AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 6 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. You may recall the Pokémon: Advanced episode: "Tree's a Crowd." That's a reference to the phrase: "Three's a Crowd" and the TV series of the same name. I figured that since they had a TV show with that name, I decided to name this chapter as a reference to the TV series: Three's Company. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

TEASER: Tristan and Hillary find themselves lost and help a sick and injured Treecko, earning its trust. But Taz, up to his old tricks, is determined to steal as many Treecko as he can just to make a quick buck!

Chapter 6: TREE'S COMPANY

(Music Cue: Very Bad (full version as heard in "Once in a Blue Moon"))

Tristan and Hillary were continuing to walk through the Petalburg Woods with their best friends, Pikachu and Togepi, by their side. But they were faced with one little problem.

"Well, which way now?" wondered Hillary.

"I'm not sure," replied Tristan. He looked uncertain.

"Oh, no. Don't tell me we got lost again."

Tristan cringed, for he knew his sister all too well. "We're not lost," he fibbed. "We...just haven't found our way yet, that's all. Right, Pikachu?"

Pikachu pretended to agree with him.

"Yeah, right. Whenever you say that, that means we're lost, and when we're lost, we get hungry, and when we get hungry..." But her speech was interrupted by her stomach growling. "Well, this happens. I suppose we could stop for lunch."

"That's the spirit," smiled Tristan. "Having lunch should help us with our 'getting lost' problem." Then he realized he blurted out what Hillary said all along and cringed again.

"So, you're admitting that we are lost. I got ya," teased Hillary.

Tristan groaned. Then he gave a chuckle. "Yup, you got me, all right. I'll fix us a great meal to chow down on."

Our heroes continue their journey to Rustboro City, in search of the first Gym in the Hoenn region. But for now, their problem is figuring out the way to get out of the Petalburg Woods. So after a quick lunch break, they should have enough energy to start moving again, and hopefully in the right direction.

Tristan and Hillary finished their lunch half an hour later.

Presently, Pikachu pricked up its ears and alerted Tristan and Hillary as it pointed to something up above.

"What's up, Pikachu? Do you see something?" asked Hillary.

(Music Cue: Today's Johto Pokémon Curiosity (full version as heard at the beginning of "Charizard's Burning Ambitions"))

A small green bipedal reptilian Pokémon with yellow eyes and a red stomach and throat was seen leaping from tree to tree and showed itself. It had a dark green tail with two separate lobes at the end.

"Oh, wow!" exclaimed Hillary as she pointed. "Tristan, look at that!"

"Look at what?" Then Tristan saw what Hillary was looking at. "Cool! It's a Treecko!" And he immediately scanned it with his Pokédex.

"Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon. Treecko are able to climb smooth, vertical walls, and use their thick tail to attack opponents. Since Treecko build their nests in large trees, it is said that those trees will live a very long life."

Then, multiple Treecko began to appear in the trees one by one.

"Wow, look at all the Treecko!" said Tristan. "Wouldn't it be exciting if I caught one for myself, sis? Let's catch one, Pikachu!"

Pikachu eagerly agreed and prepared to charge into battle.

"No, wait, look," said Hillary as she pointed up.

Sure enough, the Treecko didn't look very happy. In fact, they looked troubled.

"It looks like they're worried about something," remarked Tristan. "What do you think they're worried about?"

"I don't know, but I don't think now's the time to catch them just yet," replied Hillary. As she spoke, she saw the Treecko leap away from tree to tree deeper into the Petalburg Woods.

"Quick, we've gotta follow them!" advised Tristan as he, Hillary, and Pikachu ran after the Treecko as fast as their legs could carry them.

A moment later, they came to a spot where another Treecko lay on the ground. It had bruises all over its body.

"Looks like that Treecko's really hurt!" remarked Hillary. "I guess the Treecko must've been looking for somebody to come and help their buddy out."

Togepi trilled sadly.

