Author: This is ridiculous!
Eevee: Not my problem.
Author: I thought we were friends!
Pikachu:?
Eevee: That's exactly why I did it. That's what friends are for!
Pikachu:?
Author:Whatta you mean "That's what friends are for?" Friends aren't supposed to watch their friends repeatedly misspell "the catching pose" and write "the catching pause" and make fun of them!
Eevee: Yeah, but friends play pranks, don't they?
Author: They do, but that's irrelevant! I was misspelling it a lot and you didn't even think to correct me! You were making fun of me! Also, that's not just about me, it's for the readers as well!
Eevee: Sorry, I didn't mean it like that.
Pikachu:well, that's going on in my life…Enjoy chapter 10, Paranormal things!
Under the bright and warm sun, the group found themselves surrounded by nature's marvelous beauty. The sky stretched above them, a vast expanse of brilliant blue, adorned with fluffy white clouds that brought joy and contentment to their hearts. Smiles graced their faces as they took in the peaceful moment.
Ditto sighed. "Blue sky!" Finally, they get to rest up for a while. And the island was really warm.
"White clouds!" Brock said, his eyes closed.
Leaf sighed. "And sea as far as you can see. This is life! It's nice to be here and just." She took a long breath. "relax!"
Red couldn't help but hum, his eyes fixed down.
"What's the matter Red?" Ditto-Leaf asked.
"I feel like… we've done this before. Or… we're somehow imitating someone else's actions," Red said. This sensation it made him feel a little… tense. Luckily, the relaxing sounds of the faint see waves helped him set aside the odd feelings.
"What do you mean?"
Red shrugged, unable to explain the strange feeling he had. "It's just déjà vu or something."
The group resumed admiring the surrounding beauty of nature, The warm rays of the sun shining on their faces, filling them with peace and serenity. Though Ash, unfortunately, wasn't getting to enjoy the moment as thoughts drifted him away.
He really wished Dratini stayed with him. He didn't realize he'd miss the Dragon-type Pokémon till now. He really wanted to get to know his new team member more.
*flashback time!*
He, Red, Leaf, and Brock stood in Professor Oak's lab, where the professor held Red and his sparking Pokédexes.
Professor Oak sighed. "We can't do anything about it. The Pokédexes are completely ruined." The professor's apologizing expression made Ash wish he was more careful with this thing. "The interior and exterior are tremendously damaged, most of the cables are fried, and the screens are the most shattered I've ever seen in my career as a professor."
Empathizing with her friends, Leaf chimed in. "So, what do they do now? They can't just go on without a Pokédex."
"Why? How bad can it be?" Red asked, casual as if nothing has happened.
"First," Professor Oak began. "You can't register to the league, and you don't follow its rules. Second, anyone can claim ownership of your Pokémon. You don't have a proof that they're yours, so anyone can claim they're theirs and you'll find yourself with zero Pokémon faster than a Ninjask using Quick Attack. Picture that, and you'll probably know that you won't have them for more than a second. Somebody can hack your pokéballs and make them theirs in some cases. You wouldn't be able to safely store your Pokémon when they reach six with me. You'll be unable to train your Pokémon, learn information about them, or about any Pokémon at that-"
"I know a lot of Pokémon. I don't need a machine to tell me about them," Red said. "Especially if it calls me stupid again…" He muttered that to himself.
"Did you hear about the Pokémon electivire before?"
"Uh…"
"You will be exceeding the allowed number of Pokémon a trainer can carry with them, so you won't train them properly, or care for them properly. You won't get trainer money from battles, you wouldn't be able to use it as ID, you won't benefit from aids for trainers only. you-"
Red raised his hands in surrender. "OK, OK, I give! I admit, the Pokédex is useful for some things. What do we do then?"
Oak nodded. "Give me some time, and I'll get new ones ready for you. But this time, take care of them,got it?"
Ash brightened up, grateful for the professor's willingness to help. "ALRIGHT! Thanks, Professor!" he said, smiling.
Once Oak had prepared the new pokédexes, Ash wondered about the six Pokémon limit, and professor Oak explained that beginning trainers like him shouldn't carry more than six Pokémon in their team so they'd be able to train them properly and give every Pokémon the amount of attention and care they need. While other kinds of Pokémon trainers, such as champions, can carry a higher amount with them, seeing that they could handle the responsibility.
He then got extremely far off topic.
"…So imagine a pastoral paradise, a farmstead resplendent with rolling fields and bucolic charm. In this idyllic setting, our Tauros find himself in a state of bliss unparalleled. The verdant expanse tickles his hooves, the gentle zephyrs serenade his ears—its a utopia of bovine delight!" the man was saying. "But Imagine a greenhouse, a sanctuary of flora and fauna. One might assume that Tauros'd revel in the abundance of greenery, his spirit uplifted by the vibrant tapestry of foliage. Alas, the fickle nature of his unveils itself."
"... fickle?" Leaf asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"You'd think they'd love it, wouldn't you? But noooo! Never! 'We tauros'll tear the thing apart!'" Oak stomped his foot on the ground in anger. "I whish I have a horn, then I'll show him! Where was I? Oh. Boredom becomes their arch-nemesis within these hallowed walls. Their insatiable hunger for excitement, akin to a Gyarados yearning for battle, propels them to unleash destruction upon the unsuspecting greenhouse. Well, not really a gyarados but… you get the point. It's like a phrase and… I… LET ME FINISH!"
"We didn't say anything," Ash muttered.
"Panels of glass shatter like the hopes of a newly hatched Magikarp, metal frames twist and contort in agony—truly a calamitous sight to behold! And that's why keeping them in a safari zone will be always superior. But if-"
"Professor!" Leaf yelled, waving her hands frantically. "Just… give us the Pokédexes already, will you? It's been thirty minutes!"
"Oh right…" the professor muttered, giving Leaf a sheepish look. "Oops. I always get carried away when talking about this stuff. I'm sorry." He let out an awkward chuckled.
"It's Ok, I get it. But thirty minutes? Gary and Blue left the house a month ago! It's not that long for you to get that bored. Haven't you been talking to -anybody-? Daisy? Our Parents? Anybody at all?" Leaf conceded, albeit with some moaning.
"I've been trying to talk with Daisy, but she always says she wants to look for the talking miltank with her friends." He handed Red his Pokédex, then turned to Ash. "Anyway, why did you ask about the six Pokémon limit?"
"Oh. Well, you told us there's a limit so I decided to ask why, I wondered if that was necessary. Cause I wanted to use my new Dratini. You know, learn its style of battling and all-"
The professor fainted.
"Professor!" Ash yelled.
"P-professor?" Leaf said. The silence from the old man stretched for uncomfortable seconds. "What's wrong with him?"
"I think the shock caused him to Faint?" Red guessed.
"Shock? What shock? Did my Pokédex shock him?" Ash asked, worried for a grandparent figure of his.
Red sighed. "Ash, I can't believe you sometimes. PROFESSOR, WAIK UP!" Red shouted, startling the poor professor awake.
"AH," Oak yelped. He looked around franticly before his eyes landed on the group.
"Professor, are you alright?" Red asked.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh. Pardon me, kids, I don't know what happened there," the old man said.
"Please don't worry us again like that," Red said. "Call an ambulance."
"No, no, no need.," The professor chuckled. "I'll be fine. I just thought, or dreamed perhaps, that Ash here had caught a rare Pokémon barely thought real."
"Really? What'd I catch?" Ash said.
"A dragon-type Pokémon called Dratini. It's so rare that almost everyone in the world wants one. However, Only few managed to get one," Oak explained.
"Oh," Ash said, pouting. " So that wasn't a dream then." Professor Oak gave him a puzzled look. "I just told you I caught a Dratini. Man, I thought I caught something cool like a Nidoking or Nidoqueen."
"Ah. I see. If that's true… please excuse me, I need to faint again," the old man requested before sitting back on the chair, hard.
He didn't faint though.
Seeing the condition Oak was in, Red innocently chimed in with, "Professor, I don't think you're handling this well. So telling you that I got a Dratini too wouldn't be good, right?"
"Precisely, Tell me again tomorrow, I'll allow it. But now, Ash, here you go," Oak smiled, handing the boy his pokédex. "And since you have seven Pokémon already, I advise you to leave Dratini here. Since it's just… Dratini. For no reason, just… advice, you know?"
Returning to the present, Ash's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sudden shout. Everyone's attention was drawn to the commotion.
"What's going on?" Ash asked, his gaze searching in alarm.
"That… that boat …" Red's words drew everyone's attention. Gasps of panic escaped them as they watched the Boat shaking violently, sailors onboard desperately trying to regain control.
The boat exploded with a startling boom.
Quickly, the group sprang into action, forming a plan once they stood.
"Ditto, quick, Transform into something big to get us!" Leaf said. "Big enough for us and all of them!"
"And what could that thing be?" Ditto questioned. "You know I don't have anything to transform into that's that big."
