copies of Voltorb, causing confusion. Bulbasaur shot a cloud of sleep-inducing powder, attempting to overcome the clones. However, luck seemed to be against Leaf as the mist missed its intended target.
But then, something "unexpected" happened. One of the Voltorb copies vanished.
Leaf did not seem to notice. "What to do? What to do?" she wondered worriedly. `All of those copies surround her, we won't have enough time to hit them with Vine Whip one at a time. Or put them to sleep one at a time. I just need to figure out away to- wait, surrounding her?` bingo! Leaf's eyes lit up with an idea. A mischievous smile played on her face as she devised her plan. "I know what to do!" she exclaimed. "Bulbasaur, spin and use Sleep Powder!"
Bulbasaur swiftly executed the command, spinning and releasing a cloud of sleep-inducing powder. The clones dissipated, and the true Voltorb succumbed to sleep.
Leaf cheered, her excitement reverberating through the battlefield. She wasted no time in issuing her next command. "Bulbasaur, use Razor Leaf!"
Bulbasaur launched a barrage of razor-sharp leaves towards the sleeping Voltorb. Each leaf struck its mark with precision, causing damage but Voltorb stayed soundly asleep.
Surge grew increasingly frustrated. "This is the second time this happens. I'm sure that Clefable used Nightmare, not Hyper Beam."
"Then you're wrong," Leaf replied confidently. "Bulbasaur, keep it up!"
The relentless assault of Razor Leaves continued, bombarding Voltorb until it finally woke from its slumber with a jolt. The robotic cry of pain echoed through the gym as Voltorb struggled to stay conscious. But the damage was done. Weakened and unable to continue, Voltorb succumbed to the overwhelming exhaustion and fainted.
Surge stood in shock, unable to believe the outcome. "Ah!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with surprise and disappointment.
The referee stepped forward, declaring the end of the battle. "Voltorb is unable to battle! Leaf wins this match!"
Leaf's soared as she jumped in elation, a radiant smile adorning her face. Meowth, who fell from her shoulder, voiced his annoyance. "Leaf, calm down. Tryin' to get a nap here," he grumbled.
"Meowth, we're in the middle of the day," Ditto pointed out.
"Oh."
Leaf landed from her flite, and picked up meowth. "Sorry about that!"
Meowth got back his place on her shoulder. (I dunno why, but a ten-year-old carrying a meowth seems normal here. I think Meowth is a little heavy for normal humans. Like a normal cat? I dunno. Hmm, wait of cats-google)
As the jubilant moment settled, Surge approached Leaf, returning Voltorb to its Pokéball. He extended the Thunder Badge to her, acknowledging her victory. "Congratulations, Leaf. You've earned this Thunder Badge as well," he said.
Surge's gaze then turned to the rest of the group. "I'm just waiting for –someone- to evolve his Pokémon," he added.
Ash stepped forward, determination gleaming in his eyes. "Surge, that's my decision, and I'm not evolving Pikachu," he declared, his voice filled with conviction.
Surge smirked, clearly enjoying the challenge. "Ha! Then good luck winning against Raichu in a gazillion years," he remarked.
Ash smiled. "Thanks!" he genuinely thanked.
"Uh, he didn't get my sarcasm there, did he?" Surge asked the others.
Red, Ditto and Leaf shrugged.
In the Pokémon Center.
Ash, Red, and Leaf handed their Pokémon to Nurse Joy, and went to wait. They started chatting.
The conversation got to pikachu's los in the gym.
"You know that guy should lose his license as a gym leader for calling you, Pikachu and Eevee babies," Leaf told Ash.
"No. The rules don't force him to respect chalengers, they force him to accept their challenges no matter what," Red explained.
"Wait, does that mean anyone can become a gym leader?" Leaf asked. "Even like a… an evil organization leader?"
"If the tests are past? Yes."
Leaf was curious. "What tests?"
"Some tests."
"Yeah but what?"
"I dunno, I'm not a gym leader."
"Oh yeah," Leaf understood.
"But pikachu couldn't have one no matter what. And that's the problem," Ash chimed in.
"Hmm," Red thought. "You know, maybe Surge has a point, you should evolve Pikachu, and Eevee too."
"What?!" Ash asked in disbelief.
"They lived with you for two years, and most were spend by you and them going to the forest, and playing with Pokémon. Sure, you didn't battle actual battles, but still, they surely gained lots of experience during that."
"Red!"
Red gestured. "I said maybe."
"I'm not evolving Pikachu before we beat Raichu, even if it takes so much time that I won't go to the Pokémon League!" Ash declared firmly.
At that moment, Ditto as Leaf entered.
"Come with me," he said to Ash in a hurry.
Ash's worry was evident. "Something wrong?"
"Yes," Ditto replied seriously, In contrast to his usual playful or neutral demeanor.
Ash became more worried, and in a hurry, he got up and followed Ditto, who decided to talk on their way.
"It's a good thing I went with them to get healed."
"What happened?" Ash asked worriedly, the feeling of uneasiness increasing in him.
"Pikachu was trying to touch a thunder stone," Ditto answered.
"WHAT?"
Ash literally jumped above Ditto and landed in front of him, and headed for the front desk as quick as his legs could.
When he got close to the front desk, he saw Nurse Joy, staring at two Pokémon.
In shock and bewilderment.
The Pokémon became clear after a millisecond, Pikachu and Eevee. And the reason Nurse Joy was staring at them like that? They were throwing a Thunder Stone at each other in a playful manner.
"Take this!" Eevee thrue the stone.
Pikachu caught it and thrue it back with a chuckle. "Catch."
Eevee caught it and thrue it back.
`What? Isn't that supposed to make them evolve? But they're not evolving,` Ash thought in confusion. `Maybe it's not a Thunder Stone, maybe it just looks like one? I dunno. Maybe they need to touch it multiple times? What's happening right now?`
Ditto reached Ash, and he was surprised to see him standing there, staring at Pikachu and Eevee. "Why are you standing there, go get the Thunder Stone from them!" he scolded.
Ash snappped out of his thoughts. "Look," he pointed.
Ditto saw the game. "What in the…"
Ditto ran to pikachu's side, and caught the Thunder Stone in his place.
"What, are, you, to, thinking?" he yelled.
Eevee looked at him in confusion and simplicity, puzzled. "We're playing with this stone we found inside. When you ran out quickly. Remember?" Eevee reminded.
"But… but… but…" Ditto was barely able to speak.
Eevee's expression turned to apprehension. "What?"
Ditto collected himself. "That's a Thunder Stone!"
"What's that?" Eevee's confusion was evident.
Pikachu's eyes widened in horror. "Wait, isn't that thing supposed to evolve me into Raichu, and Eevee into Jolteon?"
"WHAT?" Eevee shouted in panic.
"Exactly," Ditto approved. "But you didn't evolve. How's that even…" Ditto trailed off. "Ash get over here!"
Ash, again, was in deep thinking and confusion. And so was Nurse Joy.
"ASH!"
"What?" Ash yelped, startled.
"Pikachu and Eevee are fine, but they don't evolve with a Thunder Stone."
Nurse joy chimed in. "That's not possible. Unless…"
"Unless?"
"They're Gigantamaxable Pokémon!"
(mm-yeah, that's a part of the reason.)
"Giganta?" Ash stammered, unable to pronounce the word. "Gigantamaxable?"
"Able to Gigantamax," Ditto explained.
"We can Gigantamax?!" Pikachu and Eevee exclaimed gleefully.
"Yes, it appears so."
(No, no, no, no going to the Gallar region. And everyone knows they're Partner Pokémon,so that's another reason why they won't evolve)
(OK, if anyone transferred a Partner Pokémon to Sword And Shield and it won't Gigantamax, please tell me! I can edit that)
"Alright!" Ash exclaimed. "Surge is gonna be –so- jealous!"
"Wonderful! I've never seen a gigantamaxable Pokémon in Kanto!" Nurse Joy remarked.
"I have the first ones? YEAH!" Ash bounced in joy.
"Wait, I'm confused. What does that mean?" Eevee wondered.
"It means you two will always stay Ash's Pikachu and Eevee," Ditto replied with a smile. "No evolving, nothing."
"YAY!"
"Does that mean I won't be able to beat a raichu?" Pikachu asked, saddened.
"What? No."
"But Surge said-"
"He can say whatever he wants."
"Well… what do I do to beat raichu?"
"We'll figure it out. I know we will."
They wanted to figure it outThe problem was that they could not communicate with each other. Well, Ash could tell them stuff, but not the other way around.
So they needed either Meowth or Ditto's help.
Meowth
"No."
Ditto
"You want my help?"
"Yeah, but please no tricks and lies OK?"
"Hey, I love to play and have fun, not do pranks and tell lies!"
"Sorry."
"I'll help you then."
"Yay!"
So Ditto was waiting, and Pikachu, Eevee and metapod were waiting, and so was Ash. They were all in Ash's room, after Ditto explained everything.
"How do I beat Raichu?" Pikachu asked. Ditto translated.
"Well, Raichu has Hyper Beam, Thunderbolt, Mega kick, and Iron Tail," Ash thought aloud.
"And how does that help?" Eevee asked. "Don't translate that."
"So if I can learn Thunderbolt, or relearn that super special amazingly incredible move I used against Houndoom, I-"
Ditto shivered at the mention of houndoom.
"We've discovered we can't do that, remember?" Eevee pointed out.
"Yeah. And he has more moves other than Thunderbolt."
"Yeah?"
"So if I can learn Thunderbolt-"
"Thunderbolt. What's next?"
"Uh-"
"Maybe special training?" Ash suggested.
"Special training?" Pikachu wondered.
"We'll train your Thunderbolt as much as we can. Aiming it at rocks, striking stronger, speeding it up, not getting tired after using it several times, you know, stuff like that."
"But isn't that how Thunderbolt's supposed to be learned?"
"More than just a normal Thunderbolt."
"OK, let's do it!"
"Uh, guys?" Metapod said.
Everyone looked at him.
"How about me training your Thunderbolt, Pikachu?"
"You?"
"How?" Eevee wondered.
"I have Harden. And while it's only for normal defense, I can pretend to be a rock using it to harden my shell."
"But that'd still hurt you, won't it?"
"I'd gain experience faster, and it's better than a two-hour battle between me and another Pokémon."
"When you put it like that…"
"But you gain experience by battling, not standing around getting burned by electricity," Ditto tried.
"I'd still be stronger defensively then," Metapod replied.
"When you put it that way…"
"Then it's decided, it's training time!" Ash declared.
"Maybe tomorrow?" Ditto suggested.
"Why?"
"pikachu can forget about the los and enjoy Virmilion, and you can also enjoy a bunch of stuff around. Leaf didn't stop blabbering about the stores and restaurants around here."
"OK then, tomorrow is training time!" Ash declared.
**first person view: Pikachu**
Wow! This city was almost "cool"! Me and Eevee were having a "blast".
No, no we weren't.
First, the humans went to a market, which was boring.
Next, we and Ash went to a place called the Pokémon Fan Club, which was.. sad to be in. It reminded me of Raichu somehow. The people there kept talking about unevolved cute Pokémon, the poor guys didn't even have Pokémon to protect themselves. And they kept telling Ash to not evolve his Pokémon and that they were cool the way they were, blah blah blah. I wanted to shock them every single one of them, who are they to decide what he does? Even if I didn't like Raichu because, well, I don't really no why. Because I really don't not like Raichu. I just whished I could beat one, that was all. There also, the man talked with Ash about his love for some Pokémon, and to tell the truth, I'm a Pokémon and I didn't like it. I didn't know how did Ash hear all that and also still had his famous awesome smile,. Oh, he also got something to by a bike? I don't really understand the… moving on.
Afterward, we got to a place where I met a trainer from the gym earlier, he had a Jolteon.
Yay!
I could ask it for advice on learning thunderbolt- except that it didn't know it, and it and Eevee immediately started playing.
At least I could play to.
Yay!
"Hide and find?" Jolteon asked curiously.
"It's hide and seek, Pikachu renamed it," Eevee explained cheerfully.
"Oh! OK then, I'll be the seeker, you two hide."
With a burst of energy, me and Eevee dashed off, our tiny paws carrying us swiftly through the city streets. Eevee, running alongside me, pointed to a distant building. "Look over there!"
Virmilion Gym.
I sparked dangerously. "Raichu's in there."
"So?"
I agreed, "Good point." I didn't mind.
Coming to a stop near the entrance of the gym, knowing Jolteon wouldn't expect us to be near it, I exclaimed triumphantly, "Let's see it find us here!"
Just as I finished my claim, a bolt of lightning crackled from the sky, striking me with a powerful electric charge. "NO!" Eevee cried out, before quickly calming down, "Oh."
"Lightning Rod, Electric absorb, remember?" I reminded him.
Another thunder struck me, and I trembled.
Ouch.
I dunno why didd that hurt so much.
"What's wrong?" Eevee asked worriedly.
Trembling, I muttered, "I don't-" I collapsed, unable to bear the pain.
**omniscient view**
Suddenly, a deafening roar pierced the air, catching the attention of Surge, the gym leader, who emerged from the gym. Standing beside Surge was Raichu, his concerned expression mirroring his trainer's.
"EVERYONE, GET OVER HERE! THERE'S A… THUNDERSTORM THING COMING… KINDA!" Surge urgently called out.
Raichu, sparking with warning signs, added to the growing tension. Surge, puzzled by the situation, noticed a lightning bolt flash across the sky and instinctively exclaimed, "Uh oh!"
The lightning bolt struck a nearby garbage can, reducing it to smoldering ashes. Another ear-splitting roar followed, causing Raichu to emit even more sparks, visibly alarmed.
"Rai," Raichu cautioned, sparking.
"Psst, Raichu," Eevee whispered from nearby.
"Rai," Raichu warned urgently, directing Surge's attention toward Pikachu and Eevee.
Perplexed, Surge addressed the two Pokémon, "Aren't you that baby's Pokémon? What are you doing here?"
"Listen, get over here and I'll get Pikachu," Raichu suggested.
Eevee approached slowly.
Approaching Pikachu with cautious steps, Raichu moved him gently. However, another lightning bolt struck the ground perilously close to them.
*Another loud, high-piched roar was heard.*
An ominous roar of thunder jolted Pikachu awake. He mumbled groggily, "Huh?" But catching sight of Raichu, he stammered, "R-Raichu?"
"Quick, get up!" Raichu urged Pikachu.
Slowly regaining his senses, Pikachu managed to rise to his feet, supported by Raichu. Raichu hurriedly led Pikachu back towards Surge, who stood with a calm expression.
*roar*
A lightning bolt entered pikachu's body. And Pikachu immediately had so much energy that he could jump to the sky. "RAICHU!?" he shouted in confusion.
"Good afternoon," Eevee deadpanned, as pikachu came to a stop beside him. "What happened to you?" he asked in worry.
Catching his breath and barely able to stand, Pikachu replied with an unhelpful answer. "Too much electricity… I think. I dunno."
"Aren't you that baby's Pokémon? Where's your trainer?" Surge asked Pikachu and Eevee.
Pikachu and Eevee did not know, they appeared in deep thought. After all, how were they going to explain to a human that they were playing a game of hide and seek, renamed hide and find, and Ash was somewhere in the city unknown to them? Also they were frustrated that Ash was still called a baby.
*Amidst the thunderstorm noise, Something quick was heard dashing like a horse on the ground.*
"Jolteon!" Eevee exclaimed, spotting the eeveelution. (I think that's Eevee evolution?)
"Huh?" Jolteon wondered from a bit far. He noticed Eevee, and exclaimed, "It's you!" he then addressed raichu. "Raichu, something's wrong here. This Thunderstorm is-"
"Unnatural. We know," Raichu finished.
"Ah, there you are! I was wondering where their trainer was," Surge exclaimed, spotting Ash.
"Surge?" Ash wondered, approaching.
Once Ash and the jolteon's trainer were near, Surge ordered them, "Let's get inside, it's safer there."
Ash and the gym trainer from earlier followed Surge's lead, with Pikachu, Eevee, and Jolteon following behind. The group hurried into the gym, seeking shelter from the thunderstorm.
*multiple thunder rumbles*
Surge closed the door. "Something wrong's goin' on," he speculated.
"What?" Ash wondered.
"Normal thunderstorms strike like… normal thunderstorms, but this is different. No clouds a moment ago, the clouds are literally small bird-shaped… things, they can't make this much thunder," Surge explained. "And your Pikachu was unconscious when we saw him, I think it's because what's causing the thunderstorm is a Pokémon, and it took down your pikachu."
"a Pokémon?"
"Hmm. And I think it's the one who we heard roaring, right raichu?"
"I think so," Raichu agreed.
"Wait a minute, I just realized, Pikachu was unconscious? What happened?" Ash asked, his tone indicating worry for Pikachu, so did his facial expression.
"No no, I'm fine, really," Pikachu comforted, motioning. He hoped Ash would understand. "Look," he bounced up and down, trying to prove his point.
"Why didn't you absorb the lightning?" Raichu asked Pikachu.
Pikachu stopped bouncing and he looked questioningly at Raichu. "Huh? What do you mean? I did absorb the lightning."
"Before. Before me and Surge came."
"Uh…" Pikachu trailed off, not knowing how to explain. `I had Lightning Rod, or Electric Absorb, I dunno, and that's not what's this is about. It's about why didn't I, why couldn't I absorb that lightning bolt that made me faint?
`Maybe it is too much electricity. But why is the electricity to much? And how? I literally absorb it. If that is the reason, then it must be a Pokémon that's causing this, normal thunderstorms don't-`
"PIKACHU!" Eevee yelled, startling Pikachu out of his thoughts.
"What?" he asked in surprise.
"Are you OK?"
"Yeah, why?"
"You kinda… fell in a trans? I dunno, you were standing here for like, five minutes, not doing a thing, just staring at nothing."
"Eevee, I was only thinking. And for like five seconds, not five whole minutes."
"Nope. You were standing like this for five minutes, Ash called you, Raichu did, I did, you didn't respond."
"Well, I was thinking, so don't worry."
The electricity went off.
Nurse Joy was just doing her usual work, helping Pokémon and assisting others. She was taking care of a rattata, the poor thing got hit by lightning. She was about to give it a Burn heal because the lightning had burned it, before a blackout happened.
Red was not doing a thing. He decided if he did not do a thing, AKA train, he would find something interesting to do other than that.
He did not.
But a power outage may change that.
He got up, Pika perched on his shoulder, and hurried to look for the cause of the blackout.
Huh, turned out the city literally did not function without electricity… including people.
At least Leaf had Ditto, who transformed into pidgeot and carried her with pleasure.
"See? It's not normal!" Surge exclaimed in triumph.
"It's just a power outage sur, nothing's not normal about it," a gym trainer told Surge.
"And how did the blackout happen?"
"Well, uh-"
"It's a small thunderstorm with bird-shaped clouds. There's absolutely no way it struck the Power Plant."
"Well… maybe-"
"It's not normal, I'm telling you."
The trainer sighed.
"You stored too much electricity?" Raichu asked Pikachu.
"I think so, yeah," Pikachu guessed.
"I think you should learn Thunderbolt to release all the unnecessary electricity," Raichu suggested.
"I tried, believe me," Pikachu said glumly.
"What happened?"
"I dunno. It just… stays as Thunder Shock no matter what I do."
"?"
"Yes, it does."
"Try using it on me, here and now."
Pikachu channeled his inner strength, blasting a powerful Thunder Shock at Raichu, who avoided it.
"Keep doing that!" it commanded. "Don't stop."
Pikachu continued shooting the electric current, which streaked in a strait line like a laser beam.
"Stop," Pikachu stopped, gasping for air. "You're using Thunder Shock because you're not directing your electricity right. You need to make it expand, imagine a lightning bolt, and try striking like a cloud."
"Seriously? A cloud?" Pikachu deadpanned.
"Listen man, thank god that you're not hanging from a rope attached to the top of a tall building with your trainer waiting for you to shoot lightning while screaming at you, 'come on, Raichu, you're a cloud, you're more powerful than clouds, Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt, do it!'"
Pikachu shivered. "That's rough, if that's for Thunderbolt, I don't wanna know what he did to teach you Hyper Beam."
"Exactly. Now focus."
Pikachu did, t butnot for long, as the doors burst open, and five people came in. Everyone's attention was drawn.
"I'm telling ya, that Surge is an expert of electricity. He has electric Pokémon," a man's voice said.
"You know I'm a gym leader, I know Surge," a familiar Young man's voice replied.
"Why are we forced to come with you?" a familiar child male voice asked.
"Red,don't ask him that again," a familiar child feminine voice begged.
Red, Leaf, Ditto as Ash, a man, and Brock, were the ones who entered.
"Yo Surge, where are you?" the man from before called.
"Look forward thenn ask, Steven," Surge replied, waving.
"Oh, *ahem*," Steven said awkwardly. "So whatcha doin' in this storm?"
"If you wanna come and hide because you're scared, don't be ashamed of telling no one, no one's gonna make fun of you."
"Gotcha," Steven hid behind Surge.
"Brock?" Surge noticed Brock the gym leader.
"Surge, long time no see," Brock greeted smiling,.
"One year not coming to visit? You have some explaining to do. Are you sure you're not Ash's twin?" Surge asked Red.
"That's not important now. Pikachu, do you think something's wrong with this storm?" Red asked Ash's Pikachu.
Pikachu nodded.
"So does Pika."
"So does Raichu," Surge informed.
"So do I," Ditto told them.
"Oh. You're a poké-"
"Shhh, it's a secret."
"Roars, lots of 'em, is nobody gonna talk about dem?" Meowth asked everyone.
"Yeah, these sounds are like roars," Surge mused.
"Dat's because dey're roars."
"Hmm?" Ash wondered.
"Da sound is a very… high-pitched weird ting. It comes during the lightning bolt strikes," Meowth explained. "I'm sure It's a Pokémon."
Pikachu, Raichu, Pika, and Jolteon sparked, focusing intensely as their minds got fludded in an Indefinable feeling of familiarity, yet unfamiliarity at the same time.
"Whatever it is, I say we go check it out," Brock decided.
"Agreed," Surge supported.
"I-I'd go with ya, but I don't have my pokéballs, and also Surge's with ya, so-"
"You're coming with us whether you like it or not," Surge stated firmly.
"OK."
Dark clouds roiled overhead as Ash, Ditto transformed into his likeness, Leaf, Red, Brock, Surge, and Steven trudged through the rain-soaked streets. Determination etched across their faces, they sought to uncover the mysterious source of the thunderstorm.
Their search had led them beyond the city limits, to the outskirts where the urban landscape gave way to barren fields. Yet, despite their efforts, they found nothing that could explain the raging storm.
Surge pondered the situation with a furrowed brow. "Hmm, maybe it is a normal thunderstorm," he thought aloud.
"We should go back to the gym," Steven stammered as a suggestion, his voice trembling with fear. "It's getting late, and-"
"Calm down," Red interrupted. "You're a man, you're supposed to be brave. We're children and we're not scared."
"Surge's a man too," Steven tried.
"So? He's not scared is he?" Red replied.
Steven's disappointment was palpable as he hung his head, chastising himself for his fearfulness. "Right, sorry."
Suddenly, *a deafening roar pierced through the storm,* causing Steven to startle in terror. "Ah!" he cried out, his fear momentarily overcoming him.
"You've gotta be kidding me."
"Let's go, quick!" Surge urged the group, his voice barely audible over the roaring thunder.
The others obeyed, dashing through the rain-soaked terrain. However, Steven hesitated, and Ditto locked eyes with him.
"Aren't you going with us?"
"Uh… you go on, I'll follow ya, I forgot one of my pokéballs in the gym and-"
Ditto, impatient and resolute, grabbed Steven's trembling hand, urging him to join the others.
"Whoa!" the man cried out, startelled.
…
The group's search finally led them to a desolate place; a relic of a bygone era—the Power Plant. Once a symbol of human ingenuity, it now stood weathered and forsaken, its aging structures groaning under the weight of time. Surge's eyes widened with recognition as they arrived at the scene.
"The Power Plant," he murmured, his voice laced with intrigue. "It seems the clouds did strike it after all. Hang on," he looked upward, and saw the amount of clouds in the sky. "Yup, that's why there's a blackout. Huh, whatta you know?"
The Electric-type Pokémon in their company; Pikachu, Raichu, and Pika, grew increasingly agitated, their fur bristling with static electricity.
"Whatever is happening, it's close by," Surge informed.
Pika tapped his trainer's shoulder urgently, attempting to convey a message. "Incoming!"
"Something wrong?" Red whispered quietly, his concern evident.
Imagine a woman so mad that she screams as loud as she can, and someone so calm recorded her voice in a studio microphone, and then inputed her voice into an audio software, then duplicated it and pitched it down and then played the two sounds together, that's the voice of this Pokémon the first time it appeared in the anime.
The air crackled with anticipation as the source of the storm, a creature, that they had been searching for revealed itself. Zapdos, the legendary Electric and Flying-type Pokémon, appeared before their astonished eyes. Its electrifying presence filled the abandoned Power Plant with an aura of raw power.
Gasps escaped the lips of everyone present as they realized the magnitude of the situation. "It's Zapdos!" they exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with a mixture of shock and awe.
"I mean, yeah. What did you expect, a Raikou? Nope, not on my watch," Zapdos deadpanned.
"Fight often?" Meowth asked curiously.
"What? No. It's just… we protect the Kanto region, and those flightless dogs protect the Johto region," Zapdos clarified, shaking its feathery crest.
"Uh, that's not how flightless is used," Ditto pointed out.
"I don't care, I make my own rules!" Zapdos exclaimed proudly, before composing itself. "Now," thunder and lightning raged around it, signaling its distructive anger. "what are you doing here?"
"Whatever it's saying, it doesn't sound friendly," Ash warned, sounding concern.
Realization struck Ditto like a thunder. "You're the one causing the storm!" he stated.
"Ha, I told you the storm ain't normal!" Surge exclaimed in triumph, wanting to remind everyone of the claim he made.
Hearing that frustrated Ditto. `Is it really time to brag?` "Yeah yeah yeah, we get it. you were right, blah blah blah, now send out your other Pokémon cause Zapdos isn't here to play, but to fight."
Surge wasted no time, releasing his Electric-type Pokémon; Voltorb, Pikachu, and Electabuzz. The storm intensified as the powerful Pokémon took their positions, ready to face the legendary creature before them.
Surge stared at Ditto, as if waiting for something.
"What?" Ditto asked, confused.
"Aren't you gonna transform or somethin'?" Surge wondered, confused as to why Ditto had yet to transform.
"Oh." Ditto transformed into an exact duplication of Zapdos, mimicking its fierce countenance with a resounding roar.
Steven, unbelieving of the events, blinked several times, thinking that he was hallucinating. When the Zapdos Ditto shock did not disappear, he yelled, "AHHH! VAMPIRE!" He composed himself. "No wait, Maybe a Zorua, vampires can't shapeshift."
Eevee, eager to join the fray, prepared to leap from Ash's shoulder, only to be halted by Surge.
"Eevee's a normal-type," Surge advised. "Just use your Pikachu."
Understanding the reasoning, Ash nodded, though he was not happy about it. He allowed Pikachu to descend to the ground, joining forces with Pika, Raichu, Voltorb, Electabuzz, and Surge's Pikachu.
With a deafening crack, Zapdos unleashed a powerful Thunder attack, immediately incapacitating Voltorb, Surge's Pikachu, and Electabuzz. Surge, wearing a wry smile, returned his fallen Pokémon to their Pokéballs. "Note to self, never send any other Pokémon than Raichu against a zapdos, unless I wanna be humiliated," he deadpanned.
(I like that word, deadpanned, dead, panned, wait a minute, no, those are completely different. Oops)
Composing himself, "Raichu, use Thunderbolt!" Surge commanded, his voice filled with conviction. Raichu conjured a powerful bolt of lightning, aiming it upward toward Zapdos. However, to everyone's astonishment, Zapdos simply opened its beak wide and devoured the electrifying attack.
"This is tasty," Zapdos remarked, a mischievous smile spreading across its face.
Seizing the opportunity, Pika followed suit, unleashing a Thunderbolt that caught Zapdos off guard, causing it to flinch momentarily. Yet, the legendary Pokémon retaliated with a mighty Thunder attack, which Pikachu gallantly intercepted, absorbing the electric strike.
"You gotta be kidding me!" Zapdos shouted in disbelief. "Why do you get to have an electricity absorbing ability?"
Red ordered Pika to use Quick Attack to jump, then swhich to Iron Tail and strike Zapdos.
Pika, fueled by determination, sprang into action. With lightning speed, he darted forward, executing a swift Quick Attack. Propelled by the force of his momentum, Pika leaped into the air, his Iron Tail poised to strike.
Iron Tail found its mark, connecting with Zapdos and causing the legendary Pokémon to recoil. However, Zapdos swiftly retaliated, unleashing a powerful Thunder attack in Pika's direction. Yet Pikachu absorbed the electrical assault once again, undeterred by Zapdos's terrifying roars.
Ash, seizing the opportunity, called out to Pikachu, his voice filled with unwavering confidence. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"
Leaf, recognizing the opening, joined in, "Ditto, Thunder!"
Surge, too, urged his Raichu forward, bellowing, "Use Hyper Beam!"
Ditto emitted a deafening roar as he expelled a torrent of electrifying energy in the form of Thunder. While Pikachu channeled his strength, summoning a tremendous electric jolt. And Raichu, summoning every ounce of power it possessed, unleashed a devastating Hyper Beam. Red ordered Pika to use Thunderbolt, and Pika summoned a powerful electric bolt and launched it towards Zapdos, who waited there, patiently.