(Just go dragonite and save them)
Leaf sighed. He had a valid point. She searched the area with her eyes. Something… "I dunno, something… huh? A boat, transform into a boat!"
"Right!" Ditto said, his form shifting into a boat's. Once done, he propeled his vessel towards the water. The group followed him, their hearts pounding in uneasiness.
"…If we weren't in this situation, I'd be asking questions," Red said, a hint of amusement creeping into his firm voice.
"Yeah, that is strange. How is he moving?" Pika wondered, his eyes fixed on Ditto who propelled himself onward like a sliding boulder on a steep mountain, which wasn't logical. That distraction didn't last long, however, as a yelp grabbed the focus again.
Ditto leaped into the water, a metallic sound was heard coming out of his vessel. Assuming that was come on, the group hopped into Ditto, urging him to move forward. Ditto-boat shot towards the sailors like a bullet, pushing the water around him vehemently.
Nearby the exploded boat, the sailors saw a quick approaching boat with children onboard. They heard a girl talking to someone about speeding up, but they didn't want to make out what was being said. One of them was confused, and needed to enquire about that, but his friend beat him and yelled at the top of his lungs for the kids to rescue them. "HELP!"
The boat, seemingly having heard the plea, accelerated its speed, agitating the water even more. It grew closer by the moment, and one wondered how was it going to stop its approach before crashing into them. The boat drew nearer as the powerful wave caused by its momentum pushed the sailors backwards. It momentarily lifted them up, then they dropped into the boat, which turned on its own and slowly made its way back to shore.
"Ow…" a sailor muttered, rubbing his back.
"The boss, what're we gonna tell the boss?" another mumbled shakily.
"Are you OK?" Ash asked them, his tone proving his concern.
"I wanna go home…" one moaned.
"I'm scared…" another whimpered.
"I'm in so much pain that I can't even be scared…" another mumbled.
"Oh, really? So you won't mind going back there?" Red grinned.
"NO, NO, PLEASE, IT'S SCARY BACK THERE!"
"There you go, you're scared now," Red assured, amused. (I can't believe these guys! Messing around with grownups when they almost died in a boat?) "What happened to you back there?"
"Well we were just clearing the-" a sailor began.
"Guys, we can't just go tell random kids, who are obviously kind and willing to help us, what we were doing. They're strangers!" one reminded the others. (…I mean, they do deserve that.)
"We're not offering candy! We want to help you out!" Brock said, gesturing wildly to convey his point.
**first person view: Ditto**
We had just arrived at shore when we discovered those guys were paralyzed and could barely move. The poor guys, I wonder what happened to them. The others, suggesting "the most incredible-est" ideas, suggested I become a flying boat and carry them wherever they wanted to go. Like, since I could move while I'm a boat and all that. So I should just grow wings and help them out. They were joking, right? That couldn't be true.
I considered that and eventually said no, I'm not an engineer to actually do it. I mean, it was cool though.
I didn't say I didn't like the ideas.
Anyways, Eevee suggested the others support them till we arrive to their boss, and explain the situation. Everyone accepted that once I translated, and Eevee earned a praise and a pat from Ash, which he squealed happily to.
We then went on our way to their boss. We met her after some minutes. Her name was Nastina. And I didn't trust her at all. Her face implied she wasn't a bright lady, and her tone had something of this arrogant-type human to it. She was hiding something, and I'd never forgive myself if it was something sinister and I didn't stop it.
Once we explained the situation with the boat and the stuff, minus me being the boat, she smiled. "THANK YOU!" she hollered, her creepy tone made me tense up a bit. "I, NASTINA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR helping my men."
"S-sure," Ash said smiling. "A-always happy to help. We'll just be on our way if-"
"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?!" Nastina hollered, so I immediately glared at her and clenched my fists.
But nothing happened.
She smiled at us. "Do you think you can leave without an award?"
…huh?
"An award? T-thanks that's nice of you but-"
"An award…" she repeated in a…disturbing tone, coming closer.
"We'd really-"
"An award…" She marched onward.
"I-"
"A very fun award…"
"O-"
"Take your award!" she shoutedin our faces. I flinched.
"OK, OK, we're gonna take the award," Brock said, then sighed when Nastina backed off.
"excellent! But you're not gonna get it that easily. First, you need to do somethin' for me," Nastina said.
What now? We literally rescued those sailors for her, so she just went and forced us to be her underlings or something like that? What, do we look like dummies to her?
Apparently, we were.
"Something for you? Like what?" Brock asked.
"Well, there are a bunch of Pokémon around here causing trouble for us while we build a resort on water. If you can help, you'll get a free week in the Nastina resort of Dreams!"
...that was it? We just needed to move some Pokémon outta the way?
"And get one million bucks!" What's a bucks?
"What are bucks?" I asked, curious.
"It's… money," she said. Oh, Like a dollar then.
"We can by a bike with that amount!" Leaf cheered.
"Why was that the first thing to come to your mind?" Red asked.
Leaf shrugged. "I dunno. Thought someone could've used it for something useful. We accept!"
"Great! So, here's what you should do…" Nastina began. "There are a bunch of Pokémon called Tentacool and Tentacruel threatening us and exploding our equipment every time we begin to build our water resort. So just exterminate them and-"
WHAT?"NO!"I yell.
We went back to shore, where a horsea cried out for help, so I asked what was wrong. Obviously thinking I was a human, the horsea started drawing something with ink.
Ok, Fair. But I didn't have the patience for that now.
"What's it saying?" Brock asked.
"Does it look like I speak gibberish to you?!" I said.
"No, no, not gibberish. Look!" The Horsea drew something.
It needed help, I knew it needed it. But I just couldn't understand that. Surely it wasn't human words since the humans were confused too, so what was horsea trying to tell us? I knew the horsea was in need of help, but what was I supposed to get from the thing?
I gritted my teath and breathed out, and a voice boomed from the speakers. "Citizens of Portavista, listen up!"
Nastina!
"I am recruiting volunteers to exterminate the Tentacool and Tentacruel terrorizing our town. To anyone who does help, I'll award million bucks, and a free week at my new water resort. Isn't Nastina Generous?"
Generous? GENEROUS? SHE CALLED THIS GENOROCITY?! THIS WAS MONSTROCITY! I'D SHOW HER MY ferocity! HOW CAN SHE EVEN HAVE SUCH impetuosity?! SO RIDICULOUS, SO DUMBNESS! I'D SHOW HER AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO CONSIDER DOING THIS! I-
"Ditto, calm down," Leaf said. She was holding my hand, my…fist actually. I didn't realize I was clenching my fists.
Or that I was using scary face.
"CALM DOWN? NO. I'm gonna tear her apart!" I yelled, causing some people to turn and run away. Yeah. They better. That much stupidity was unacceptable.
**omniscient view**
"Did ya hear dat?" Meowth asked, sparkles in his eyes. That lady, Nastina, had just finished her announcement of giving one million bucks to whoever killed some Pokémon, and the entirety of the grunts, with the executives of course, had been dumbfounded. They were just arguing about how were they going to fix their copter that landed here, in this irritating island with its annoying random explosions near it two days ago, and they didn't have enough money to fix it. But a million dollars? "We're outta here in tomorrow time!"
"This will be enjoyable," Archer said, a malevolent grin spread on his face. "Houndoom and I will have fun with this."
"Got a plan?" Petrel reminded him.
Archer chuckled. "Of course. What do you take me for, a degenerate idiot who charges in with out a plan? Here, I have this!" He pulled out some sort of machine, and earned a confused look from the others.
(wait, a degenerate…he's insulting me! I know I'm not planning far ahead but c'mon!)
"That's a… watermelon-like popcorn generator?" a grunt guessed, earning a punch to the face. "Ow! What? It looks like a watermelon, and it has some small holes in it!"
"First off, this isn't enough space for popcorn to come out!" Archer bellowed, causing the grunt to shutter in fear. "Second, why would I have one of those?"
"I dunno! Have it spare in case you don't have lunch with you?"
Archer considered that for a moment.
Then slapped the grunt's face again. "I don't know why I haven't thought of that. But this has nothing to do with our situation! This is a machine that spreads a 'Super Secret Stun Sauce', as -certain people- insisted we call it-" He gave Jessie and James a pointed look-"in the ocean around us and paralyzes any Pokémon in range."
Petrel's eyes gleamed. "You wanna do the dumb hahaha laugh again?"
Archer shook his head. "I don't feel like it."
Leaf couldn't blame Ditto for throwing a tantrum. Killing Pokémon was wrong, and they all knew. They needed to stop Nastina before dangerous stuff happened.
First, though, somebody needed to tell Ditto, while he was using scary face, to stop terrifying the people.
Nope, she wasn't gonna do it, he was terrifying.
Meanwhile, seven unfortunate men hid between some old, weathered boats. They were shuddering in fear, pressing their bodies against the boats in a hopeless try to look as small as possible. They whispered to themselves sometimes, but she couldn't make out what they were saying before. Maybe they were whishing to drown, probably to escape from Ditto.
A man's voice broke the eerie silence in the air. " Y'know, it had a pretty scary face when it became me. Ya think I can pull a face like that in a movie?"
"M-yeah, that'd be unpleasant…" another commented in a whisper.
A third man, who had more sense to Leaf, chimed in. "Shut up, it'll here us."
That was a bit worrying. Ditto wasn't gonna allow them to call him it like that. "I'm male, you laughingstock!" Ditto-man's voice was deep when he barked that, searching for the men.
"Shut up or he'll-…" The man cut himself off, probably realizing Ditto heard him. Leaf could picture the man's disturbed face in her head as he breathed in, out, in again, out again… the poor guy. Ditto grinned, finding the men's hiding place. He strode towards them, a unsettling grin on his face.
"He's on to us!" one guy shout-whispered in fear.
"Just… keep hidin' in here in this convenient space between the boats."
"I support this idea." Ditto's grin was wide and scary, not scary face though. He approached the boat, his grin widening. With each step, he glared with more intensity at the seven poor guys, who were spotted. Leaf held her breath. What'd he do with them? " This way, I can get rid of all of you at the same time!"
"Wait…" one guy spoke up. "You don't look that scary now!" Leaf could practically see the excitement in his voice and not just hear it.
"Well, I needed you to look in my direction." Ditto paused for a moment. "Can you swim?"
`Oh know! He's not gonna-`
"Uh, yes? Well, I mean, we live in an island so…"
A yelp.
Leaf's heart skipped a beat, he did what she was scared of. Ditto used Scary Face on the unfortunate people. His eyes turned gray and his mouth contorted to a scary vampire-like expression. Leaf's heart pounded in her chest, she gasped.
This was too much to watch.
Seven men hurled themselves deeper into the water in terror, letting out startled yelps. They splashed hysterically in the water, creating ripples that spread outward.
"This has to stop," Leaf said. Her voice carried a sense of sadness and fear.
Brock nodded, torn between helping and worrying. "Hmm…" he agreed.
Fine, fine, she'd do it! " Ditto, please stop!"
Ditto looked back, a scowl on his face. " What?" he roared. " Stop? STOP?! YOU WANT ME TO LET HER DESTROY THE POKÉMON?!"
The problem was, the disguise he used had a deep, rumbling voice. So that made the job scarier.
Leaf pushed through though. " No, that's not it! But this isn't right!"
"What?" Ditto seemed to…falter a bit.
" What you're doing's not right! There's gotta be another way!"
Ditto paused, gazing into Leaf's eyes. He transformed into her.
He took a deep breath as he gritted his teeth. "Oh yeah? And that is…"
Leaf shook her head to compose herself."Let's just… try to talk people out of it. They don't all have to die in the water. Or We can just go for the Nastina."
Ditto's face softened, his expression turning thoughtful. Good. He was considering it.
As much as those people and their actions annoyed her, she wouldn't kill them so they wouldn't kill Tentacool or Tentacruel. Better, more peaceful solutions are always there, people just need to use them more.
Silence reigned over the area as Leaf and Ditto stared at each other, Ditto keepipng his thoughtful expression. The sun cast down its light on the water's surface, reducing the tension in the air. One man popped his head out of the water to assess the situation.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Ditto spoke up. "Fine, we'll do that. But if they don't listen, Imma use Scary Face."
"Deal."
Leaf and the others approached, their expressions shifting into wide smiles.
Leaf sighed, a warm feeling rising in her. Good job, she had succeeded in calming Ditto, and the rest would surely be easier. `I mean, c'mon, what's harder than calming down a shapeshifting blob that can get you to have nightmares?` "See? This's better, we don't need to terrify people…"
Deeper into the island, Leaf glared at nothing as the group strolled away from the massive crowd of people.
"This is the worst. They won't even listen," Leaf sighed, her voice filled with distress. She stamped her foot on the ground, her frustration evident.
"It's money, they'd do anything for it," Brock muttered, frowning.
"There are a lot of people too," red sighed. "We can't convince all of them."
"Why are these humans so cruel?" Eevee said.
Pikachu sparked. "They just don't care about the Pokémon!" Pika didn't need to voice his opinion; his anger was clear on his face.
The group of humans' expressions were a mixture of both anger and sadness. Especially Ash. He hoped the people would listen and show some care for Pokémon, but no one even paused for a moment to consider their actions. They were all rushing around like they were in a housefire and saw the firefighters, so immediately ran to safety—to them.
Money was money, not a house on fire or something! This needed to end, now.
But how? Even if they were able to convince some people not to harm the Pokémon, Nastina would likely offer more money as the reward or recruit more individuals who were willing to do the evil act. It seemed like an endless cycle.
Shapes approaching the crowd from far away caught their attention. The figures were sprinting towards the gathering of people who had come to destroy the Tentacool and Tentacruel. But what caught their attention was the familiar shapes of the two individuals.
What? No way! Them? Wasn't they done with these people?
"G-guys? Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Leaf said, a hint of worry in her voice.
"I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with why!" Red said, scowling. "I thought that was the last time we'd see Team Rocket! They literally could've went anywhere, but they just came here! To this island! Where we are now! Why? I dunno! But I'm won't let them hurt the Pokémon!"
"Let's go!" Brock urged them. They nodded in agreement and sprinted back.
Petrel stopped in his tracks, turned, then scanned the place.
Archer came to a halt next to him and sighed. "What now?"
They were so close to the lady and he could see her face in front of the crowd, encouraging them with the most deadpan expression he'd ever seen. Even more deadpan than the time Ariana had told him that they found actual living Mew.
Now don't get him wrong, Archer isn't one to brag or feel over confident, but he knew their plan would work. It had affected his Houndoom, after all. So, in conclusion, this was a successful mission.
Only if Petrel would just quit stopping them every second.
"I thought I heard voices just now," Petrel said.
"Ignore it, let's move!" Archer said.
"Fine, fine." Petrel shrugged, and they marched on, keeping a close eye on Nastina.
When they finally reached her, Archer spoke up. "We're here to get rid of the Tentacool and Tentacruel. We heard you have problems with them."
Nastina, impressed, chuckled. "I don't know who you are, but you look ready to take on the world. Take these!" She pulled out a firearm and handed it to Archer, then pulled out another one and presented it to Petrel, who simply smiled and hid it away. "Now go! Exterminate those annoying hotel-busters and claim your reward! Isn't Nastina generous?"
Archer stood there, gaping in bafflement.
"What?" Nastina barked.
"You're giving me a gun," Archer began, checking.
"Mm-hmm."
"To and I quote, '-exterminate- the hotel-busters,' Those being Tentacool and Tentacruel. Multiple ones at that."
"Exactly."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Archer's tone was a mixture of disbelief and anger. "A gun. To -exterminate-! A freeken gun!"
Nastina's expression shifted to one of realization and then to shame. "...you're… you're right. I shoulda just prepared cannons! I can't believe what I just did! Idiot! Stupid idiot!" She slapped herself and facepalmed.
Archer handed the gun back. "Yeah, cannons are better," He then turned and followed Petrel away.
With the first part of their plan complete, they moved on to the next step. They headed to the helicopter, called Jessie and James, and went to get a boat.
As they proceeded, Archer found himself lost in deep thought about his Houndoom. He had powerful attacks—Shadow Ball, Flame Thrower, Dark Pulse, and Howl. However, those moves were useless against water-types, as the twerp had proven before. On the SSN, when Houndoom was about to earn Archer's respect by singeing that ignorant Pikachu, the twerp had used his Squirtle and Charmander to extinguish the weak flames. Archer needed something to counter such Pokémon. What better way to start than by battling a water-type foe in the water? Especially since Tentacool and Tentacruel were also poison-types. Perhaps he could catch them and train them to withstand his power, forcing him to battle them endlessly until he could handle raw disadvantage. Or maybe…
Before he could delve deeper into the matter, Meowth's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Ya know, I didn't tink I'd go on a boat or a ship after what happened in the SSN."
"Huh, now that you mention it, seconded," James said. "I don't want to drown because something like the generator malfunctioned, or there's a stupid captain. And Who names his son Billiam the thirteenth when there were no Biliam the first, second, third, fourth…
"Eleventh, and Twelfth? This's just preposterous!"
"Really?" Jessie asked. "I didn't mind."
"Which part?" Meowth asked.
"Of course not the Biliam the Thirteenth part."
"You were arguing with Cassidy most of the time. Of course you wouldn't notice anything," James pointed out. "You could forget yourself for days arguing with her."
"You were arguing with Bill," Jessie shot back.
"Not most of the time."
"I really don't mind," Petrel said after considering it. "What about you?" He turned to Archer.
"We failed," Archer said. "That's what matters."
"Now now, chill. We Threw a bomb at the SSN, that's a good thing. All the trainers there are dead now. Just move on already," Petrel said.
"No, I won't move on already. Some of the trainers managed to survive-"
A jolt to the boat made Archer whirl. That wasn't normal. The boat rocked once, twice…
Then they were going backwards.