The combined assault of Thunder, Thunder Shock, Thunderbolt, and Hyper Beam converged upon Zapdos, their collective might crashing against the legendary bird like a raging tempest. Zapdos appeared to consume the electrifying onslaught, momentarily pushed backward by the sheer force of the Hyper Beam, yet no significant damage. Growling with frustration, Zapdos responded with a burst of electricity that enveloped its form, generating a pulsating electric field. A surge of immense power coursed through Zapdos as it discharged an overwhelming torrent of electricity in every direction. The humans, overcome with concern, instinctively shielded themselves, with Ash shielding Eevee and Leaf shielding Meowth too, while the Pokémon braced for the approaching attack.
In a blinding display of sparks erupting from its wings, Zapdos continued its devastating assault. Helpless against the onslaught, the Pokémon except Ditto were sent hurtling through the air, their cries of alarm piercing the chaotic scene. "AH!"
But just as it seemed all hope was lost, Ditto deftly caught the airborne Pokémon, saving them from definite danger. "Phew!" they all sighed in relief, happy they were not in risk of an excruciating landing anymore.
As the tumultuous storm of electricity subsided, Ash and Red anxiously inquired about the well-being of their resilient Pikachu partners.
"Pikachu, you OK?", "Pika, you alright?"
Both Pikachu nodded in affirmation, their determination undeterred by the electrifying battle. "Yeah!"
Relief washed over Ash and Red as they acknowledged their Pikachu's resilience. In unison, they expressed their confidence. "Good."
Ash seized the moment, issuing his next command. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock from where you are!"
Pikachu, resolute and determined, gathered every ounce of his strength, preparing to execute the Thunder Shock. But to everyone's astonishment, something unexpected occurred.
As Pikachu released its Thunder Shock, the electrical discharge expanded exponentially, growing in size and intensity.
Pikachu felt an overwhelming surge of electricity coursing through his body, amplifying his attack beyond imagination.
A colossal bolt of electricity surged forth from Pikachu, its crackling power hurtling towards Zapdos with an ear-splitting roar. The sheer magnitude of the electric current left everyone in awe as the bolt connected with Zapdos, forcing the legendary backward and into the distance.
Zapdos's cry of shock echoed in the air, barely audible over the awe-struck gasps of the onlookers. Raichu, trembling in fear, whispered to Pikachu, "I've changed my mind. I don't wanna battle you again… ever."
Pikachu could only muster a puzzled and weak response. "Why?"
"pikachu, you just used Thunderbolt!" Ash exclaimed, his face full of joy.
"Yay! I -did- see you learn it!" Eevee bounced happily, falling from Ash's shoulder if not for Red catching him.
"Oh. That's nice," pikachu responded, still processing the information.
It Finally sunk in that he just struck a Zapdos with a Thunderbolt, so he yelled, "Wait, what?"
"Good afternoon," Ditto deadpanned, he afterwards smiled with genuine happiness. "You finally did it! Congrats!"
Pikachu, pleased in the jubilation of his newfound power, laughed with satisfaction. "I did it! I learned Thunderbolt! I learned Thunderbolt!"
Meanwhile, Zapdos returned. "Sorry for flying away. Let's continu- what happened to Pikachu?" it asked, perplexed.
"After three million years he finally used Thunderbolt," Ditto exaggerated.
"Congrats Pikachu! –Now- let's continue," Zapdos declared, sparking in rage. The legendary bird unleashed a devastating attack, summoning a massive bolt of lightning that crackled with destructive power. But just in the nick of time, Ditto sprang into action. With lightning-fast reflexes, he made a translucent barrier of shimmering light, protecting himself and the group from the impending disaster.
"Alright, Light Screen!" Leaf exclaimed, unable to contane her excitement.
Zapdos sighed in relief. "Phew, if that Pikachu absorbed my Thunder attack, only god knows what would've happened to me," it muttered, a hint of gratitude laced within its words.
Ditto's wings hardened with steel-type energy. Like a jet plane, Ditto soared towards Zapdos with incredible speed, striking the legendary bird with a resounding blow. The impact forced Zapdos backward, having been momentarily caught off guard by Ditto's display of power.
"And that's how Steel Wing's used!" Ditto exclaimed proudly.
Zapdos, fueled by anger and determination, retaliated swiftly. It launched itself at Ditto with a burst of energy, its own wings glowing with the same steel-like aura. With a mighty strike, Zapdos's Steel Wing connected, sending Ditto's imitated form tumbling through the air. The other Pokémon, momentarily freed from Ditto's hold, began to fall perilously.
The sight of their Pokémon in danger spurred Ash and Red into action. In unison, they called out, "No!" and released Metapod and Kakuna from their Pokéballs. The two Pokémon wasted no time, immediately deploying their String Shot attacks. Thin threads of silky web shot out, intertwining and forming a large net that caught the falling Pokémon, protecting them from a hard landing. The Pokémon trapped in the protective net breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the quick thinking of their trainers, and for Metapod And Kakuna's help.
"Thanks you two!" Pikachu thanked the two bug-types.
"Always happy to help," Metapod assured.
"LOOK OUT!" Ditto cautioned. A powerful bolt of electricity was hurtling towards them. Without hesitation, Pikachu leaped into action, using his ability to absorb electrical attacks to intercept the bolt, saving the Pokémon from a previously impending danger.
Pikachu, unfazed by the raw power of Zapdos, wondered in confusion and care, "Why are you so angry, Zapdos?"
(Oh. So now he asks.)
"Angry? You want to know why I'm angry?" Zapdos replied, its voice filled with exasperation and indignation. "For a long time, I guarded this region, protected it from the dangers, helped the humans and went through a lot other than that for them. And now, a human just comes, attacks me with infuriating electric devices that try to surround me in a cage to do something with me, and enjoys it!" it explained. "Why I'm angry? I ran away, and came here, to Virmilion City, near the Power Plant, only to sense a defeated aura. A helpless Pokémon that wanted to cry, but was unable to due to something. That's why I'm angry!" It flew twards Pikachu with a loud, angry cry, its wings glowing with immense and raw steel-type energy. It struck him, sending him flying towards his trainer, whose and Eevee's hearts sank as Pikachu collided with him hard, sending the three tumbling to the ground.
"Pikachu, are you alright?" Ash asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.
Pikachu did not answer. Not because of fainting or anything, but because of Zapdos's words. `A helpless Pokémon? Shocking devices? What's it talking about? We don't have any devices. It's definitely not a pokéball. And what helpless pok-… does he mean-`
"Pikachu!" a voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked at the speaker, Metapod. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"
"Huh? No, I'm fine. W-"
*ROAR!*
Zapdos was heading towards Pikachu again.
"PIKACHU, NO!" Ash and Eevee exclaimed in horror. They both jumped between him and Zapdos, willing to sacrifice themselves to protect him.
"What the-…" Zapdos paused, shocked. Zapdos, momentarily taken aback by Ash and Eevee's selfless act of protection, hesitated in its attack. The legendary bird's eyes widened, a mix of surprise and confusion evident in its gaze. It hadn't expected such unwavering loyalty and sacrifice from the human and Eevee.
Ash and Eevee stood their ground, their determination unwavering. They stared defiantly at Zapdos, a clear message in their eyes: they would not allow any harm to befall Pikachu.
Zapdos, its anger cooling by this unexpected display of loyalty, hovered in the air, its wings still crackling with residual energy. It regarded Ash, Eevee, and Pikachu with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. "Why?" it asked Eevee, wanting to understand.
"Pikachu's our friend. And neither me or Ash'll let you put your… wings on him and hurt him, got that?" the evolution Pokémon responded resolutely, not fearing the powerful electric and flying-type.
"Ash? Your trainer's name is Ash?" Zapdos asked, its anger disappearing, replaced by genuine surprise.
"Yeah," Eevee replied.
Zapdos eyed Ash for a moment. "I know you."
"Excuse me?" Pikachu asked, joining Ash and Eevee, who stood there, confused. Eevee had the same expression as Pikachu when he processed this.
"Your trainer, I know him," Zapdos remembered. "A long time ago, he and his parents came to the Orange Islands, I was there, and I saw Ho-Oh there too. It was there -for- your trainer. I know he was a kindhearted person.""
He -is- a kindhearted person," Eevee corrected.
"I see that now."
Pikachu wanted to know, so he asked, "Zapdos, when you said 'a helpless Pokémon,' is that Pokémon-"
"I think that's you," Zapdos told him.
Raichu chimed in."Wait, you? Helpless? Don't make me laugh."
Pikachu addressed it. "Listen, I was struck with lots of electricity, and I absorbed it. Do you wanna taste my Thunderbolt?" he asked, enjoying Raichu's expression.
"On second thought, I beat you badly before, so you might've been helpless back then… yeah."
He was helpless back then. He really wanted to defeat Raichu. He returned his attention to Zapdos. "Zapdos, what do you mean by shocking devices? Do you mean Pokéballs?"
"No. Pokéballs don't shock, these are literally shocking devices. Shock you by electric shocks," Zapdos cleared up the confusion. "That man literally threw them at me like I was a practice target," it growled in frustration.
"Wait, so all this time, you thought we were like that man?" Pika asked, coming to stand alongside Pikachu.
"Yes," Zapdos answered.
"Well, we're sorry for coming here by surprise, we should've known it was you from the start," Pikachu apologized.
"It's OK. Now, let's stop this battle, and let the shapeshifter explain the situation to the humans," Zapdos suggested.
Ditto landed and transformed into Leaf. "All this was a big misunderstanding and there's no battle."
"Oh. O…K? Uh…" Leaf mumbled.
"Ash Zapdos knows you by the way," Ditto told Ash.
"Really?" Ash questioned excitedly.
"Yup."
"Alright, I'm friends with a legendary!" Ash exclaimed, bouncing.
"So we just… leave now?" Surge frowned.
"Zapdos, could you please stop making the storm?" Ash requested.
"Of course. I'll just go attack the man instead," Zapdos decided, turned, and flew away with a goodbye cry.
"That's… kinda underwhelming," Surge declared disappointedly. "I really hoped something more'd happen. Like a clash between pikachu's Thunderbolt full six-stage power and Thunder from Zapdos, the battle ends with a gigantic explosion and someone just… I dunno… catches Zapdos and goes on an incredible journey that-"
"Surge, we live in the real world, not a fanfiction of your imagination," Red brought Surge back to reality.
"At least Pikachu finally learned Thunderbolt!" Leaf exclaimed.
"Yeah, she's right! Pikachu, I'm so proud of you!" Ash beamed with pride. "You've come such a long way, and now you've mastered Thunderbolt! You're amazing, buddy!"
Pikachu blushed, feeling a sense of accomplishment. "Thanks, Ash!" he chirped happily, grateful for the support and encouragement from his friend and trainer.
With the misunderstanding cleared up and Zapdos no longer a threat, the tension dissipated, leaving behind a sense of relief and newfound understanding. The group gathered their Pokémon and made their way back to Vermilion City, eager to continue their journey.
(there's a message in Surge and Red's conversation)
The next day was spend training. Pikachu improved his Thunderbolt, and Pika improved his speed. Eevee could multiply into eleven copies. Meowth kept talking with himself all day because he wanted to go back to Jessie and James, but also to stay with the group at the same time.
The next day, it was finally time, the battle of the century between the Pokémon that wanted to beat each other, the Pokémon that wanted to prove his power, even against his evolution, and the Pokémon that always liked superiority. Pikachu versus Raichu. It is wondered, who had won?
(am I a good announcer?)
(Sorry)
"This is a rematch between Pikachu and Raichu, one-on-one, no time limit, ready?" the referee asked Ash and Surge, who nodded. "Begin!"
"Raichu, use Mega Kick!" Surge commanded, wanting to start hard. Raichu sprinted towards Pikachu and delivered a powerful kick that sent him flying.
"Not this time!" Pikachu stated, landing and dashing towards Raichu with a powerful Quick Attack. With an incredible speed, he was able to strike it with great force, causing Raichu to skid slightly backward.
"Way to go buddy!" Ash cheered. "Now use Agility!" With a quick slight glow of focus, pikachu's speed increased. He felt like he could run a marathon, and he moved away with lightning speed. Raichu tried to catch up with him, but his speed was too great for it. The electric mouse changed direction and dashed quickly towards it again.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Surge commanded urgently, not wanting such humiliation to fall upon Raichu. Raichu summoned a bolt of electricity and propelled it at Pikachu, who smiled and met it head on, absorbing it and striking Raichu with another Quick Attack. "I, officially, dislike, hiddin ability Pikachu!" Surge declared, frustrated. "Raichu, Hyper Beam!"
Pikachu sparked, alarmed.
"Here it comes. Pikachu, Thunderbolt, quick!" Ash urged, intensely anxious from what may happen after the clash. Raichu launched a powerful beam of energy that shot with unbelievable speed towards its target, Pikachu. The electric mouse quickly gathered his strength and put it in one devastating Thunderbolt attack. He hurled the attack towards the approaching Hyper Beam, slowing it down enough so he could get out of the way. Once safely distant, he fired another Thunderbolt that collided with the energy beam, resulting in an explosive clash. *Boom*
Both attacks dissipated in the end.
"Huh, cool, impressive power. BUT I STILL DISLIKE HIDDIN ABILITY PIKACHU!" Surge yelled in frustration. "RAICHU, USE IRON TAIL!" Raichu's tail glowed with metallic energy as it aimed to strike Pikachu with it. The Iron Tail connected, sending Pikachu tumbling to the ground.
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, worried for his partner. Pikachu got u pand shook himself, signaling he was fine. "Right! Use Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu, fueled by determination, prepared and launched a powerful Thunderbolt towards Raichu. Who this time had some… difficulties avoiding the blast.
The unleashed Thunderbolt raced through the air towards Raichu, who tried to avoid it by moving out of its way. But the Thunderbolt was big and fast, and Raichu was unable to avoid it completely. It did not have Lightning Rod or Electric Absorb like Pikachu.
The impact sent Raichu soaring. It landed at the end of the battlefield, impressed by the raw power of Pikachu. Oh and also hurt.
"*breath,* so, *gasp* cool," it grinned. "Alright, you've officially urned my respect. Take this!" Raichu unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt that headed strait towards Pikachu, who with pleasure absorbed it. "Oh right. Yup, hiddin ability pikachu are irritating. Well, HOW ABOUT THIS!?" Raichu dashed towards Pikachu and delivered a dangerously critical Mega Kick, sending its pre-evolution flying, and colliding with the hard gym wall.
"Pikachu!" Ash and Eevee shouted, concerned for Pikachu.
"What?" Pikachu asked, confused. He shook it off and rushed towards Raichu and struck it with a powerful Quick Attack.
"Never mind," Eevee chuckled, relieved and feeling awkward.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash called out, seezing the opportunity of Pikachu's previous asolt on Raichu, which left it dizzy.