And there was a group of Tentacool pulling it back. They chanted too. `Whatever they're doing, they're gonna pay dearly.`
"Jessie, James." Archer barked, causing the two to look at him in fear. "Get ready to spray that sauce."
Jessie and James nodded. With a "right", they pulled out the 'Super Secret Stun Sauce'. They prepared to spray it, but Meowth shouted, startling them. They dropped the sauce in the ocean.
"A REVOLUTION? I AIN'T ONE OF THE HUMANS, I DON'T KNOW DESE GUYS, DEY KIDNAPPED ME!"
Archer stood and reached for the cat, lifted him, and slammed him down near his feet. "What now?!"
"DEY'RE TALKIN' ABOUT A REVOLUTION OR SOMETHIN', I DON'T WANNA BE killed!"
"Well I'll slotter you if…" Archer trailed off, observing as a glimmer of light rose from the ocean. He also noticed, much to his dismay, that the potion had spilled open.
What he didn't know yet was that the potion wouldn't have The desired effect.
light rose further and further as a Tentacool grew in size, changing shape.
"Uh-oh!"
"It's evolving."
Archer was right, the light was the light of evolution. It was strange, growing brighter as the tentacool went through with its evolution. The progress was very lengthy, lengthier than the usual average time a tentacool took to evolve.
Now, if this was simply a delay, Archer would suppose the potion had hindered its evolution. However, when the now tentacruel grew into an unusual size, the hypothesis was immediately withdrawn. Perhaps it was the chemical ingredients in the super secret sauce mixing with the tentacool's DNA that caused this? Ugh, he wasn't a scientist. It didn't matter how or why, it happened, and he had only himself to blame. He should've stopped the new useless sicker suck sauce suggestion immediately! Imprudent man.
"Wow!" Petrel mocked. "It did paralyze something. But not the thing we were aiming for. It PARALIZED OUR BOAT! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO MOVE IT NOW?"
"We supersized it!" Jessie shouted in horror.
"Yeah. Thanks captain obvious!"
"What is happening to me?" the giant tentacruel said in pain.
"Yer growin' giant big guy! Show the humans what ye've got!" the tentacool cheered. "Tentacruel! Tentacruel! Tentacruel! Go! Go! Tentacruel!"
Tentacruel roared in rage. "You humans will pay for your deeds!"
The group's pursuit of Team Rocket has been full with difficulties and unexpected challenges. Not long ago, just as they made the decision to apprehend the villains and closed in on their trail, they were unexpectedly halted by a croud of people who demanded that they stick to the line. Needless to say, the mischievous antics of Ditto proved to be too much for the consciousness of these individuals.
With several people passed out at the end of the line, the group managed to navigate through the obstacle without further incident.
However, their hopes were shattered when they witnessed the sight of Archer waving a firearm and yelling at Nastina. Although they tried to intervene, their efforts were in vain as Archer and Petrel had already returned the weapons and were making their hasty departure. It was then that Red urged his companions to press forward, resolutely following the villainous Rocket executives in order to put an end to their nefarious plans.
Nearby Team Rocket's apparently waiting helicopter, the group heard the resounding calls of Jessie and James's names, followed by urgent orders for them to follow the executives to the boat. Jessie and James emerged from the helicopter, engaged in a heated argument over a sauce they believed held the key to their victory.
However, in a perplexing turn of events, as if by some mystical teleportation, they vanished from sight. Red voiced his confusion, allowing two Rocket grunts to catch a glimpse of them before hurling the contents of a mysterious bottle at the group. To their horror, the liquid struck Ditto and elicited a pained cry from the Pokémon.
Leaf, filled with concern for her Pokémon, stepped forward, hoping to offer him comfort. However, she was taken aback and bewildered when she realized that he no longer recognized her. Acting swiftly, she returned Ditto to his Pokéball, assuming that whatever had transpired had tampered with his memories. Turning her attention to the helicopter, she fixed the two grunts with an intense glare, demanding answers regarding what they had done to her friend. Yet, to her dismay, the grunts remained silent, providing no explanation whatsoever.
Red urgently reminded Leaf of the imminent danger posed by the Rocket executives and their ruthless plan to harm the Pokémon. Without hesitation, Leaf joined the others as they made their way to the boats in an attempt to thwart Team Rocket. However, to their astonishment, they discovered that Team Rocket had already departed, leaving them in a state of shock and uncertainty. Before they could gather their thoughts and determine their next course of action, a piercing roar of agony echoed through the air, followed by eerie and disconcerting chants.
And at that moment, they gasped in sheer horror as a colossal Tentacruel emerged from a brilliant surge of evolution light, bellowing with intimidating force as it effortlessly lifted a boat high into the sky, then malevolently hurled it towards the unsuspecting shore.
"Look out!" Brock warned, sprinting away to avoid the plunging boat. His friends followed suit, quickly racing to the sides.
They were gasping for their lives as they heard the resounding sound of the boats crashing, followed by ouches and aahs of pain.
"Wh… what was that?"
"That, twerpette, is the result of allowing these two idiots to do something important! Like making a sauce that paralizes Pokémon!" Archer said from inside the boat, standing up with a pokéball in his hand.
"Wait, twerpette? That means…" Petrel's eyes widened. "THE GHOSTS OF THE TWERPS ARE HERE FOR REVENGE! I DIDN'T THROW THE BOMB, PETREL DID! I MEAN ARCHER DITH! KILL HIM firtht…ow, I bit my tongue."
"What ghosts?" Ash asked in confusion.
"He thinks you're dead," Archer said. "But surviving the SSN explosion must've been hard. It requires impressive skill to do so. Perhaps you aren't completely hopeless after all."
"What'd you do to that Pokémon?!" Ash said, his tone filled with defiance.
"We supersized it," Archer said. "It's still no match for me." He threw the pokéball he held previously in the air, grinning. The ball burst open, Houndoom materializing from it. He roared in pleasure as Archer leapt out of the boat. "Let's go take care of this thing!"
"But Archer…" Petrel said like a wining child.
Archer grunted. "What now?"
"I don't wanna be left alone with the ghosts."
"...Petrel, if I wasn't in a hurry I'd…" Archer fumed, turning away. He strode out of the boat, towards the sea, determined to take down that giant Tentacruel once and for all. With noises of desire and barks of agreement, Houndoom followed him, fearless of the imminent struggle.
"We need to stop them," Ash said.
"You're right. We can't let them hurt the Pokémon," Leaf agreed.
"Guys? I think it can handle them on its own. Look." Red pointed towards the shore, where Archer and Houndoom faced the gigantic Tentacruel. As the battle unfolded before their eyes, the group watched in awe and concern. Houndoom, despite the size disadvantage, showed no fear as he launched a powerful Shadow Ball towards the gigantic Tentacruel but the massive Tentacruel effortlessly sidestepped the attack, its agility defying its colossal size. It let out a roar of rage, its eyes fixed on Houndoom with a mix of confusion and anger.
Brock gasped in disbelief. "That's…that's impossible! Tentacruel can't be that tall! Even at its greatest height, Tentacruel is only six feet tall!"
Leaf could only manage to whisper a single word, "Huge."
The group's attention was drawn back to the battle as Houndoom's shocked roar echoed through the area, causing the nearby Tentacool to scatter in fear. The water blast from the giant Tentacruel had struck Houndoom, sending the Dark-type Pokémon skidding backward. The sheer power of the attack left the group astonished.
Houndoom launched a Dark Pulse, which Tentacruel leapt back into the water to avoid, but it was huge, so that didn't help and the sinister energy struck it.
It struggled to maintain its balance, visibly dazed by the force of the Dark Pulse. Archer, reveling in his Pokémon's rare moment of usefulness, laughed tauntingly at the wobbling Tentacruel.
The giant Tentacruel, clearly offended by Archer's taunting, leapt out of the water, its altitude shocking the onlookers. With a powerful surge of water, it unleashed another massive blast, aiming to finish the battle once and for all.
The water blast struck Houndoom with tremendous force, sending the Dark-type Pokémon tumbling to the ground. His cry of fury and pain echoed through the air, chilling everyone who heard it. Despite the intense pain, Houndoom's rage fueled his determination. He quickly rose to his feet, ready to retaliate with a Shadow Ball. However, his attack missed its mark as the agile Tentacruel evaded the ghostly projectile, gracefully landing from its high jump. The colossal Pokémon bellowed, charging up for another attack.
Archer's voice rang out, urgently warning Houndoom to back away. The spectators, including Ash and his friends, watched in anticipation, wondering what move the Tentacruel was preparing. Suddenly, a rainbow-colored beam shot forth from the Tentacruel, freezing the air around it. The chilling sound of the wind filled the area as the beam raced towards Houndoom at lightning speed.
Leaf's eyes widened in recognition. "That's Aurora Beam!" she exclaimed. The potent attack's secondary effect, which could lower the target's attack power, worried Archer the most. He didn't want his Houndoom to experience that if they wanted to win.