Pikachu channeled his energy into a Thunderbolt. With a determined cry, he hurled it at Raichu, who was unprepared, which caused it a lot of pain, and caused it to gasp in surprise when struck by the bolt.
Raichu staggered backward, trying to regain its composure after being hit by Pikachu's Thunderbolt. It shook off the pain and narrowed its eyes, determined to turn the tide of the battle.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Surge commanded, hoping to regain the upper hand. Raichu summoned a powerful bolt of electricity and directed it towards Pikachu, who quickly darted to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash called out, seizing the opportunity to counterattack. Pikachu's movements blurred as he dashed towards Raichu with incredible speed, striking it with a powerful Quick Attack. Raichu grunted, feeling the impact, but stood its ground.
"Iron Tail!" Surge commanded, determined not to let Pikachu dominate the battle. Raichu's tail glowed with metallic energy as it swung it towards Pikachu, aiming to deliver a powerful blow. However, Pikachu's agility came into play as he swiftly dodged the Iron Tail, narrowly avoiding the attack.
With a surge of determination, Pikachu unleashed a series of lightning-fast strikes using Quick Attack, landing consecutive hits on Raichu. Raichu grunted with each blow but remained resolute, not backing down.
"Hyper Beam!" Surge declared, wanting to finish the battle decisively. Raichu gathered an immense amount of energy, forming a swirling orb of power between its hands. With a powerful cry of "raichu," it launched the devastating Hyper Beam towards Pikachu. Pikachu's eyes widened with realization. `I need to escape, and fast!`
"Pikachu, use Endure!" Ash shouted, hoping Pikachu could withstand the overwhelming attack. Pikachu braced himself, summoning his inner strength to endure the oncoming onslaught.
The Hyper Beam collided with Pikachu's Endure, creating a massive explosion that shook the battlefield. The force of the attack pushed Pikachu back, but he held his ground, enduring the powerful blast.
As the smoke cleared, Pikachu emerged, still standing. His fur was standing on end, and his determination remained unwavering. The onlookers gasped in awe at Pikachu's resilience.
"Alright Pikachu, now use Agility!" Ash encouraged, recognizing the need to regain the advantage. Pikachu's speed surged as he blurred across the battlefield, leaving afterimages in his wake. Raichu struggled to keep up with Pikachu's newfound swiftness.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded, seizing the opportunity provided by Agility. Pikachu channeled his remaining energy into a potent Thunderbolt, releasing it with a resounding crackle. The electrifying attack surged towards Raichu with incredible speed.
Raichu, still disoriented from Pikachu's previous onslaught, tried to evade the Thunderbolt but failed to do so in time. The powerful blast struck Raichu head-on, engulfing it in a dazzling display of electricity.
Once the smoke cleared, Raichu still stood, and with a smirk on its face. "I want this battle to finish in an epic way, and not me just falling randomly in the middle of it. that wouldn't be a challenge now, would it?"
"No," Pikachu replied resolutely. "I'll… I'll-"
Pikachu felt a strange feeling inside him. It was… something indescribable.
He felt overwhelming electrical power inside him, it needed to be out this instant.
"You… … you want an epic f-finish? I'll give you the best finish there ever was," he declared, feeling that strange power increase tremendously in him.
Pikachu's body began to spark with electricity, making a crackling sound that filled the air. He felt a surge of speed and strength that he had never experienced before. He knew what he had to do.
He dashed towards Raichu with incredible speed, leaving a trail of sparks behind him. Raichu tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Pikachu slammed into Raichu with full force, causing a huge explosion.
*Boom*
When the dust cleared, Raichu was lying on the ground, knocked out. Pikachu stood over him, panting but victorious.
The referee raised his flag and declared Ash the winner. "Raichu is unable to battle! Ash is the winner!"
Ash jumped up and cheered jubilantly. "We did it buddy! We did it!" he exclaimed, running towards Pikachu and hugging him.
Pikachu smiled and squeaked happily, feeling proud of himself and his trainer.
Surge walked over to them and shook Ash's hand. "That was an amazing battle Ash. You've earned my respect, and this Thunder Badge," he smiled, handing Ash a Thunder Badge. "Also, huh, not every day I get to see a new move. Amazing!"
"New?" Ash wondered, putting the badge safely.
"Yes. This… attack, what was it?"
"Well, uh…"
(Zippy Zap… I think)
(Don't blame it on me if its an unknown move or not Zippy Zap. Sorry)
"You don't know?"
"No. Not really," Ash thought aloud.
"Let's move on because I can't copy those moves," Ditto suggested.
"S-sure," Ash allowed. "Thanks for the battle Surge!"
Surge smiled. "Hmm. And now, you've proven that you're not a baby, Ash. Good job."
"-so as thanks for protecting the city from Zapdos," officer Jenny was saying. "Surge, the mayor, the police, and the others agreed on giving you those tickets to the SSN."
Leaf bounced in joy. "YAY!" she squealed. "I've always wanted to get on the ST. Anne or the SSN, I can see one in person!"
"Leaf, calm down, or she might not give them to us thinking that you're crazy," Ditto begged.
She composed herself. "S-sorry," she apologized, barely able to contane herself.
"O…K," Jenny said. "Anyway, here are five tickets to the s-"
"I don't need one," Ditto told her.
"Anyone getting on the ship needs a ticket."
"*sigh* fine."
Smiling, the officer handed the group their tickets and dashed away, seeing someone unimportant to the story… maybe.
"Don't even try to jump or I'll transform to Pikachu and shock you," Ditto threatened playfully.
"*breaths* it's cool, it's cool, it's just a ship, a ship, a ship that I was so obsessed with to the point of building four models of it in a month… when I was five, it's just one ship, I CAN'T resist!" Leaf shouted in excitement, dashing away energetically.
`I'm a master of disguise, and these clothes are bad," Petrel laughed. "Archer, seriously, next time, let me pick the disguises."
"You were lost, for twelve days Petrel, twelve, days!" Archer replied. "How was I supposed to let you choose?"
Petrel stopped laughing and collected himself. "OK OK. So we go on the ST. Anne, trick everyone and steal their Pokémon. But hold on, What's the plan to do that?"
"?" Archer questioned.
"We're not just gonna attack them head-on, we're sixty-five Rocket members against an entire ship!"
"Oh. Don't worry. The boss provided us with a fantastic plan," Archer grinned sinisterly.
(Written by me and AI because I'm not descriptive. I may write "it was a big ship with some artwork inside" no, that's not cool)
As the group approached the magnificent SSN ship, a sense of awe and wonder washed over them. Its towering structure dominates the harbor, gleaming in the sunlight with a mesmerizing elegance. The ship's vibrant white exterior, adorned with golden accents and intricate carvings, showcased the unparalleled craftsmanship that went into its making.
The SSN stood as a true marvel of engineering, with its grand size and multiple decks stretching out before them. The deck was bustling with activity, as trainers and Pokémon alike moved about, preparing for their upcoming voyage. Laughter and excited chatter filled the air, causing a cheerful ambiance that is contagious.
"IT'S SO COOL!" Leaf squealed, dashing inside, excited to check the ship's interior too.
As the others steped on board, a wave of enthusiasm engulfed them. The interior of the ship was a sight to behold, filled with opulent furnishings and lavish decorations. Sparkling chandeliers cast a warm glow, illuminating the hallways adorned with beautiful artwork.
(Now only me)
Leaf turned to her companions, her eyes filled with excitement. "See? It's cool, a-awesome. No, it's… I dunno!" She shouted, struggling to find the right word to describe what she was feeling.
"Calm down Leaf. I know it's amazing but calm down and take a deep breath," Red requested, trying to soothe her enthusiasm..
Leaf nodded, taking a deep breath. "I'll just buy those and come back, alright?" she replied, darting off with Meowth groaning on her shoulder.
"We'll be waiting for you in the cafeteria. I'm starving!" Ash declared, already starting to run.
"Hold it right there, Ash!" Brock shouted firmly, causing Ash to stop in his tracks with a worried expression. "Do you even know where the cafeteria is?"
Ash scratched his head nervously. "Uh…"
"That's what I thought. Now, let's go find it together," Brock ordered, hurrying away. Suddenly, his eyes widened with excitement. "AH!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe and wonder, his eyes sparkling as well. "I just saw, i…" he said in awe and amazement.
"What is it Brock?" Red asked curiously.
Brock sprinted off as fast as his legs could carry him, leaving Ash and Red puzzled and intrigued. They exchanged glances, a mix of worry and excitement filling their faces.
"Let's go after him," Red suggested, walking after Brock.
"Yeah," Ash agreed, trailing behind Red.
Ditto shrugged and followed them. `I'm not going to buy stuff with Leaf.`
Brock was in love. He saw a woman.
" Brock at your service! You beautiful flower blooming in the garden of my heart," he exclaimed, attempting to charm the woman with his over-the-top romantic gestures.
"Uh… what?" the woman asked, bemused.
Brock, completely infatuated, took a dramatic step forward, striking a pose. "Ah, my heart flutters like a Butterfree in the spring breeze whenever I lay my eyes upon your radiant beauty," he declared, melodramatically emphasizing each word.
"Um… you-"
Oh, fair maiden, I shall never forget this moment!"
"What moment?"
"Right now, once I saw you, I knew we were destined to meet here on this ship, and-"
"No you don't!" Ditto shouted, coming out of nowhere. He tackled Brock to the ground. "The last time you did this, I missed Red and Leaf's battles. This time, we might miss the entire trip fun because of your infatuation with woman!"
"What's… uh…" the woman stuttered, completely baffled.
"Never mind him, you continue your… whatever you were doing. I was just gonna drag him away," Ditto informed.
"O… k,"
the woman continued on her way. Surely, this encounter would not be forgotten easily.
"Come on, 'gym leader,' get up," Ditto commanded.
Red and Ash arrived at the scene.
"What's going on?" Ash asked, spotting Brock, who was still down.
"I'm getting him up," Ditto explained, pulling Brock up by the ear. "Get up right this instant."
No romance here, mister!" Ditto declared.
You didn't have to tackle me like that."
Sorry. But don't do that again, or I'll tackle you."
(Brock would do that again)
"Where are those two?" Archer asked, losing patience.
"Wait a little bit more, I'm sure their coming," Petrel assured, as calm as ever.
Archer shouted, "BUTCH, CASSIDY, IF YOU DON'T GET HERE IN FIVE MINUTES, I'LL THROW YOU OFF THIS SHIP!"
"Calm down," Petrel requested. "We need Butch and his Pokémon."
"But not Cassidy."
"NO NO DON'T THROW US OFF THE SHIP. BUTCH WAS JUST TOO LATE THAT'S ALL!" a woman yelled, coming to them at full speed.
Butch protested, "ME? YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STOOD THERE FOR LIKE TWO MINUTES WHILE THAT GUY TRIED TO FLIR-"
"Shut up, let's not talk about that!"
"About what?" Petrel asked curiously.
"There was a girl who tackled some guy who was trying to flir-" Butch was cut off.
"Shut up, you idiot !" Cassidy shouted at him.
"Hahhahaha, you've been told on."
"This sentence doesn't make sense."
"Yes it does. If you use pasiv, it'-"
"Quiet, both of you," Archer bellowed. "Listen, here's the plan. For now, let the trainers battle, so their Pokémon'll get weak. And afterwards"…
**First person view: Pikachu**
"Isn't that James?" I asked, noticing James from Team Rocket.
"I think so, yeah. What are they doing here? " Eevee thought.
"No-good, surely."
"The cafeteria, there it is!" Ash exclaimed, running.
I didn't know why was he hungry. We literally ate before we got outta Virmilion. Well, more food, more energy, I guess.
"Eevee, think there's a battlefield somewhere in here?" I asked, hoping to battle more, cause I wanted to use my Thunderbolt more.
"Not in the cafeteria."
"No, here refers to the ship."
"Definitely, absolutely, for sure, I have no idea."
"You're a trickster, you know that?"
Eevee giggled. And I didn't understand the meaning of trickster, I just… used it.
"Huh? Well look who it is, Ash and Red! Leaf too for some reason," a voice called out from inside.
I think I knew that voice.
"Blue?" Red asked, curious
Oh. Yup, I knew the voice.
That was who shouted at Ash for some random none scary reason when he was eight. Like seriously, who'd shout at someone because he allowed two cute little creatures, us, to sleep on top of him? Is that a bad fanfiction writing or something?
()
Never mind.
"What are you doing here?" Red continued.
"I could ask you the same thing," Blue replied.I was confused. He could ask him the same thing, but did he ask him the same thing? Or did he just… say that for… no reason?
"Well I asked first you know," Red statedpointed out
"I came here. Like a normal person."
"We're here because we protected Virmilion from the legendary Zapdos," Red smirked.
"Sure you did," Blue said. "Let's go eat. Gary's waiting inside."
After the food, I cried out"Ha" victoriously as we saw a battlefield and two men battling in it.
"So there is a battlefield in here, Eevee," I spoke triumphantly.
"I didn't say there wasn't," Eevee pointed out.
"But you didn't say there was. Guess who did, me!"
"You're bored, aren't you?" Pika asked me.
"*sigh,* I wanna battle," I replied, bored to death.
"Pikachu wants to battle," Ditto informed the humans.
"Yes, finally!" Ash exclaimed. "We can battle once they finish their battle, with that man, look, his raticate looks tuff."
I observed the battle.
**Omniscient view**
"Radicate, Super Fang!" the man commanded, his voice firm. With lightning speed, Radicate lunged forward, its fangs gleaming, and sank them into Poliwirl's side, eliciting a cry of pain from the Water-type Pokémon.
Poliwirl smirked in response. "Dude, that only halfs my energy… however that works. It doesn't prove you're strong or anything," it taunted, its confidence evident.
Radicate's determination grew. "Strong? I'll show you strong!" it declared, its voice brimming with determination.
"Radicate, finish this! Hyper Beam!" the man ordered. The atmosphere crackled with energy as Radicate charged up a devastating Hyper Beam attack. With a powerful surge, it unleashed the mighty beam, hurtling it towards Poliwirl. The collision was fierce, causing a small explosion upon impact, and Poliwirl was knocked out cold.
The man couldn't contain his excitement, raising his arms in triumph. "VICTORY!" he proclaimed, a triumphant grin adorning his face as he made a victory sign. "Who wants to challenge me?"
Witnessing the defeat of the other trainer, Ash's fiery determination flared up, fueling his desire to prove himself as a powerful trainer. Without hesitation, he charged towards the victorious trainer, his eyes blazing with determination. "I challenge you!" he announced, excitement filling him.
"I accept!"
"Bulbasaur, I choose you!" Ash declared, throwing out Bulbasaur's pokéball. Bulbasaur came out with a determined cry, ready to face any challenge his trainer wanted him to.
Ash and the man faced each other, their determination evident in their eyes as the referee prepared to officiate the battle.
"Are you two ready?" the referee asked, looking between Ash and the man.
Ash and the man nodded in unison, their resolve unyielding. "Yeah," they both replied, their voices filled with determination.
Without wasting a moment, the man took the initiative. "Radicate, Super Fang!" he commanded confidently.
Radicate lunged forward, its gleaming fangs aimed at Bulbasaur. However, to the surprise of everyone, Bulbasaur stood steadfast, unaffected by the attack.
(Just a quick note, the man calls it Super Fang but it's Hyper Fang, that's why Poliwirl wasn't affected that much, and that's why you might see five moves. No, there are no five moves, there are just four. Radicate is just comforting the man by pretending that it has Super Fang. That was a long note, not a quick one, my apologies)
Bulbasaur's confusion was palpable. "What… exactly is that?" he questioned, his voice tinged with interest.
The shock registered on Radicate's face, its confidence wavered by Bulbasaur's lack of reaction. Sensing an opportunity, Ash seized the moment. "Bulbasaur, Vine Whip!" he commanded.
Taking a deep breath, Bulbasaur extended his vines and began whipping Radicate relentlessly. With each crack of the vines, the leaves accompanying the attack rustled, creating an intimidating sound that sent shivers down Radicate and the man's spines.
Panicked, the man urged his Pokémon. "Uh, Radicate, quick! Dodge and use Quick Attack!" he exclaimed, hoping to regain the upper hand.
However, Ash was quick to counter. "Tie it up!" he commanded, his voice resolute.
Responding to Ash's command, Bulbasaur skillfully wrapped its vines around Radicate, preventing it from escaping. With their options limited, the man and Radicate exchanged worried glances.
Ash seized the opportunity to strike. "Razor Leaf, quick!" he ordered.
Bulbasaur launched a flurry of razor-sharp leaves at Radicate, causing it to cry out in pain as each leaf found its mark.
Feeling the pressure, the man rallied his Pokémon desperately. "Hyper Fang!" he exclaimed urgently. (he called it by its name. Hooray!)
Radicate sank its teeth into Bulbasaur's vines with a powerful Hyper Fang. However, Ash acted swiftly, knowing the potential danger. "Bulbasaur, throw it, now!" he urged.
In a burst of strength, Bulbasaur tossed Radicate into the air, sending it soaring upward.
As Radicate landed, growling in frustration, the man prepared for one last attempt to turn the tide. "Hyper Beam!" he commanded, his voice filled with determination.
Radicate gathered energy, charging up for its powerful Hyper Beam attack. The beam surged forth, hurtling towards Bulbasaur with incredible force.
But with remarkable agility, Bulbasaur evaded the devastating attack, narrowly avoiding the searing blast.
Gary, unable to resist a jab at his rival, jeered with confidents, "Don't even dare lose to someone else. I'm the one who's beating you. Got that?"
Unfazed, Ash retorted with equal fervor. "In your best of dreams," he replied, his voice brimming with determination. Turning his attention back to the battle, he issued his next command. "Bulbasaur, use Leech Seed!"
Bulbasaur launched a seed that landed squarely on Radicate's back, a mischievous smile forming on his face.
Bulbasaur taunted Radicate, his smirk indicating that he had gained the upper hand. "Thanks, I'm getting your health and power now," he declared with confidence.
With a burst of speed, Bulbasaur charged forward, using Tackle to forcefully collide with Radicate, sending it stumbling backward.
Desperate to regain control, the man commanded his Pokémon. "Radicate, get up and use Double Team!" he exclaimed urgently. (Four moves)
Radicate swiftly rose to its feet, employing Double Team in an attempt to confuse Bulbasaur. However, the presence of the Leech Seed revealed the true location of the real Radicate.
Bulbasaur didn't hesitate, delivering multiple powerful tackles that elicited cries of pain from Radicate with each strike.
Feeling defeated, the man finally relented. "Alright, alright, you can stop," he conceded, his voice unrevealing his disappointment. "You've shown impressive skills. How about we call it a draw?"
Ditto, observing the battle, interjected, realizing the man's trick on Ash. "You just gave up the match because you didn't want to look weak, so you tricked Ash into calling it a draw?" Ditto accused, his tone filled with skepticism.
Caught off guard, the man stumbled over his words. "Exactly—wait, what? No," he responded, trying to regain his composure.
Ditto shook his head, unimpressed by the attempt at deception. "You're not fooling me. Bulbasaur would've continued dominating the match if you had kept going. Ash wins. Like it? Good. Don't like it? Well, I don't really... care," Ditto retorted, his voice filled with confidence.
The man sighed and glanced at Ditto. "You're not actually ten-year-old, are you?" he remarked, realizing the Pokémon's astuteness.
Ditto shook his head once more, emphasizing his Caution and focus.
The man nodded in acknowledgment. "Figures," he muttered, before walking away. However, before fully departing, he turned to face Ash once more. "You're a pretty strong battler, kiddo," he conceded, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Ash, still filled with the thrill of victory, smiled proudly, grateful for the acknowledgment of his skills. "Good job, Bulbasaur," he praised the grass-type.
**First person view: Eevee **
Who would lose a battle, and then trick my best friend and trainer to trade away his Pokémon, a Bulbasaur, for a Radicate? The trainer that Ash beat literally five minutes ago.
But, but…
"Ditto, please convince him to not do that!" I begged, hoping that the transformer can do the job.
"Ash, Eevee says he wants to Swift you because you're a full-"
"I did not!" I shouted, interrupting his trick. No one lies to Ash about me when I'm around.
"He begs you to not trade Bulbasaur," Ditto translated, disappointed obviously.
"Why? Like the man said, it's a good way of meeting new Pokémon and traveling to new places. Melanie said that this is good for Bulbasaur," Ash replied, trying to convince us.
"Yeah. So you take him with you and train him. Not give him to a random man you just met and defeated. Especially when Ditto pointed out he was clearly jealous of you," Ditto translated my speech.
"That's… a good point," Ash admitted, pausing to think.
After seconds of silence, we heard an announcement.*ding, ding, ding*
I wonder why did the ship's announcement microphone do that sound when it was activated.
"To all the trainers on the SSN, we'd like to make an announcement. The capten of the ship was kind enough to allow us to make an entire restaurant. With gifts with the food too. So after twenty minutes, please come to the mane level to get yourselves those delicious meals. And bring your Pokémon too—we want to ste-… uh… give them poképresents too! Thank you for listening!"
"I'm not trading," Ash decided, seemingly realizing now that he had been deeply contemplating it for a while.
"O… k? But do you wanna go to the restaurant thing?" Ditto wondered.
"Huh? Uh… yeah, definitely," Ash smiled.
**James**
Ooh! I saw Lots and lots of interesting things that we could buy. Some teck, like this weird… microscope thing so we could spy better on the twerps and get back Meowth too. Though I wonder why was one being sold on that ship. Next. Ooh! Another Massage machine! I didn't really understand why were those sold there. Next…
A voice interested me while I was searching. "Psst, you, young man."
I looked in the speakers way. "Hmm? Are you addressing me?" I checked.
"Yes, you. You look like you're searching for something," the speaker, a man, replied, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, if you're searching for wealth, I got you a special gift right here."
Treasure? Interesting.
Curiosity piqued, I approached the man, intrigued by his words. "You have my attention."
He gestured toward a tank filled with splashing water. "May I direct you're attention to a special Pokémon," he whispered, his voice laced with mystery. "A true gem, hidden within this Magikarp."
Uh…
"A Magikarp?" I asked, frustrated by that trickster's lie. "That's not treasure, that's-"
"Don't judge it by it's appearance. Here, calculate with me. One magikarp lays a thousand eggs each time, and then each of these thousand lays a thousand as well, add to it another thousand of the same magikarp and the first thousand themselves, and you have a million, one thousand and one magikarp. Multiply that number by itself to get more than three zillion Magikarb! If you sold every Magikarb for a thousand pokédollars each, you'd have an awful lot of cash, young man!" (Calculate it yourself, dear reader. You may find the first 1,001,001 correct, but the three zillion dollars might be an exaggeration)
My eyes widened at the mention of such astronomical numbers. The salesman's persuasive calculations had momentarily captured my imagination. Could it be true? Could this seemingly ordinary Magikarp hold the key to unimaginable wealth?
I reached for my wallet, ready to seize the opportunity that lay before me. The mischievous grin on the salesman's face widened, knowing that he had successfully reeled me in with his overgenerous claims.
As I handed over the money, the transaction was sealed, and I became the proud owner of this Magikarp. I ran off, and I couldn't help but feel eagerness fludding me. Soon, I'd have trillions of dollars, I'm gonna go and build a house in Alolla, and go on a vacation. I'm gonna get many servants. I'll buy and buy, and I will have a private plane, which I can fly anywhere. Yah-hoo! This was the best thing that happened to me ever!
Another voice caught my attention. It was coming from speakers. "To all the trainers on the SSN, we'd like to make an announcement. The capten of the ship was kind enough to allow us to make an entire restaurant. With gifts with the food too. So after twenty minutes, please come to the mane level to get yourselves those delicious meals. And bring your Pokémon too—we want to ste… uh… give them poképresents too! Thank you for listening!"
I better go check it out. I just needed to find Je-
"Ow!" I cried, bumping into Jessie. Ah, good, I found her.
"Can't you at least look where you're walking? Isn't it enough you dunno how to drive the air balloon?" she asked angrily.
"I found treasure"…
**omnicient view**
Archer was very, very thrilled for some reason.
"You look different," Petrel remarked. "I don't like that smile on your face. Give me back the old look."
Archer glared at him.
"That's better. Why were you smiling anyway? The plan didn't succeed yet. It didn't even start," Petrel wondered, curious about the other executive's expression.
Archer started explaining. "When I was looking for you, I saw the mayor of Virmilion City talking with their gym leader. I heard the name Ash, which is the boy who took down my Houndoom a few days ago. I-"
"Whoa whoa whoa, stop, Ash. And defeated your Houndoom. What?" Petrel questioned, bewildered. "First, if you mean Ash, a ten-year-old boy with a Pikachu and an Eevee and a twin, then I know him. I didn't know he took down your houndoom though!"
"His Pikachu did. And I heard the mayor say they're going on this ship. So we're gonna get ourselves our Meowth and that foolish Ditto, and a new Pikachu and Eevee. Hahahaha!" Archer smiled darkly, anticipation filling his heart.
Petrel slapped Archer on the face. "For the last time, don't smile. You look no intimidating when you do that!"
Ditto and Eevee, helped by Pika and Pikachu, managed to convince Ash to tell the man that he was not going to trade his Bulbasaur, and not ignore him and keep him waiting forever.
"Are you sure? I can train Bulbasaur very good for you. And when we meet again, I-"
"He came here to tell you that he doesn't wanna trade, not to listen to your babbling, alright?" Ditto interrupted the man's attempt of tricking Ash.
"Alright, alright, how about you trade a Pokémon with me and I train it for you first?"
"No."
"You're definitely a ten-year-old. But an intelligent one."
"You're close. Now, Ash, let's hurry up and catch up with the others," Ditto ordered, walking firstand waiting for Ash.
"See you," Ash waved, along with Pikachu and Eevee. He then followed Ditto and walked away.
"That kid is so nice," the man told himself, smiling.
"What are you two doing here!" Ash shouted, spotting to familiar faces.
The tention started to build as Gary pointed out, "Aren't those a part of that… Team Rocket?"
"Where!" Blue asked quickly. Gary pointed. "Those are… actually yeah, I saw one on Nugget Bridge."
"Twerps?" James shouted in disbelief. "Meowth!"
(let's skip forward)
"Dear SSN passengers, we would like to announce that there is an open restaurant and giveaways, as well as a contest starting from now," the announcer's voice echoed throughout the ship, capturing the attention of everyone on board. The atmosphere buzzed with excitement as passengers eagerly awaited the details of the contest.
"The contest isn't your typical Pokémon battle or beauty competition. It's a test of your knowledge about Pokémon!" the announcer continued, a hint of mystery in his voice. "I'll ask the questions, and you'll provide the answers. Simple, right?"
Everyone agreed.
(Hmm, that simplicity is kind of suspicious)
"Let's start with an easy question," the announcer began. "How many Pokémon are there, just in the Kanto region?"
"ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-ONE POKÉMON!" a confident voice shouted from the crowd.
"Correct," the announcer confirmed. "Now, what type does the Kanto Champion specialize in?"
"DRAGON-TYPE!" someone replied.
"Not quite correct," the announcer criticized.
"MOSTLY DRAGON-TYPE. HE USES A CHARIZARD AND A GYARADOS!" Gary interjected, eager to showcase his extensive Pokémon knowledge.
"Now that is correct!" the announcer acknowledged, causing Gary to smirk with pride. "What is the gender of legendary Pokémon?"
"THEY'RE GENDERLESS ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION IN THE DATA BACES!" Red shouted.
"That's correct."
The questions continued, and the contestants eagerly responded, showcasing their expertise in the world of Pokémon. Tension began to build as the final question approached, leaving everyone on edge.
The tension in the air was palpable as the final question loomed before them. The contestants held their breath, their eyes fixed on the announcer, awaiting the crucial inquiry. A hushed silence fell over the crowd, the anticipation weighing heavily on their minds. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation, each second stretching out like an eternity.
"And now, for the last question," the announcer declared, his voice dripping with anticipation. "What do you know about Hypno?"
"Hypno?" Ash wondered, his confusion evident.
"A psychic-type Pokémon with the ability to hypnotize creatures and inslave them, maybe for the rest of their lives," Ditto explained, a hint of worrieness in his voice. "But why ask about it?"
Suddenly, a mysterious figure emerged from the crowd, catching everyone's attention while throwing a Poké Ball into the air. In a flash of light, a bipedal, somewhat humanoid creature materialized before them. It possessed yellow skin, triangular brown ears, sleepy eyes, and a prominent nose. In its hand, it held a flat, silver ring.
"That's why!" Ditto cautioned, recognizing the creature that had just appeared. Hypno.
"What's-"
"Hypnotize them, hypno!" the figure ordered.
"Wait, I know that voice. It's bu-" Ditto could not finish his sentence, his mouth closed shut as his face at whole lost expression.
Hypno swung the silver ring gently, creating a mesmerizing pendulum motion. The room became transfixed by its rhythmic arc, drawing the contestants and onlookers into its spell. A wave of unease washed over the area, as if an invisible force had wrapped itself around their minds.
One by one, the contestants' expressions shifted, their features becoming distant and blank. The glow of Hypno's pendulum reflected in their glazed eyes, their once animated faces now frozen in a trance. The silence deepened, broken only by the soft, ethereal whispers of Hypno's power weaving through the minds of its victims. "Hypno, hypno, hypno"…
The disguised announcer removed his mask, revealing himself as the Team Rocket executive, Petrel. His voice changed too. "Bravo, the first part of the plan is a success," he announced, acknowledging the success of their scheme. "Good job, Bif."