The Aurora Beam crashed into Houndoom with a resounding boom, accompanied by the Pokémon's agonized cry. The sound reverberated through the area, nearly drowning out the crashing waves of the sea.
Still fueled by fury, the giant Tentacruel advanced, using its tentacles to bind Houndoom tightly. The Dark-type Pokémon struggled and flailed, but his efforts were in vain. The mighty Tentacruel let out a low, disturbing roar as it raised Houndoom high into the air, then threw him towards Team Rocket's boat. Jessie, James and Meowth watched in horror as Houndoom soared through the air, about to crush them.
A projectile struck Houndoom with a loud boom, altering his course. He landed on the ground with a thud, grumbling in anger but thankfully avoiding a collision with Team Rocket. But Houndoom regained his footing, ready to continue the battle.
James, Jessie, and Meowth exchanged bewildered glances. "...huh," Jessie said finally.
"Huh indeed," James agreed, sighing in relief.
"Well, dat was underwhelmin'," Meowth voiced. "What hit him anyways?"
As if to answer Meowth's question, a voice echoed from afar. "MIST! THAT hound WAS IN THE WAY! FIRE ONCE MORE!" It was Nastina, shouting her command. Then, Cannonballs hurtled at Tentacruel at great speed.
Easily sidestepping the shots, Tentacruel retaliated with a powerful Water Gun, blasting the explosives one by one and rendering them harmless. As a result, the smaller Tentacool in the water remained unharmed, much to Nastina's frustration.
"Company," Red added, pointing back at a large group of people armed with weapons, ready to exterminate the Tentacool and Tentacruel.
One person made the mistake of threatening a gigantic, poisonous, and enraged Pokémon, who was glaring at the large amount of people present with defiance in its eyes. "HEY YOU UGLY FISH… THING! OUT OF OUR CITY OR DIE!"
("Mate, what part of this's a giant Tentacruel that blocked cannonballs don't you understand?"…That was a refrence, I'm not british, sorry.)
Tentacruel stood there as everyone glared at it impatiently.
"You heard us, leave!" Nastina yelled, further irritating the tentacruel. This! This woman was the one who caused all this. She was the commander, the headmaster of this whole operation of "kill the tentacool and tentacruel or kick them out of their homes". She… if… if Tentacruel could just get rid of her, hopefully the rest would leave them alone. "Oy, I'm talking with ya!"
ENOUGH! Tentacruel refused to listen to another word from this heartless human. It felt its rage and wrath intensify, drawing power from the depths of despair. With a roar that made the ground tremble, Tentacruel unleashed its fury, charging towards the humans and preparing an Aurora Beam.
"I'll make you regret saying anything, pitiful human!" Tentacruel bellowed in fury. It fired its Aurora Beam with a resounding boom, aiming directly at Nastina, hoping to finally put an end to her. The attack tore through the air as people gasped, and Nastina's frantic and comical screams grew in intensity, desperately calling for someone to save her.
However, the attack missed its mark, hitting the beach instead and causing a wave of sand to fly into the air. The distraction effectively diverted Tentacruel's attention as a cannon was fired, knocking the Pokémon back slightly. Undeterred, Tentacruel launched a powerful blast of water in Nastina's direction.
"Again? Seriously? Just leave, you infuriating-" Nastina shouted in disbelief and irritation before the blast crashed into her with a splash, sending her and anyone nearby flying. They crashed onto the beach, leaving behind a human-shaped hole. "You'll pay for this," Nastina threatened, standing up and raising her weapon. "If you want something done right, do it yourself." Her mutters were heard by everyone around, including the enraged Tentacruel. Fueled by irritation, Nastina charged forward, screaming at the top of her lungs and firing her weapon rapidly. Tentacruel dodged the attacks as Nastina continued her relentless assault. Archer growled, frustrated by the idiocy of hers.
"Enough of this!" Houndoom bellowed, his howl adding raw authority to his words. He leapt towards Nastina and stood before her, halting her in place. "Stay out of this!"
"How dare you?!" she said as Archer dragged her away. Archer, thru with her idiocy, pushed Nastina towards the boat. "What the-" she said as she fell onto Jessie.
"OW!" Jessie shouted.
"Shush!" Petrel instructed. He glared at Nastina. "You, you're annoying. You're staying here, got it?"
"What?!" the lady replied, attempting to get off the boat. Petrel held her down in a firm grip though. Meanwhile, Houndoom leapt back into the battle.
"You heard me," Petrel stated. "You're an idiot. An annoying idiot! You think an ordinary weppen's gonna make this thing scared?! Let pros handel this, got it?"
Nastina glared back defiantly, but stayed silent. Petrel smirked triumphantly, as Archer faced Tentacruel once again. Houndoom glowered at Tentacruel as he approached, ready to end this permanently.
(Forget about that, let's check in with the group.)
Red clutched his pokéballs, then threw them in the air. "Come out!" They burs, and out came his Pokémon; Kakuna, Clefable, Squirtle, and Dratini, who observed the scene with ferocity.
"Guys, trouble with a supersized Tentacruel, a crazy old lady in a boat, and Team Rocket. I need all help I can get, ready?"
cries of agreement from his Pokémon echoed through the beach. Red nodded, satisfied, and turned to Leaf.
Leaf understood the message, and threw out her Pokémon. "Sorry, we might not help out a lot," she apologised.
Ditto burst out. "Woo! Yay! Freedom. Finally!" he cheered. He took a deep breath to compose himself, glancing around. "How sweet and refreshing it is to breathe in the outdoors a-"
He transformed into Leaf. "...is that a giant Tentacruel? What'd I miss? When'd I even get back in the ball?" He was obviously confused.
Magikarp came out next, and he just said his name over and over, confused, flaling around.
Squirtle came out third, and gasped upon seeing the Tentacruel. "That's… that's a giant Tentacruel?!" he exclaimed. "What happened while I was away?"
Bulbasaur came out fourth, and gasped once she noticed the Tentacruel. "What the… am I dreaming or something? Is that a-"
Onix burst out as Brock threw his pokéball into the air, and roared.
Bulbasaur scoffed. "Rude."
"I've explained this before. Trouble with people and Pokémon," Red said. "So, here's my idea. Ditto, you're a shapeshifter. Transform into Tentacruel and talk with it."
"...do I have to?" Ditto hesitated. He shook his head. "I really feel sick right now."
"O…k, that's another problem."
Houndoom faced Tentacruel with a glare, infuriated by its audacity. He roared.
He leapt towards tentacruel, charging Dark Pulse in his mouth. He released the sinister attack, roaring as it soared through the air,
The dark Pulse soared towards Tentacruel as it stood there, motionless. It grinned once the attack grew close, and bounced it away with a blast of water. Again, it used Water Gun at Houndoom, stunning the Dark Pokémon.
And so on, so forth, the fight between the rebellious and the hound continued, both using their powers to take down their adversary. Water Guns here, Aurora Beams there, Flame Throwers right, Dark Pulses left. The battle raged on, with nobody backing down, or showing any signs of fatigue.
"This's just… what?" Ditto gasped. "What is happening?!" His eyes were wide in astonishment, mouth agape.
"It's been going on for a long time," Ash said.
"Why are we even standing here? I would've shaken off that pain if-"
"You know I should've known you're a shape-shifter when you asked about the bucks." Nastina's voice worsened the atmosphear.
Ditto turned towards the speaker. "Old ugly lady? What are you doing in a boat? With Team… Rocket? I KNEW IT! SOMEONE THIS EVIL HAD TO WORK WITH A MURDEROUS ORGANAZATION!"
"Murderous? They couldn't kill a single Tentacruel!" Nastina said. "Also, you better watch what your saying mutant thing!"
"Ghost, stay outta this. Don't waist our chance," Petrel said, looking Ditto in the eye.
Ditto blinked. "Ghost?"
"Ghost. Y'know, because your a ghost and all."
"Uh, I'm a normal-type, you know that. Petrel, did your skull crack again? You're already low on brains."
Petrel choked on his words. "Don't go Proton on me! Stay outta our way, let us earn the prise and leave. Or else…"
Ditto gulped, wobbling unsteadily. The potion's effects hindered his control over himself, his head felt light all of a sudden, his vision blurred.
"Easy now…" Brock's hand held him firmly in place, allowing him to take a breath he didn't know he needed so much.
"Wha…what's…"
"Just breathe. Relax," Brock said, looking at the battle. Archer and houndoom were holding on, but they couldn't depend on them. Tentacruel needed to be stopped, or helped, or whatever. "Maybe sit this one out?"
Ditto sighed. "I… I guess. It'd be easier that way," he said reluctantly.
Ash chimed in, bringing things back on track. "Now, we need to stop Tentacruel and Team Rocket! That way, we have time to go heal up in the Pokémon Center."
"Didn't I say stay out of this?! Man, why are ghosts so stubbern?" Petrel said.
Ditto breathed in, out, and glared.
"Oh c'mon, what'd I say wrong?"