"It's Butch, sir. And I think we should allow Hypno to continue its hypnotizing, just for safety," Butch suggested, concerned that someone may have resisted the power of Hypno's hypnosis.
"Okay, let's not waste any time. Everyone who has a Pokémon, raise your hand!" Petrel commanded, relishing in the unfolding spectacle. The entire crowd obediently raised their hands. "Very well, now form a line or queue-"
"Be specific, Petrel," Archer interjected from behind.
"*sigh*, where's Ditto? The Ditto I know. Raise your hand, you Scary Face user-Oh. Come over here and bring Meowth and your trainers' other Pokéballs with you," Petrel ordered harshly, wanting the Ditto on their side.
Under the influence of hypnosis, Ditto complied without hesitation. He grabbed Bulbasaur's Pokéball, along with all Leaf's other Pokéballs, and made his way to Petrel's side.
"Give me th—Whoahoahoa, what on earth? When did your trainer acquire more than three Pokémon?" Petrel exclaimed in shock, surprised by the amount of pokéballs Ditto brought with him.
"Never," Ditto replied blankly.
"Then why did you give me all those Pokébal- oh, be specific, okay," Petrel realized.
Archer took hold of Ditto's hand and moved him away. "Listen," he told Petrel. "You take the Pokéballs, and I'll retrieve them and conceal them."
Nodding in understanding, Petrel turned his attention back to the crowd. "Line up and prepare your Pokéballs to hand them over to me," he commanded, making his intentions clear. "I want only Pokéballs that contain a Pokémon."
The crowd complied, forming a queue with both trainers and their Pokémon.
"No, Leaf, you come over here and get back your empty Pokéballs that Ditto gave me. And you, Ash, the trainer with Pikachu and Eevee, come forward and give me your Pokéballs!"
Ash and Leaf approached Petrel as instructed. Petrel handed Leaf her Pokéballs and proceeded to take Ash's.
"Hahahaha! Finally!" Petrel exclaimed, his laughter filled with triumph.
"Ditto, give him a light punch on the face for me. I'll be busy storing away these Pokéballs. Just make sure it's not too strong!" Archer commanded, and without hesitation, Ditto obeyed, delivering a gentle punch to the other executive's face.
"Ow!" Petrel gasped in surprise. "Why?"
"Nobody tells me not to smile and smiles, and gets away with it," Archer retorted.
"You've got to be kidding me! Look, let's settle this later. And you two," Petrel addressed Pikachu and Eevee. "Come to me."
To everyone's surprise, Pikachu and Eevee remained motionless, refusing to obey Petrel's command.
"Pikachu and Eevee, come… just jump down," Petrel tried again, growing increasingly frustrated.
Still, there was no response from the two Pokémon.
"What's going on?" Archer questioned, perplexed by the situation.
"They're not hypnotized?" Petrel guessed.
"Butch! I'll throw you off this ship, you little—"
"Sur, everyone in this area, except for Team Rocket members, is under the influence of hypnosis," Butch clarified, his voice trembling with fear.
"I'm making sure of it," Hypno confirmed, supporting Butch's statement.
"Ditto, translate," Archer ordered, and Ditto relayed the information in human language. "Then let's test it, Petrel. Instruct Ash to give you Pikachu and Eevee."
Ash handed Pikachu and Eevee to Petrel, but to their surprise, the Pokémon remained completely unresponsive, showing no signs of the typical reactions one would expect from hypnotized or not hypnotized individuals.
Petrel's frustration grew as he tried to comprehend the situation. "Hypno, if they're hypnotized, why wouldn't they obey commands?" he questioned, his voice filled with exasperation.
"This I do not know, master. But I know for sure they're not awake, that's why I assume they're under my hypnosis," Hypno responded. "Translate."
"What makes you sure of that?"
"If they were awake, they would've attacked or tried to run away. Not remain motionless, unprotected or protective. Translate."
"So they're… hypnotized, and not hypnotized?"
"They are in a state of altered mental focus, which is characteristic of hypnosis. However, their consciousness appears to be faintly used. 'Obey and protect him' seems to be the lingering thought."
"Ash?"
"Perhaps."
Archer, observing the turn of events, was intrigued. "Hmm," he hummed, trying to figure out the cause of the problem.
He growled in frustration when he did not find an explanation. "Just give them to me. We'll figure it out later. Get back to getting the other Pokémon!"
With a sly grin, Petrel focused on the ongoing hypnotization, his gaze fixated on the entranced crowd. The plan was in motion, and though complications had arisen, Team Rocket remained determined to see it through. The fate of Ash's Pokémon and their ultimate objective hung in the balance as tension built within the confines of the ship.
Jessie wanted really badly to punch James in the face, or throw him off the ship. "What do you mean a Magikarp is a treasure?" she exclaimed, her frustration boiling over.
"It is. Just think about it. This Magikarp lays a thousand eggs every-"
"THOUSAND EGGS?" Jessie asked in disbelief, interrupting James's attempt of clarification. "WHERE ARE WE GONNA PUT ALL THOSE? DON'T TELL ME WE'RE GIVING THEM TO THE BOSS. WE'LL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN IF WE DO THAT. DO YOU REALLY THINK ANYONE WOULD BY A MAGIKARP? HOW ARE WE GONNA LIVE? IDIOT!"
"Quiet down, right now!" a voice whispered angrily.
Both Jessie and James turned to see Archer carrying a bag. And the twerpette walking alongside him, with a blank expression on her face.
"Why are you screaming?" Archer asked, frustration evident in his tone.
"He bought a Magikarp," Jessie informed Archer, trying to convey the ridiculousness of the situation.
"Treasure," James added proudly, happy with the good deal he had. `Such a low price for a treasure maker.`
"And that's a reason to scream because?" Archer questioned, his anger intensifying.
"It's a magikarp sur. A magikarp," Jessie replied, frustrated that no one was understanding her point.
"You mean the weak fish that turns into a mighty dragon said to burn cities and towns in one night?" Archer asked, emphasizing the power of gyarados.
Jessie's face flushed with embarrassment as she understood why Archer was not angry at James. "Uh…"
Archer turned to the twerpette. "You know, some times your burns come in handy. Reply!" he ordered, his voice filled with anger and anticipation.
"You two are an embarrassment for all humans and Pokémon," the twerpette said, pointing at Jessie and James. "You," meaning James, "think magikarp is treasure. And you," meaning Jessie, "clearly forgot what gyarados are capable of. I don't know why Giovanni is keeping you in Team Rocket."
`That's it? That's what he could come up with? Or does he just want to insult the boss. Nah, he's hypnotized, maybe his pokémind isn't functioning at all. Pfft, shapeshifters.` "Let's not talk about the boss. Anyway, now that this is settled, make yourselves useful and get some pokéballs from Petrel. I'll wait for you here," Archer commanded, his voice firm.
"Yes sur,"Jessie and James complied, running to where they saw… well, thought Archer came from. Which was the place where all the commotion, the contest that they missed, previously was.
On their way, James could not help but wonder, `What's the twerpette doing with Archer? And why did she have that… weird expression? And why was she acting mean? And most importantly, how did she know Giovanni's our boss? And how dare she speak of him like that?` His facial expression turned to frustration as he thought of those last thoughts. `Focus, focus, you have a mission to do,` he calmed himself.
When they arrived, they were met with unexpected faces. They knew Petrel was there, not those two.
"Cassidy?" Jessie whispered, close to Cassidy, who was carrying Pikachu and Eevee. She turned to face them, hopelessness evident on her face.
"Not you two!" she groaned, her expression filled with defeat.
"What's with the face?" Jessie asked, confused.
"I thought this mission would be a success. But unfortunately, I saw you. So it's absolutely not," Cassidy responded, disappointed.
"Why you"
…
"Batch and a Hypno?" James wondered, making his way to Petrel and leaving the two women to… whatever they were doing.
Butch faced him and glared, annoyed by James mispronouncing his name. "It's Butch, Butch!" he shouted back, his focus gone for a second.
Ignoring Butch's reaction, James continued on his way to where Petrel was stationed. As he approached, Petrel hurled a bag full of Pokéballs at him. "Pokéballs. Give these to Archer," he commanded. "Next!" he shouted. Another trainer arrived to hand over their Pokéballs.
James caught the bag and turned back to Jessie and Cassidy. "Stop arguing with each other about nothing and get to work already!" he scolded them.
Both Jessie and Cassidy huffed in annoyance but complied with James's instructions. Cassidy went on her way, carrying Pikachu and Eevee, while James handed the bag to Jessie. "Give this to Archer and hurry back. Before Cassidy," he instructed, urging her to hurry, using Cassidy as a motivation.
Jessie quickly left, determined not to let Cassidy, her rival, outdo her in any way.
Meanwhile, high above the sea, Zapdos soared through the sky. Spotting a gathering of clouds, it accepted their challenge and clashed with them in a thunderous spectacle. Roaring, Zapdos unleashed its Steel Wing, propelling the clouds in a single direction with tremendous force.
There was one small problem.
"Did… did I just throw clouds toward a passing ship and endanger everyone on board?" it asked rhetorically, feeling embarrassed by its unintentional actions. "Oops!
"Well, as long as the storm doesn't start within the next five minutes, I should be able to…" Unfortunately, the thunderstorm and rain showers began, dampening its hopes.
"…never mind."
Back on the ship, Archer was in shock. "Petrel? Butch? Why aren't you taking-" he began to question but was interrupted by Petrel.
"These two bags contain the last of the Pokéballs," Petrel explained. "And good news, I have Ash with me."
Archer's eyes widened. "Where is he?"
Petrel moved aside, revealing Ash standing behind him. "Right here," he smirked, eager to unravel the mystery behind Pikachu and Eevee's resistance.
"Alright then. Get the protesters over here!" Archer commanded firmly. Cassidy came quickly, with the still motionless Pikachu and Eevee. Once they saw Ash, they quickly jumped towards him, landing just a few steps away in a protective, yet expressionless manner. "Are they protecting him or… I… this is literally illogical!"
"I know. Look at their faces. And look at-woah don't spark like that, cute Pikachu. I'm not coming any close to you," Petrel said in a strained voice.
"Master, might I suggest attacking their trainer?" Hypno chimed in. "Like I explained earlier, the conscious thought in them is to obey and protect… him. That, like you theorized, Master Petrel, might be the case. Him being Ash. Ditto, please translate."
"So if I send out my weezing," Petrel started, throwing out weezing's pokéball. "Use Hyper Beam, on Ash!" he commanded, excitement filling him.
"I've always wanted to attack a human!" Weezing announced excitedly, charging up its Hyper Beam. It launched the attack at Ash, but Pikachu immediately protected him with a powerful Thunderbolt, accompanied by a Swift attack from Eevee.
"Yup, they react only when it's related to Ash," Hypno declared, afraid of being hit by Thunderbolt or Swift attacks.
"Such bond between people and Pokémon, I'm impressed with it. Ash, what did you do to gain this trust and love from them?" Petrel asked the still hypnotized Ash.
"Give them berries," Ash responded emotionlessly.
"Wait, say that again!" Petrel commanded.
"Give them berries," Ash complied emotionlessly.
"Give them berries. All it took was giving them berries to become the best of friends. That's even worse than the time I wrote a story about an Abra falling in love with a ship because it was blue! To fill boring time!" Petrel exclaimed. "Is that the work of a bad writer narrating our actions or something?"
(I assure you, they were like baby humans, befriending anyone. But now, they've learned, and befriending them isn't that easy if they feel danger around the one trying to befriend them. But when they become friends, they would help their friend, and follow them even to the moon. So no, not a bad one… I think. At least not a terable one. Uh, *sigh* sorry)
A sudden thunderclap struck, shaking the entire ship and jolting Ash and Ditto awake. "What the…" they both exclaimed, surprised by the sudden blast.
"Oh, no!" Petrel groaned, disappointed by their crumbling plan. "Since when was there supposed to be thunder?"
"There wasn't supposed to be thunder, Petrel. Otherwise, the ship wouldn't have set sail!" Archer pointed out, frustrated by Petrel's ignorance.
"Petrel," Ash remarked.
"And, A-Archer?" Ditto hesitated. "I hope it's Hypno's hypnotization effect!"
"No. You're not under my hypnosis," Hypno clarified.
"Ah, thanks for the information. Sure happy to know," Ditto deadpanned. "Why did you tell me?"
"You asked."
"Where are we?" Ash asked, looking around, only seeing Rocket members.
"In the ship," Butch answered.
"Don't answer!" Cassidy scolded.
"How did we get here? What did you do with Pikachu and Eevee?" Ash shouted, worried for his partners no reactions, and angry at Team Rocket.
Hearing their names caused Pikachu and Eevee to utter their names quietly, still standing protectively beside Ash.
"Are you two OK?"
No reaction.
"Houndoom, come on ou-" Archer was about to throw houndooms pokéball, but Ditto stopped him.
"Please, no. I'll do anything for you instead of him. Just… please, don't throw him out!" he begged trembling with fear.
"Transform and carry Ash and his Pokémon away from here then!" Archer commanded intimidatingly.
"Sorry Ash," Ditto apologized before transforming into Pidgeot and carrying Ash on his back. Pikachu and Eevee remained still.
"Odd. I thought they'd shock him and blast him with Swift or something," James remarked. "Wait, the twerps have a Ditto? That explains the new twins. Also how did the twerpette know Giovanni."
"If you don't command them to move, they won't apparently," Archer informed Ash. "They're still under that mental matter alt…kinda hypnotized!"
"Uh…" Ash did not fully understand what Archer meant. The closest thing to Archer's words that Ash was familiar with was "mental break down."
"Order them to move."
"Pikachu? Eevee? Come on, hop on Ditto's back," Ash tried, and it worked.
Pikachu and Eevee hopped onto Ditto's back and positioned themselves protectively on Ash's shoulders after a moment.
"Oh," Ash understood what was happening to his Pokémon.
Ditto, fearing Houndoom, immediately took off, not looking back or checking if Ash was safe.
Fortunately, Ash was safe. And he decided to ask, "Where should we go?"
"No idea," replied Ditto, in pidgeot language, of course.
"I whish they allowed us to take Meowth," Ash thought aloud. "Well, uh, take us to the area where we were in that, contest."
Ditto complied and once Ash landed, they noticed that all the trainers were in a panic, searching their surroundings. Ash spotted Leaf and Red at last, and Ditto quickly transformed into Leaf.
"Ash, Ditto!" Red called out, relieved to see the two.
Once they were close to each other, Ash asked, "What… what happened?"
"Everyone's Pokéballs are gone. We didn't realize it because… I dunno. We were awakened by a loud sound that shook the ship," Red explained. Thunder rumbled, and lightning struck once more, causing the ship to shake once again, and panic to intensify in everyone's hearts. "That's it."
"That's a thunder," a man told them. When they looked, they noticed he was a salesman.
"Hmm?" Red questioned, puzzled by the man's statement.