*boom*
The human and Pokémon collecting turned towards the source of the rumbling, only to see Tentacruel gripping Houndoom by the throat and hurtling him towards them. "Enough! You will not stand in my way! All the humans will suffer!"
Red and the others lept away, desperate to avoid the crash. The boat's passengers were not lucky though, it was crowded enough to prevent them from escaping.
And the most unfortunate of them award went to Nastina, who suffered the experience of colliding with an evil, heavy dog who had sharp fangs.
Red winced. "Oh…"
Ditto took in a sharp breath. "I can relate to that."
Nastina yelled in pain, sorrow, and agony. That fang wounded her severely, she could feel the pain coursing through her body. She was bleeding.
"Houndoom, you useless mut! How many times do I have to tell you, keep your good-for-nothing mouth closed until I tell you?" Archer bellowed, rushing towards the boat. "Now we won't get the award!"
"She kinda deserved that," Petrel said.
"No I know that. But we would've done that –after- she gave us the award."
"If I give you the award now, will you stop the pain?!" Nastina said.
Archer nodded to her absently. "Yeah, sure, whatever."
Nastina pulled out a check, presenting it to Archer. "HERE! TAKE IT!"
"..." Petrel moved his lips without making a sound, incredulous. "How'd that work?"
"Don't ask. Call Bill and Cassidy." Archer took the check from Nastina's unsteady hand, hiding it in his pocket quickly before an Aurora Beam smashed the ground behind him.
"I missed!" Tentacruel said.
Archer turned to find out who'd done that, spotting the giant Tentacruel. "Right, this thing."
"I'll take y'all down!"
"You're on!" Dratini said, scurrying forward.
"More Pokémon?!" Tentacruel's eyes were wide in shock. "Why are you fighting us? We're allies, not enemies."
"Anyone who plans to harm my friends, human or Pokémon they may be, will need to go through me first!"
"…why are you defending them? They're heartless brutes!"
"No they're not! These humans I travel with are the simbles of peace! At least that's what I know, and I will stand by it unless proven otherwise!"
"Yeah! You tell 'em!" Squirtle cheered.
"I just did. Weren't you listening?" Dratini shook it off. "Well, enough talking. How about we let our actions speak instead?"
"How about getting him away from us first," Ditto suggested. "If you're going to actually battle."
"Allow me." Clefable stepped forward, raising a protective barrier. "Begin!"
Dratini waisted no time going on the offensive, generating a small shock wave. The shockwave was quick to collide with the Tentacruel, knocking it back slightly. The Tentacruel growled before attempting to unleash Water Gun at Dratini.
But a buble fell on the sand.
"hats off for the Bubble user!" Squirtle mocked.
Tentacruel growled at him. "Shut it shellhead."
It attempted to use Aurora Beam, forcing its body to freeze water, no matter how confusingly hard it felt. It pushed harder, burden heavy in its muscles. But a painful jolt forced a yelp out of it.
Meanwhile, Dratini scampered forward, aiming to surprise Tentacruel. He wrapped his long, serpentine body around it, earning himself a satisfying glare.
"What's happening? What'd you do to me?" He ignored its question, instead concentrating all his power into maintaining his wrap as tight as possible.
Tentacruel struggled with all what was left of its might, roaring. But it was in vain. "Let me go right now!" it rumbled.
"Who's the shellhead now, huh tough guy?" Squirtle asked.
"That has nothing to do with you being a shellhead! Your still dunce!"
"Nope, Dratini's beating you up, so that makes you the shell-headed ninny-fish."
"This doesn't make any sense! Just shut up!"
"Now's your chance," Ditto whispered to Red, who nodded.
Red ordered Pika to use Iron Tail. Pika lept from his spot on Red's shoulder, his face devoid of all emotion, and charged forward. Silently, he gathered power for a super-effective Iron Tail. Swiftly, he drove his tail into Tentacruel, backing away immediately.
"OW! That's enough-"
"I'd advise against struggling." Dratini shot Tentacruel a friendly look, and it met it with a glare.
"LET ME GO!"
"CHARGE!" Squirtle said, taking advantage of Tentacruel's weakness.
"CHARGE TOO!" Masses of Tentacool came out of nowhere in seconds, chanting their leaders name.
Dratini, still wrapped tightly around Tentacruel, refused to let go despite the Pokémon's struggles. Tentacruel thrashed and roared, desperately trying to break free from Dratini's grip. But Dratini held on, his serpentine body coiling tighter, constricting Tentacruel's movements.
Clefable, with her protective barrier still intact, moved swiftly through the chaos. She unleashed a dazzling display of Metronomes, sending bursts of radiant energy towards the encroaching Tentacool. Lucky she didn't get explosion, or self destruct, or mind blown, or any other move that knocked the user out.
It's ought to happen someday.
"Metronome is just the best!" she exclaimed.
Squirtle, fueled by determination, charged forward with powerful Water Guns. Water surged from his cannons, forming a high-pressure torrent that crashed into the Tentacool, knocking them back and disorienting their ranks. Squirtle's fierce determination shone in his eyes as he continued to unleash powerful water attacks, pushing back the relentless waves of Tentacool.
Ditto, despite feeling the effects of the potion, managed to transform into a Tentacool. He joined the fray, confusing the enemy with his shapeshifting abilities. Tentacool clashed with Tentacool, creating a whirlwind of confusion and chaos. Ditto's transformations were swift and unpredictable, making it difficult for the Tentacool to distinguish friend from foe.
"Hi…"
"Are you a tentacool?"
"Nope! I'm a Ditto!" Ditto shot a powerful Sludge Wave at the incoming Tentacool, causing it to turn back. "I know it's a tentacruel fact, but oh well…"
(Terable)
Before leaving, it complemented Ditto on an impressive act. "By the way, it's a Tentacool pun."
Bulbasaur unleashed a barrage of razor-sharp leaves, slicing through the Tentacool with precision. Onix, with his massive size and strength, slammed his rocky body into the swarm, creating shockwaves that sent Tentacool flying.
The battle raged on, the clash of Pokémon and the roar of the sea filling the air. The group's Pokémon fought with unwavering determination, their attacks relentless and precise. Tentacool fought back fiercely, their numbers seemingly endless.
But the group's Pokémon refused to back down. They fought as a team, supporting and protecting one another. Their bond and unity gave them strength, fueling their attacks and driving them forward.
Which made Dratini make a mistake.
"AHA! FREEDOM!" Tentacruel exclaimed, as it shuvved Dratini away.
"I shouldn't have let my guard down," Dratini mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah you shouldn't have." Tentacruel smiled sinisterly. "Now, prepare to face the consequences of your-"
A water Gun hit it on the tentacles.
"You're still paralyzed though!" Pika remarked, Then gasped for air. "Taste my Thunderbolt!" Pika channeled his electricity, creating one giant Thunderbolt.
"WHYYY?!" Tentacruel cried out.
Unleashing the Thunderbolt, Pika watched as it soared through the air, growing closer to the target. The mighty Thunderbolt smashed into Tentacruel, eliciting a yelp out of it.
"You'll pay for this!" Tentacruel roared, now glaring. That was worrying. All this time it was that cold, indifferent giant. But now, it looked really mad.
With a roar, it charged, gathering energy. An Aurora Beam soon hurtled towards Pika, who dodged, retaliated with a Thunderbolt, and dodged a water gun.
Pika fired a Thunderbolt, but Tentacruel dodged, and blasted Pika with a Water Gun wich flung him back.
Pika retaliated quickly, firing off a powerful Thunderbolt which exploded upon contact with Tentacruel's tentacles.
*buzzzz*
"OOH! That must've hurt!" Squirtle remarked.
"Way to go Pika! Keep it up!" Red cheered.
Pika hoped to give a thumbs up, but Tentacruel prevented that. It blasted him with Water Gun, which he dodged, he spun, and rammed into Tentacruel with his tail.
"OOH! Enough!" Tentacruel wrapped his giant tentacles around Pika's tiny body, squeezing him hard. His lungs emptied. He needed air. He tried gasping, but Tentacruel's squeeze toughened.
The dizziness was unbearable. He couldn't think sensibly. All he knew was he needed a breath—anything for air.
Desprate, with all the electricity he could muster, he fired an electric shock.
"OOH! OW! OWWW! RIGHT IN THE TENTACLES!" Tentacruel flailed around in pain, throwing the stuck Pika between its tentacles. "OH, MY ACHING LITTLE TENTACLES!"
(I need to stop writing tentacles.)
"Little?" Something yanked Pika out from Tentacruel's swaying limbs after a struggle between the two sides. "Those are titanic size!"
Pika took in a breath of air, taking pleasure in the gasp he just took. `Thank you, whoever you are.`
"It's the thought that counts."
"You can think?" Bulbasaur, or Pika's savior, asked.
"Says the idiot helping the discourteous humans."
Bulbasaur blinked. " discourte…?Whoa, slow down! Your using words that have more letters than your brain cells. You're the ones who came and terrorized these innocent people, attacking them for no reason."
"All of them are criminals!"
"I doubt it." Bulbasaur shook his head.
He gaped at Pika incredulously. "Why are you just standing there?! Move!"
Pika snapped out of his trans, sprinting away before Tentacruel could stop him.
"No-wait-get back here-"
"Too late." Bulbasaur twirled, smirking, then hurried away, his laughter audible.
"Why you. Wait, what did that pipsqueak say about my brain cells?"
The first thing Red did once he saw him coming was rush over, almost jumping on the top of him to check if he was alright.
He rapped his hands around Pika in a tight hug, causing alarming bells to ring in his mind. "Glad you're alright. That Tentacruel knows how to hit strong. You alright? Can you keep going?"
Pika shook his head, climbing onto Red's shoulder. "Just a moment."
Ditto transformed back from Bulbasaur to Leaf. "Red, got any ideas? He's coming after me, the paralysis is holding him for a bit. I don't think that's gonna last though."
"PIPSQUEAK!" the massive Pokémon bellowed, stumbling his way over to them.
"Yup. There he comes…" Ditto said.
"Hold on, maybe, just maybe…Pokéball, go!" Red pulled out a pokéball at light speed, and flung it at Tentacruel.
"Whoa-no-wait-not my dignity!" Tentacruel desperately jumped up, fearing the ball. It soared through the air under him, unable to make contact with him.
He sighed. "It's a good thing my tentacles are not that big, or I would've been in serious trouble…"
"What do you mean your tentacles are not big?! Look at them, they're so big they could've been what sunk the Titanic! Whatever that is."
Tentacruel landed. "Girl, I'm not going to argue with a human about the size of these cool things. Shut up, you and you're insolent Bulbasaur, and quit saying rude things about my new beautiful looks."
"This is for my friend! Ha-yah!" A yellow blur came shooting like a star towards him.
Tentacruel barely sidestepped it. "Whoa-what the-"
But the thing never stopped, turning and smashing into him. It was…another Pikachu?
"Ow…well that was something. Where'd you come from?"
The Pikachu rammed into him at speed. "This's for my friend!"
Again. "This is for being so mean!"
And a third time. "This is for being a terrorist!"
Then, the Pikachu launched a bolt of electricity at him. "AND THIS IS-"
it coursed through his limbs, through his body, spreading through him, and it freaking hurt. He yelled in pain.
"THIS IS BECAUSE… THIS IS BECAUSE I WANT TO!" the Pikachu declared, sighing. "Do not mess with the electro."
"Electro? Ha-yah? These are new…" Ditto acknowledged.
Pikachu took a breath while gritting his teath like a vampire. "Revenge tastes sweet when it's not cooked…when it comes on a silver platter…when it's… uh, I'm out of cool evil ideas…"
"Why would you wanna say evil stuff anyway?"
"I wanted to give him a piece of my mind. Nobody hurts Eevee and escapes my vengeance."
"Yeah but…Electro?"
"Electro, the Electric Pika-avenger."
Tentacruel had to admit, that was astounding. Still, this "Electro" would not escape unscathed.
"You'll pay for this!" He lashed out with his tentacles at Pikachu, tighed him up, and lifted him up in the air.
"Endure!" Pikachu exclaimed. Tentacruel whirled, throwing pikachu for a spiral, rammed Pikachu into the ground, lifted him, and repeated that. Then, with all the gathered ice energy inside him, fired an Aurora Beam which bashed pikachu with frigid-cold ice, and Pikachu tried his best to shiver. "That's cold…"
Tentacruel smirked. "What can I say, I'm a tenta-cruel Pokémon. You shouldn't have messed with me."
(I used that twice now, I need to stop.)
"Your puns are terable as much as your strength!" Pikachu fired a large Thunderbolt which Tentacruel couldn't dodge. He recoiled from the pain, unstrapping Pikachu by accident. "HAH!"
"Why you…"
"Keep it up, Pikachu! Maybe if you tire it out, I can catch it! Look out for those tentacles!" Ash said.
Tentacruel's tentacles lashed out at Pikachu, so he hurdled away, and unleashed a powerful Thunderbolt which exploded right in Tentacruel's face.
"Good. Thunderbolt is your best choice here. Pikachu can fire it from a safe distance so Tentacruel can't catch him with its tentacles!" Brock told Ash. "Also, its super effective."
"Right! Pikachu, keep using Thunderbolt!"
Pikachu obeyed dutifully, keeping his distance. He fired off multiple Thunderbolts, dodged Water Guns and Aurora Beams to wear Tentacruel out, but the supersized jellyfish refused to accept defeat. He kept firing attack after an attack, trying to overwhelm Pikachu with his onslaught.
"Just give it up already!" Tentacruel Aurrora Beamed, only just missing Pikachu.
Pikachu stopped in his tracks, took a weary breath. "NO! Not until this is over!" He fired one more Thunderbolt that buzzed through the air.
*Boom* The crash elicited a pained yell from the massive Pokémon, coursing through his body.
"Let me give it a go!" Brock said. He pulled out a pokéball and hurled it at Tentacruel. "Pokéball, GO!"
The ball soared through the air, towards Tentacruel. This was it, this had to work.
"Oh crud, distraction was my internal enemy," Tentacruel said, watching as the pokéball soared. "But this shall not silence our revolutio-"
The ball absorbed him in.
Shake… Two… three… and…
Ding.
The group couldn't believe what they just heard, they didn't believe what they just heard.
They had actually succeded in catching the giant Pokémon.
"Wellp!" Petrel said. "That's one problem solved. How about you let us catch the other tentacool? This way, we get more cash, and you get a week in a Nastina's water Boo-tel."
"It's not a botel! It's a-wait no that's actually better. Why didn' I think of that?" Nastina frowned. "Nastina's fantastic Botel of dreams, where you wander the seven seas-ow that wound still hurts!"
"Firstly, deserved. Secondly, I said Boo-tel, not botel"
"Hotel, Botel, whatever. You aren't hurting those Tentacool!" Ash glared at Petrel.
All the Tentacool were speechless. They gave it their all, but they failed in completing the revolt. They failed in making their voices heard to those whom they tolerated for years, no, decades. Then, they finally get a fighting chance and one of them transforms into a giant, giving them hope once again. But then a filthy human caught him.
They were done for. Their hope, to live in peace, to be left alone, shattered in their faces.
But then they heard a boy… defend them?
"Why does he care?" one of them asked.
"He probably wants to capture and enslave us himself."
"Yeah, like the other did to Tentacruel!"
"Well, I had to check," Petrel told Ash. "Don't blame me for what we're gonna do."
"You'll do nothing! Pika, Thunderbolt 'em!" Red shouted.
Pika launched a large Thunderbolt towards the boat, where the Team Rocket Trio shivered.
"Uh-oh!" they exclaimed.
In a dazzling display of power, the Thunderbolt exploded between Team Rocket and Nastina with a reverberating boom, sending them all, except a surtain cat, blasting off again.
"THAT'S SO COOL!" Petrel exclaimed.
"You're a disgrace to all Team Rocket!" Archer shot back.
"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Jessie and James shouted, disappearing into the sky.
"MY RESORT!" were words they heard.
Red waved as a twinkle appeared in the sky. "SEE? NOTHING!"
"BYE TEAM ROCKET!" Leaf waved. "And welcome back, Meowth."
Realization dawned on Meowth. "Oh, no…"
Brutella hummed to herself as she inspected the ongoing construction of her resort-restaurant. Little did she know, that thing was about to be crushed by surtain individuals bodies falling upon it, devastating it entirely.
Boom.
Ah, there it was.
"WOO-HOO! Let's do it again! Let's do it again!" Petrel exclaimed. "That was a rollercoaster'a emotions! Do you do this very often you two?"
"What a smashing surprise," Brutella deadpanned.
Nastina stifled a laugh. "Hello, long time no see."
"I didn't expect you to pay me a visit."
"Well, that's what cousins are for, isin' it?"
"Wait, I thought she was your twin! Oh no, not another Joy-Jenny situation…" Petrel groaned.
"But-but-but-you just had an adventure! Already getting into a new one?" Oak was shouting. "First, you bring a Dratini to my lab, a Pokémon so rare people spend their whole lives looking for it, then you tell me about a giant-size Tentacruel at me with out a warning? Did you catch more Tentacruel? I've got to study their natural behaviors in the habitats similar to theirs. You know how much I'd love to acquire more knowledge about the reasons they grew to massive sizes."
Brock shook his head. "Sorry Professor Oak, there was only one."
"Yeah, and Team Rocket used some sort of potion thing to get it to go big," Ash added.
"Oh, well that's underwhelming. It's probably in so much pain. I need to find a cure to its condition. Maybe some herbs might help? Or maybe if you send it to me for a while, I'll be able to compare the normal genetic samples of a Tentacool and Tentacruel with your huge Tentacruel's genetics to find out the alterations this potion triggered in its DNA segment. Hold on, maybe it wasn't just the potion that prompted the change, maybe it was a mix of-"
The trio sighed, Ditto watched with an open mouth, and Brock stood there, patiently listening to the professor's rambling with a smile on his face.