"That's the sound real thunder makes. And the shaking of the ship indicates lightning strikes," the man explained. "Now, with the explanation outta the way, would you like something to protect yourselves with? This is a magikarp, it has a pokéball that you can use for protection. And also, you can use it to swim away if it's an intense storm!"
"I'd like to-" Leaf began.
"Not now," Ditto interrupted. "First, put me back in my ball."
"Uh… I don't have it," Leaf hesitated, feeling guilty for not telling her Pokémon that she had lost his pokéball.
"Leaf, you're joking, r-right?" Ditto asked, scared.
"Nope. I lost all of my pokéballs that contain Pokémon. Sorry, Ditto!" Leaf apologized, feeling sorry for being unhelpful to her Pokémon.
"Please, don't let Archer come close to me. At least… not his Houndoom. Please!" Ditto begged, trembling with fear of the dark-type Pokémon.
"If you by ten magikarp, you can make them surround you, and use them as pokéshields. Tell you what, I can make you the richest and most protected girl in the Universe," the Magikarp salesman guy chimed in. "Each by fifty pokédollars, because I'm sympathizing with you. Deal?"
"Let houndoom get close to him. He loves human meat," Ditto informed, hoping to scare the salesman.
The man's eyes sparkled with happiness. "one hundred?"
"I didn't say I wanna buy one."
"I want one," Leaf chimed in, hoping to have a giant protective dragon by her side. (I mean… gyarados isn't the best option. But, she does what she does, I don't control her or something.
(wait)
"Glad you made the right choice!" the man exclaimed, waiting for Leaf to hand over her surprisingly not stolen money to him, before giving her a Magikarp, its pokéball, and some pokéfood. "Thank you! It brings me joy to do business with you."
"Uh…"
"Ash, What's wrong with Pikachu and Eevee?" Red questioned, puzzled.
"Umm, they're in a mental breakdown? I dunno. Archer didn't explain anything except that they're unresponsive, I think, until I tell them to do stuff?" Ash guessed, uncomprehending of Archer's awkward explanation earlier.
"O… k…" Red replied, not knowing what to say. He did not understand a single thing Ash said, except Archer did not explain what evil treatment they did to Pikachu and Eevee. "So… any clues about what's going on?
"Anyone?
"No? At least help and put things together with me!" Red shouted, frustrated that no one was trying to help, also by the higgledy-piggledy of events that just happened.
"Put together? Whatta you want us to put together?" a trainer asked, worried for his Pokémon. "First, a contest. Then, this! Am I putting things together?"
"Yes, yes you're putting them. Thanks!" Red smiled.
The trainer returned Red's smile with one of their own. "Always happy to help."
`All of this started when we got on this ship. It was normal, at first. But the contest, or quiz, was a trick. The doer made all the trainers come to the main level, made the quiz, and… and… we're standing in a line. Ash and Ditto were missing. Then both come, Leaf buys a magika- no! focus! Then Ash tells me that something happened to Pikachu and Eevee. Probably exparaments? But what? What would Team Rocket want with Ash's Pokémon? Maybe they just took the first Pokémon in that line we made? But Leaf was first in that… queue we did. Ah! ` "Ah! My head hurts!" Red shouted, having a headache due to all this confusion. His mind became disoriented, fludding with ideas and theories of what could have happened.
*thunder!*
The ship shook violently once more, striking fear into everyone, and snapping Red out of it.
"AH!" Red shouted. "BLUE, DON'T YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY IN EVERY SITUATION? SAY SOMETHING, I NEED HELP HERE!"
Confused by the sudden burst from Red, Blue asked, "What exactly am I supposed to say? A *bleep* Hypno hypnotized us, and Team Rocket stole our Pokémon. Do you wanna bat-oh we don't have our Pokémon."
"Wait no, stop. Go back, what'd you say about the hypno?" Red burst out in a hurry, seemingly starting to get a clue about what was happening.
"A hypno hypnotized us?" Blue said confusedly.
"And?" Red prompted him to continue.
"Team Rocket stole our Pokémon?"
Realization and understanding struck Red just like the thunder struck the ship again. The boy gasped. "That's it! Blue, you are a genius!"
"I know that."
"No. No you don't. You're not actually a genius. I'm never gonna say those words again."
"Just when he started to complement me, he stopped. At least I got one. Good for me."
"Yes, now shut up so I can explain this. *deep, deep breath* Team Rocket scammed us by making us come to this level and eat stuff and hypnotized us to give them our Pokémon which they definitely ran away with to some other location in the ship that only Ditto who's terrified and Ash who was definitely hypnotized know where it is and we need to go there to get back, our, poké, mon!" Red started gasping for air franticly. "God."
"Why did you say that as one sentence?" Archer asked.
"So I don't forget any detail I've gathered," Red replied. "Huh?" he gasped.
"I ran away from you and took Ash, why did you f-follow us?" Ditto asked, terrified of the man that had just came.
"Once out, houndoom immediately started asking about you," Archer replied, a mischievous grin on his face. "He misses you. And so do I," his grin widened. "Get over here I'm stealing you again!" he barked.
"Leaf, please!" Ditto begged, hoping his trainer would protect him.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt, go!" Ash commanded, for Pikachu to jump from his shoulder like a lightning and aim a Thunderbolt. "No, at Archer!" Pikachu changed his aim towards the executive, who gulped.
"Petrel!" he called, prompting the other executive to hurry up and give him the thing already.
"Behold, the mighty wooden table!" Petrel exclaimed, struggling to balance the heavy table. He placed it protectively in front of Archer, relieved. Knowing that electricity couldn't pass through wood.
"First, did you really carry that table all the way here? Second, Pikachu, break through it and attack Archer with electricity!" Ash instructed, determined.
"Yeah, I did carry it. It's so heavy. You better tell the boss to pay me extra for this," Petrel joked, addressing Archer.
"Pikachu, attack Petrel first!" Archer called, annoyed, hoping the electric mouse would actually obey him.
No.
With a burst of electricity, Pikachu shattered the table and continuously shocked Archer.
"Stop, stop!" Archer shouted, pain etched across his face.
"Pikachu, stop!" Ash shouted in worry, causing the loyal Pokémon to stop. (altho loyal can't be used here.) Causing the hypnotized partner to stop shocking the Rocket.
Archer quickly retaliated, saying, "Dark Pulse!"
A swirling Dark Pulse surged toward Pikachu, leaving him no chance to dodge. The attack struck Pikachu, causing him to stumble backward.
"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, concerned for his partner's well-being.
Pikachu softly uttered his name.
"Are you OK?"
"Define OK," Pikachu uttered.
"He just spoke- oh. Still under a mental breakdown."
"Mental what?" Petrel asked, confused by what he just heard.
"Mental breakdown," Ash replied simply.
"They're under a mental alteration due to hypnosis," Petrel said, disbelieving of the events transpiring in front of him. "When did they even have a mental breakdown?"
"Oh! A mental alteration. Oops. It's not a mental breakdown."
"Why did you even think it's-"
"Look I heard it once on TV in the news and it was the closest thing to what Archer said OK?"
Petrel slapped Archer. "Specify! He's not hypnotized but specify! Weezing, Hyper Beam!"
A powerful Hyper Beam slammed into Pikachu, pushing him back. Surprisingly, Pikachu halted immediately in front of Ash, his expression cold, as if nothing had happened.
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt in that direction!" Ash quickly commanded, finding a solution to the hidden Pokémon problem.
"Uh… kid?" a nearby trainer started, cautiously speaking up as Pikachu launched the electric attack. Ash turned to look at the trainer. "Your Pikachu is impressive, and you've been battling well so far, but you know, there are many Pokémon that need help. Maybe try using your expressionless Eevee before- or I-"
*Loud angry roar*
"Uh, never mind! I'm just a random person, don't mind me!" the trainer stammered, fearing the unleashed power of Pikachu.
"Alright, alright, just... stop. You're not weak! Please!" a familiar Dark-type Pokémon cried out in agony. "Woof, woof! Happy now? AH!"
"Houndoom, you useless mutt! Return!" Archer shouted, recalling his now visible Houndoom.
"Yay, I can battle again!" Ditto exclaimed cheerfully, eager to help Ash.
"I'll send him back out!" Archer threatened.
"God, help me!"
"Weezing, use Smoke Screen!" Petrel commanded. A thick cloud of smoke engulfed the area as Weezing expelled a powerful Smoke Screen, causing everyone, except Pikachu and Eevee, to cough and struggle in the smokescreen.
They needed a solution quickly, or else…
They stole back Ditto during the Smoke Screen attack produced by Weezing, and retreated immediately with outright effortlessness.
Petrel clapped his hands. "Good job, you usually useless thing!" he praised Weezing.
"I did well?" Weezing asked, seeking confirmation.
"If you don't translate, I'll send out Houndoom again. We're far away from the kid and his Pikachu, so they won't protect you. Got it?" Archer barked, addressing Ditto.
"I'm sorry. He wants to know if he did well," Ditto translated, trembling with fear.
"You know, the hypnotized Meowth is better at this. Maybe I should give Houndoom another chance to play? And let Meowth do the translating," Archer grinned wickedly, relishing the fear on the disguised Pokémon's face.
"I promise to behave."
"Houndoom, come on out!" Archer called out Houndoom, and the Pokémon emerged in a flash of light, immediately howling with anger.
"I said I'll behave. Archer, please!" Ditto pleaded, overcome with despair.
"Oh, the pleasure of your helplessness," Houndoom mused, enjoying the despair in Ditto's expression.
"Listen, transform into me and distract everyone while we find the lifeboats. Then someone, probably Butch, will come and retrieve you and Houndoom," Archer commanded Ditto.
"W-Why? Where will Houndoom go?" Ditto asked, knowing the answer but hoping it was just his fear speaking.
"Why with you, of course," Archer replied.
Ditto knew it.
"But I'm not finished. Force yourself to transform into Petrel as well," Archer added.
"WHAT?" Ditto exclaimed fearfully. He knew they were going to torture him, but he hadn't expected this. Splitting himself into two objects? "Archer, I've never done that before, not even when Rhyperior used Rock Wrecker on me. Please, you know I can't-"
"Do it, or face the consequences, you fool!" Archer interrupted, his anger mounting at the pest's protests.
"Pikachu, stop," Ash commanded, causing the electric mouse to cease using Thunderbolt. "Is everyone OK?"
"Kid, that was brilliant! I can't believe you actually used the storm to our advantage!" a trainer exclaimed.
"Remarkable! Truly remarkable!" a man chimed in, clapping.
"While I appreciate the praise, it doesn't answer my question," Ash reminded them before repeating his query.
"Yes, everyone is remarkably good!"
"Uh…"
"Yeah, we're good. Thanks!"
"They took Ditto," Leaf informed, her voice filled with sadness for being unable to protect him.
Gasps echoed among the trainers.
"Oh no!"
"Not the shapeshifter!"
"They can use his shapeshifting against us now."
"That's terrible!"
"People, listen to me! If we stand here any longer, they'll escape while we mourn. Let's go and stop them!" Blue's voice rose above the commotion, filled with enthusiasm. "Without our Pokémon, it'll be tougher, but not impossible! This is war against Team Rocket! Who's with me?!"
"WE ARE!" the crowd roared in excitement.
Blue's own voice blended in with the collective shout. "LET'S TAKE 'EM DOWN!"
With their spirits aflame and determination driving them forward, the trainers charged ahead, ready to confront the villains.
"REMEMBER, YOU CAN USE MY MAGIKARP IN BATTLE IF YOU PAY TEN BUCKS!" the magikarp salesman called after them, rushing to join the fight.
"I'm not spending another dollar on this ship," Leaf declared. "I have my own Magikarp. Go!" She released her Magikarp, which joyfully cried its name but seemed bewildered, not knowing what to do.
…
"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash quickly ordered. Pikachu unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity toward the approaching figure, eliciting a pained yelp.
The attack continued, and the figure was revealed to be Petrel.
"Petrel!" Ash stated, recognizing the executive.
Spotting the lifeboats, Petrel exclaimed in triumph, "Victory!" They had finally forced Ditto to transform into Petrel. And now, they were going to escape using the lifeboats, and leave the trainers to die on this ship… maybe.
"Quiet, or someone might find us," Archer hissed, irritated by Petrel's actions.
"And?"
"And our plan would fail."
"No, the lifeboats are right there," Petrel pointed confidently. "And Bif will retrieve Houndoom and Ditto. What could possibly go wrong?"
"…"
"It's Butch!" Butch said disappointedly.
The Rocket members began loading the bags onto the lifeboats, their faces expressing boredom.
Petrel reached into one of the bags and pulled out a Pokéball. "Give me that!" Archer grabbed the Pokéball from Petrel's hand. "What are you doing?"
"Just wanna know what's in it," Petrel admitted.
"Not now!" Archer tossed the Pokéball onto one of the lifeboats and hurriedly boarded it with Petrel and the other members. "Butch, go and retrieve the two Pokémon! Make it quick!"
"Yes sur," Butch complied, rushing to bring the two Pokémon. "At least someone says it right."
Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the lifeboat, causing it to lose half its structure.
Seeing that, Archer deadpanned, "What could go wrong, Archer? Nothing, Petrel. Absolutely nothing."
"How was I supposed to know lightning would strike the boat?" Petrel retorted, his turn to be frustrated by his colleague's actions. "But it's alright. We can still use the remaining portion of the boat to move a short distance from here. We'll find another ship to steal along the way… probably. Besides, they say lightning never strikes twice in the same place, so we're safe at least. Once Ben retrieves Ditto and Houndoom, we'll escape. Victory."
(about the "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place" thing)
It did. And destroyed what was left of the boat.
"Put the bags back on the ship, now!" Archer ordered, and everyone swiftly returned the bags to the ship.
Once they were done, they reboarded the ship. "Lightning never strikes twice in the same place?" Archer muttered, frustration evident in his voice. "Any other pearls of wisdom, Petrel?"
Petrel sighed. "Never mind."
"Stop, please stop!" Petrel begged Ash.
"Pikachu, stop!" Ash commanded, and the Pokémon obediently ceased his Thunderbolt attack, gasping for air and coughing up smoke. "Climb onto my shoulder. You need to rest. Eevee, it's your turn!" Ash then addressed Petrel as Eevee hopped from his shoulder and positioned himself protectively in front of Ash. "Where are our Pokémon?"
"I don't know!" Petrel weakly replied.
"Liar!" a trainer shouted.
"No, really, I don't know. Please believe me!" Petrel pleaded. "If I knew, I would've told you. I'm a nice guy."
"What about Ditto?" Leaf inquired harshly, feeling no sympathy for the executive.
"I am Ditto!" Petrel shouted.
"Yeah right… Wait, what?"
Petrel stood motionless as Archer approached. "This is painful and difficult," they both said in unison, merging and transforming into the blob-like true form of Ditto.
Leaf gasped in horror. "What happened to you?"
"I can't even transform to communicate," Ditto whimpered weakly. "I'm scared. Why are humans so cruel?"
"Eevee, pick him up!" Ash commanded, and Eevee swiftly lifted Ditto, taking a protective stance in front of Ash. "Pass him to me!" Eevee handed Ditto to Ash. "How do you manage to hold him? It's so hard!"
"Give him to me! I know how," Leaf offered, taking Ditto from Ash. "Are you alright?"
"I'm scared," Ditto replied, utterly exhausted and terrified.
Leaf sighed. "I think that's a no. Does anyone have a potion or berries?"
"I do," a trainer called out, pulling an item from her backpack. "This is a potion I bought from the PokéMart yesterday. It might not help much, but…" She handed the potion to Leaf.
Archer's frustration grew upon realizing that Ditto had run off.
"Where is he?" Archer barked, anger boiling within him.
"He ran off in a state of panic," Houndoom replied simply.
With Meowth's translation, Archer understood the situation. "Why did you let him do that? You thoughtless, worthless creature!" Archer scolded.
"I tried to stop him, but he transformed into that gooey substance Ditto becomes in their true form," Houndoom explained.
"How? Wasn't he imitating both me and Petrel?"
"I found them!" Butch announced, rushing towards Archer. "I've located the enraged trainers. We need to escape from here!" Butch interrupted Archer before he could speak. "Don't ask about Ditto! The boy prevented me from taking him. GO, GO, GO!"
"Where should we go? The lifeboat is completely destroyed! LITERALLY!" Archer shouted, his frustration growing due to the unforeseen circumstances. "Those infuriating brats!" he hissed.
"Let's head to our base," Petrel suggested. "It's not nearby, but we can release the real captain of the ship and have them navigate us to the nearest city."
"Perhaps. Alright, new plan. We're freeing the real captain!" Archer declared, beginning to formulate the revised plan.
"And of course, just when I'm ready to battle you, Houndoom is still out of his Pokéball!" a voice exclaimed in frustration. "Thanks, Archer!" the voice gritted their teeth.
"That's definitely Ditto," Archer stated.
"Yeah, hi!"
"Eevee, use Swift on Houndoom!" Ash's voice commanded.
"Where are you?" Archer shouted in confusion as he witnessed the flurry of stars striking Houndoom and exploding upon contact.
"We're hiding in the depths of the sea, waiting to strike you down and-"
"Gary, what's gotten into you?" another voice shouted.
"Listen, I despise Team Rocket. I encountered them once, and that was enough. I don't want to give them a chance to get to me, so I'm lightening up the mood."
"Quick Attack, Eevee!" the first voice called out. Eevee dashed towards Houndoom, who swiftly evaded the attack.
"Pathetic," Houndoom commented, annoyed by the encounter with such a weak opponent.
Eevee persisted, launching a series of Quick Attacks that struck Houndoom repeatedly, eventually forcing the dark Pokémon to the ground. "*gasp*, Never mind," he admitted.
With a soft utterance of his name, Eevee charged at Houndoom once again with another Quick Attack, causing Houndoom, still on the ground, to be pushed back.
Again and again, Eevee unleashed Quick Attacks upon Houndoom, until the dark Pokémon roared in anger. "Dark Pulse!" Houndoom bellowed, preparing the dark energy and unleashing it towards the charging Eevee.
From somewhere, likely where the battle was able to be seen, Ash's warning rang out. "Dodge!"
Eevee skillfully evaded the incoming Dark Pulse, resulting in a collective sigh of relief from the trainers to be heard. "Shadow Ball!" Archer commanded, urging Houndoom to retaliate.
Houndoom formed a shadowy ball of energy and hurled it at Eevee, momentarily forgetting that the move was ineffective against the Pokémon. "No, you idiot! Not at Eevee! Aim beneath it!" Archer exclaimed in frustration.
Oops.
"Can you deflect the Shadow Ball?" Ash asked.
"I can!" Eevee responded, using a strong puff of air from his mouth to redirect the ball back towards Houndoom.
"No no no! Stop!" Archer shouted. "How on earth does that even work?"
"I don't know," Ash replied. "Keep using Swift!"
"Houndoom! Make, a hole, beneath, Eevee!" Archer commanded, hoping his Pokémon would execute the move as intended.
Houndoom launched a Shadow Ball towards the floor beneath Eevee, attempting to make a hole to trap Eevee.
"Dodge it!" Ash called out, causing Eevee to swiftly evade the attack.
"Stop giving orders!" Butch interjected.
"Keep using Swift!" Ash continued undeterred. Eevee maintained the onslaught of stars, causing further harm to Houndoom.
"Hypno!" Archer muttered. "Send out your Hypno!"
"Why?" Butch inquired. Nevertheless, he obeyed and released Hypno, who stared at Eevee in awe.
"Such unwavering loyalty. I demand a taste of it. I'll hypnotize Ash once more!" Hypno announced, swinging its pendulum back and forth.
"It's trying to hypnotize you! Run!" Ditto urgently shouted, hoping that Ash would have enough time to escape Hypno's grasp.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
"Come here!" Hypno commanded, and the Rocket members finally caught sight of Ash as he approached. "If I can't control the Pokémon, I'll control the one who controls them. Hahahaha!"
Hypno regained composure. "Instruct Eevee to cease using Swift on Houndoom and attack the trainers you were with!"
Ash obeyed without hesitation. Within seconds, hurried footsteps could be heard retreating in the opposite direction, accompanied by a male voice shouting, "We need to get Ash and his Pokémon back!"
"Now," Archer began. "Let's proceed with our plan."
"Any other war ideas?" Red asked Blue, deadpan.
"I just declared it started, I dunno who came up with the idea of battling the- WOAH!" Blue shouted, avoiding the rushing Eevee. "LOOK OUT!" he warned Red, too late.
Eevee struck the boy head-on, and knocked him to the ground hard, and continued his charge. "Ow, ow ow ow! That's really painful! AH!"
"Kid! I'll help you!" a trainer declared, hurrying back to help. He had second thoughts after seeing Eevee charge at him. "Nope, I ain't helping no one! BYE!" too late again. "AH!"
"Brock, stop Eevee with-"
"HA!" Brock shouted, throwing a chair at Eevee. "Sorry about that!" Eevee tumbled to the ground, and got up again. "Ditto, try using Ash's form to trick him!"
The captain was about to fly in joy.
"Thank you," he exclaimed, hugging Ash. "Thank you so much for freeing me! I thought I was doomed in there!"
A voice came, startling the captain. "Oh, you're doomed if you don't obey me. This kid is under Team Rocket's control, also I have a Houndoom that's gonna enjoy eating you."
"No, please," his shouts now were ones of terror. "I'll do anything!"
"I've instructed the imposter captain to leave and pursue another mission. You will take us to the nearest town or city close to Seledone City, or face certain death. Understood?"
"Yes, yes, of course!"
"And you," Archer addressed James. "Evolve Magikarp already."
"I can't. I didn't train it yet. Pokémon evolution can't be forced you know," James replied.
"Petrel, keep that in mind. I'm gonna propose the idea to the boss."
(the Lake of Rage)
"I mean, he's not attacking me, but he's not obeying me either. So, Brock, please, give me another idea," Ditto requested, hoping for help. "Uh… Eevee, do you wanna go back to Ash?" Eevee nodded and dashed off, in search of his trainer.
"NO!" Brock shouted, appalled. "WHY WOULD YOU TELL HIM THAT? NOW TEAM ROCKET HAS ASH, PIKACHU, AND EEVEE. AND ALL THE OTHER POKÉMON, other than you but, THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN WHY'D YOU DO THAT!"
"Better than attacking us. Also we can follow him and find Ash. maybe then I can free him from Hypno's control. Let's go!" The trainers rushed after Ditto, following Eevee to free Ash and their Pokémon from Team Rocket.
Suddenly, again, lightning shook the ship, causing Eevee to standstill.
*thunder!*
"Eevee?"
Unfortunately, and fortunately, Eevee snapped out of the altered mind… and was completely confused, his mind fludding with questions. Once he heard Ditto, he looked back and asked, "Ash? What happened."
"Eevee, I'm Ditto. You woke up, that's great!"
"W-Woke up?"
"I'll explain later."
"How are we gonna find Ash now?" Red asked, then winced in pain. "Oh come on!"
"Ash? Where's Ash?!" Eevee called desperately.
"Listen, try to find him. Use your senses, and I'll use mine. We gotta find him and Pikachu," Ditto urged.
…
"I found him!" Eevee announced, rushing quickly to see his trainer. Who was, again, snapped out of it when the thunder roared in the sky. Pikachu did as well.
"Kid, you OK?" a trainer asked when they saw Ash.
"I'm OK, and confused," Ash informed, not remembering anything after the warning Ditto gave him.
"Where are Team Rocket?" Blue asked, hoping that Ash knew the answer.
"I dunno. I heard Archer talking to someone but… I don't know what it was," Ash replied, still confused. "Glad you two are OK," he smiled to Pikachu and Eevee, who returned it with affection.
*thump*
"AAA!" a voice shouted, getting everyone's attention.
"What was that?" Leaf asked, shocked.
"Let's go!" Brock urged, being the first to rush towards the sound, hoping that whatever it was, they would deal with it quickly.
"You're joking!" Petrel shouted in frustration. He punched the captain, knocking him to the ground.
*thump*
"AAA!" the captain shouted in fear.
"The engine's broken?!" Petrel continued. "How did the ship even sale?"
"I REALLY DON'T KNOW… I… I WAS TRAPPED! HONEST!"
"Weren't you the one driving in the beginning?"
"N-NO!"
"I found Team Rocket!" Brock announced, coming into view.
"Forget us, we have a problem. The ship is not functioning!" Petrel stated loudly, trying to express the worry to everyone.
"Yeah right, like we're gonna believe-"
"This… loudly screaming annoying guy… is the captain," Petrel started. "He says the ship's not functioning. It's movement was just at random. Speak up, you insignificant man. The ship's not functioning, and lots of lifeboats are destroyed by that storm."
"He's right," the captain admitted, hopelessly sighing. "We're all doomed. I told big brother I shouldn't drive the ship. But nooo, 'Go drive the ship, Richered. It's gonna be fine, Richered.' Even when my name's not RICHERED! But nooo-"
"Shut up, Richered!"
"My name is-"
"Houndoom, shut him up permanently!" Archer commanded, and the captain shut his eyes. "Don't do that yet, we may need him," Houndoom groaned and mumbled something to himself. "Listen, if we fix the ship, I'll think about giving you… some of your Pokémon back-"
"They're on the lowest level," Archer announced. "Take them and come help us."
"What? No…" Petrel gestured for Archer to not speak.
Excited by the offer, the trainers ran off, happy that they would get their Pokémon back.
They hurried to the lowest level in the ship, anticipation and eagerness fludding them as they took every step.
`We're coming to get you back, our Pokémon.`
Zapdos was having troubles.
"How am I supposed to stop a raging thunderstorm? I really whish Raikou was here. And the ship isn't helping by just… saling in it. It's not like it's gonna stop and say 'Oh sorry, continue saling, ship, I'm not gonna bother you,' and actually do that," it growled in frustration. "So I get the clouds away, I guess? I'm gonna destroy you you giant cloud!" he roared at a cloud that hit him, forgetting his will to help the people on the ship.
*roar!*
Zapdos collided with the enormous cloud, the resounding strike of its Steel Wing reverberating in the sky. The cloud was flung towards numerous other clouds in the sky, crashing into them with a devastating impact, resulting in a mighty roar of thunder. The lightning bolt that followed was of such immense proportions that it struck Zapdos, propelling the surprised legendary bird towards the ship, which remained as slow-moving as it had been previously.
"AH!" Zapdos cried, barely able to bear the pain it was experiencing at the moment. With its pain, it did not realize that it was getting dangerously close to the advancing ship, which was being rocked vigorously by the waves.
It finally stopped its descend with a cry of determination. `I'll get them outta the ship instead,` it accepted. `I really can't stop the storm.`
So it returned towards the ship, controllably this time, desiring to assist the ship's occupants survive.
Archer's face when he was furious should have been proverbial when people ask about what is redder than blood.
"Why did you do that!" he asked, raging at Petrel's foolish act. "They're gonna get their Pokémon back, and our mission will be an absolute falior!"
"Lying to them about where are the pokéballs will make our mission a falior?" Petrel asked innocently, unafraid of Archer's rage and fury.
"What?"
"What's what?"
"You lied about the pokéballs?"
"I mean, yeah. Why would I tell them where are they actually?"
"Uh… wow, Petrel, I'm really impressed!" Archer admitted, looking shocked at the trick Petrel did to the trainers. "You've actually fooled me," Petrel smiled at that, feigning joy. "But where are the pokéballs for real?"
Petrel grinned again. "I ain't telling you nothing until the Rocket copter gets here."
"There's a helicopter coming to return us to headquarters?"
"Yes. I sent a message to the boss a few minutes ago, filling him in about our situation and all. And he told me he's gonna send a helicopter to get the Pokémon, also us of course, to headquarters. Once it arrives, we'll escape with the Pokémon, and I'll blow this ship up with a bomb."
Both Archer and Petrel were not able to contain themselves, so they laughed in joy at the success of their mission.
Upon reaching the bottommost deck of the ship, the trainers were still unable to find their Pokémon. However, they discovered numerous charred objects and heard crackling sounds resembling those emitted by a faulty electronic device, as that was indeed the source. The entire ship, functioning as an electrical apparatus, had been relentlessly bombarded by lightning, causing various components to malfunction, some to even burst, while others emitted alarming indications of an imminent detonation of the entire ship.
"What are we gonna do?" a trainer asked. "We don't have our Pokémon, and we're about to die, either by an explosion, or by drowning !"
"Not if we can escape," Red proclaimed, still having a glimmer of hope in his heart.
"But how?"
"We need to think where would Team Rocket actually put our Pokémon. Then, we go, and protect the three Pokémon we have, and the ones who control them. We'll strike, and distrackt Team Rocket, and take back our Pokémon. Then, we'll outnumber them, and TAKE, THEM, DOWN! " Red replied, formulating the plan. "READY?"
"YEAH!" the trainers exclaimed, rushing back up to strategize and make a full proof plan.
(I gotta admit, these speeches are encouraging… never mind. Cliffhanger)
Eevee: Bu… bu… but why?
Author: Cliffhanger, my first time doing one.
Pikachu: Don't do one!
Author: If the readers like my story, I can upload more. I'm just testing the idea of making a cliffhanger.
Pikachu: Will Team Rocket be victorious in this mess of events? Will the trainers get back their Pokémon? And how? Would the Magikarp salesman make another appearance? All these questions and more will… hopefully be answered as this mess of a journey continues.
Eevee: Did you just steal the narration time?
Pikachu: I'm begging you, I want a cooki-
If you want to review, feel free to do!
Thank you for reading!