Albeit confused.
"Red?" Ash whispered.
"Leaf?" Red whispered.
"Why me?" the girl asked.
"I'm not going to stop him."
"Ash, you stop him."
"What? No way, that's rude…"
"Who cares? If we don't stop him, he's gonna fill another chapter only with his analyses."
Ditto gestured for them to be quiet. "Shh, guys, he's saying cool stuff."
"…so maybe, what caused the supersizing of Tentacruel is tentacruel itself. Brilliant, wait no, hang on, the potion surely affected it, at least a bit."
"Yeah, it did. I guarantee," Ditto replied.
"Nooo. Please don't encourage him," Leaf said, only for Ditto to gesture excitedly—shh.
"Oh? What makes you so sure, Leaf? Or is this Ditto?" Oak said.
"It's Ditto. I'm sure because it happened to me. But it didn't make me go big, it just made me feel pain and…I dunno, confused me, sort of? Maybe it has different effects for different kinds of Pokémon. You know, because of chromosome variations?"
"Hmm, intriguing point."
"Please, anyone, change the subject. Or we're going to stand here for eternity…" Red begged, his face going pail yellow in hopelessness and despair. "I can feel my soul crying in horror."
Ash stepped in, his eyes widening. "Professor?"
"Yes Ash?" Oak said.
"Can you send me my Dratini? I really wanna spend some time with him."
"Well…you see…you need to send a Pokémon to my lab in exchange. And I don't think you're willing to part with them so soon after you caught them…you…barely know each other." Oak tried, his tone growing frantic.
(…The guy wants to keep the Dratini to himself.)
"But so is Dratini."
Red chimed in. "Yeah, Ash's right. He's oughtta spend some time with him for training."
The professor sighed on the other end of the call. "Fine, fine. But, please send it back some time. I'd really like to research its…uh, his behavior in a habitat like his old one," he said. "What Pokémon would you like to exchange it for, Ash?"
Now that was hard to answer according to Ash. He didn't think about that, he had to think quickly. `Squirtle is the newest member in the party. And I don't think Charmander and Bulbasaur'll take it well. Pikachu and Eevee aren't options! We're staying a team all time. So that leaves…Medapod. But he's the first Pokémon I caught, and he's super strong and-`
"Ash?"
"...Medapod?"
`That was not a smart choice…`
They were in Ash's room with the windows closed. The humans stood aside near the wall, leaving space for the Ditto and the giant Pokémon to chat.
And Leaf struggled with her backpack's zipper.
Tentacruel sighed. "Dignity? Lost. Revolution? Silenced. All because of a fifteen-year-old imbecile I'm supposed to call my trainer from now on. I wish we've just left when we've gotten the chance. At least then we-"
"Whoa woah whoa, calm down. I dunno about that revolution thing, but, we can help you fix your relationship with the humans if you want, whatta you say?" Ditto asked.
"What? Fix our relationship with the hooligans? No, they had their chance."
"You're gonna need to get over it anyway, you're staying with us for the time being."
A sigh. "I know, don't remind me…this's painful already."
Ditto grimaced. "What exactly did they do to you?"
"What did they do to us?" He lashed out with his Tentacles. "What didn't they do to us. They treated us like terrorists, like a bunch of delinquents. They attacked us, ruined our homes, turned our lives into a living nightmare. They never left us alone. They tortured us, they hunted us, they-why am I telling this to a human?!"
"Uh…I'm a Ditto."
"...what?"
"You really are low on brains, aren't you?" Tentacruel glared at Ditto for his snide comment. "How am I understanding you if I'm not a Pokémon."
"...fair enough."
"And how did I know about the no brain cells joke that Bulbasaur told you, if it wasn't me?"
"...fair again."
"I can go on, but that's irrelevant. Listen, and I'm speaking from experience, not all humans are bad."
Tentacruel huffed, pouting. "Yeah right."
Ditto shook his head. "Like I said, I'm speaking from experience. Team Rocket kidnapped me from my family when I was little. They experimented on me for years. They toyed with my genes, my DNA structure, they told me they were gonna make me super strong, they almost deformed me a while ago to remake my genetic code properties for their SENSELESS DUMB STUPID CLONING PROCESS!" He took a deep breath, trying his best not to use his scary face. "But…but…I was stronger, so I escaped. And when I gave my new friends a chance, it worked out in the end."
Tentacruel looked away.
Leaf stopped messing with the bag and exchanged glances with the others. They now understood why their friend did what he did back when Nastina told the town to exterminate the Pokémon. He sympathized with them, he wanted justis for them.
"Why?" Tentacruel asked. "Why did you give them a chance?"
"Think about it like this. Everyone calls the Tentacool and Tentacruel specious the pirates of the sea because they attack everybody and ruin stuff-"
"That's not true! Most of us love to live in peace! We don't bother anybody unless they bother us first!"
"Exactly. Not all of you are mean and cruel, and it's the same thing with the humans. There are some that are evil, like the meanies in team Rocket, and there are good humans, like that old lady at the nursery who gave me food when I was escaping Team Rocket. That's why I gave my friends a chance. Sure, they were maybe gonna kidnap me, but c'mon, what could a bunch of ten-year-olds and a fifteen-year-old do?"
"Catch a giant mean Tentacruel, apparently."
Ditto shrugged. "I didn't know that at the time, so…"
"Right. So, theoretically, if, just if, I wanted to fix things between us and the humans living here, how'd you help with that?"
Ditto turned to Brock. "He's convinced."
"I said no such thing!"
Ditto turned back to him. "Yeah, but are you convinced?"
"Well…"
"There we go! Begin preparation, for Peace operation! Oh, that rymes."
Leaf managed to close the zipper. "Aha, nailed it! How do you like it, you knotty zipper! I closed you and I have full control over-"
The zipper detached.
"...i might need a new backpack."
"Just five minutes and we'll be at the copter!" Petrel said, paddling the boat forward.
"You said that half an hour ago!" Archer said, patting his Houndoom. "Five minutes more, and I'll let you eat him. Don't worry…"
"Good," Houndoom barked. "I'm hungry. I want his flesh cooked good."
The sun cast its warm, afternoon rays upon the group, Ditto-Brockin the front, as they stood facing most of the locals in the island. Once the island locals heard their heroes needed to speak to them, they immediately approached with respect. Now, they only needed to explain the situation to them, and leave the Tentacool to Tentacruel.
Ditto-Brock took a deep breath. "Everyone, this's important for your safety, and to work with Pokémon as one again, so listen carefully."
The locals nodded.
" What happened today was very dangerous to the island and nature, and could have caused great losses of life and property. It'ss a good thing it didn't get out of hand to cause anything. But it'll happen again if you don't do something about it. The supersized Tentacruel was peaceful outside of battle. So it was clearly from outside influence that he did this. When we asked him, he said you destroyed their homes."
Ditto paused as a man raised his hand.
Then roared, his voice changing. "SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HOW DID YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT HE SAID! TRY ME, YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF DROWNING IN THE WATER IN MERE MILLISECONDS!"
"Gotcha." He lowered his hand.
"As I was saying…" His voice re-resembled Brock's again. "If you don't want this to happen all over again, try not building resorts, hotels and massive structures like that around their territory. Try being one with nature instead of sabotaging it. So, if Nastina tries to build a hotel, what're you gonna do?"
"Smack her in the face for being an idiot!"
"Exactly! Now, do you guys know how to get to Safron City?" Ash asked.
"So, what did we learn today?" Tentacruel asked the Tentacool, underwater.
"Never mess with humans if there are ten-year-olds."
"And?"
"When you wanna revolt, start by producing the giant Tentacruel while avoiding ten-year-old boys with a Pikachu and a Eevee. This way, you can get what you want."
"Very spisiphic, well done. And?"
"Work with the humans and don't revult unless they return to cruelty."
"Very good, and?"
"We should respect Brock, the leader of the Pokémon pirates of the seas."
"Very well done, my children. You are dismist."
Pikachu: 'exasperated sigh' Chapter over.
Eevee: Why can't we have fun playing pranks sometimes?!
Author: That's absolutely not what I said, and you know it! But that's still wrong!
Pikachu: Can you at least-
Eevee and author: Stayout of this pikachu!
Pikachu: Eevee, just say sorry already!
Eevee: OK! Why are you mad? Chill, budd.
Pikachu: Why am I mad? WHY AM I MAD? You were arguing this whole chapter!
Eevee: No, no, there's no way we've actually been arguing for almost an hour. Oh, short chapter by the way.
Author: It's better this way.
Pikachu: 'scream'!
Dialga: KEEP IT DOWN, PIKACHU! You're disrupting the universe's fabric of reality.
Pikachu: DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE, YOU STUPID TIME DRAGON? NO! NOW GET OUT OF HERE, BEFORE I THUNDERBOLT YOU!
Dialga: What did you two do this time?
Thanks for reading, constructive criticism is appreciated.