"Well, then, I'd better take a look at it," replied Tristan.

The other Treecko surrounded Tristan and Hillary and warned them not to get any closer.

Pikachu prepared to defend them should they go on the attack.

But Tristan stopped it and the Treecko from starting a fight. "It's okay, everyone," he said. "I'm just going to check on your buddy and see what I can do to help." He quickly took out his first-aid kit and checked on the Treecko's injuries. But he took a closer look and saw that the Treecko's face was red and hot to the touch. "I'm afraid Treecko's more than just hurt. It's burning up, too."

"This is bad," said Hillary worriedly. "We're still miles away from the next town and we don't know the right way to get out of here."

"Can't your Ralts just Teleport us out of the woods to the Pokémon Center in Rustboro City?" wondered Tristan.

"Ralts can't Teleport us that far yet," explained Hillary. "It needs to be at a familiar location in order for us to do that. Besides, we want to move forward, not go back the way we came. That takes the fun out of the adventure."

"Then I'll just do the best I can with all the medical supplies I have," said Tristan. Then he smiled at Hillary. "And you're right. It is an adventure." He got right to work on treating the sick and injured Treecko as Hillary, Pikachu, and the rest of the Treecko watched.

(Music Cue: Team Rocket's theme (as heard in the Japanese version of "Emperor of the Crystal Tower: Entei"))

Meanwhile, a familiar adversary peered through the bushes. Taz, Tristan and Hillary's old nemesis, had seen everything. "Curses! It figures those pesky kids would show up and take care of that annoying Treecko after I worked so long and hard to capture it. But I'm gonna catch 'em all and sell 'em for a whole heap of money in the end." And he quickly got back into the bushes and began scheming.

"I've got an idea," said Tristan as he took out his Poké Ball. "Come on out, Mudkip."

The Poké Ball opened and Mudkip emerged from the white light that shot out of it.

Hillary was surprised and amazed. "Cool! A Mudkip!" And she scanned it with her Pokédex.

"Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. Mudkip uses the sensitive fin on its head to take radar readings of its surroundings."

"What are you gonna do, Tristan?" asked Hillary.

"Just wait and see," replied Tristan. "Mudkip, try to see if you can find some water nearby to help this Treecko."

Mudkip nodded and waved its fin. Then when it sensed some water, it ran off.

"Looks like Mudkip found something. Hillary, why don't you go and follow Mudkip and see what it found?" suggested Tristan.

"Okay," agreed Hillary. "We'll be back in a flash." And she and Togepi happily followed Mudkip.

Sure enough, they found a nearby stream with fresh water.

"All right! Way to go, Mudkip!" commended Hillary.

Mudkip gave a happy nod.

(Music Cue: My Friend, Pokémon)

A few minutes later, Hillary filled up a few canteens of water and helped bring them back to Tristan, Pikachu, and the Treecko, with Mudkip and Togepi not far behind. "Will this be enough?"

"I think that'll do nicely," answered Tristan. "Thanks, guys."

Presently, the sick Treecko opened its eyes, much to the delight of the other Treecko.

"Look, Treecko's waking up!" said Tristan excitedly.

But when Treecko tried to sit up, it collapsed again.

"Looks like Treecko's still sick," said Hillary sadly.

"Hold on, Treecko, you shouldn't try to get up yet," suggested Tristan. "Here, we brought you some water." And he opened up a canteen of fresh water and gave some to Treecko to drink.

Treecko slowly took some sips and started feeling a little more refreshed.

"That's it, Treecko, just take your time," said Tristan calmly.

Treecko continued drinking the water slowly, and then it lay back down, closed its eyes, and fell fast asleep.

"Looks like that Treecko's all worn out," whispered Hillary.

"Yeah," agreed Tristan.

The other Treecko kept watch as their Treecko friend slept soundly. They were impressed by Tristan and Hillary's willingness to help it.

Tristan kept working long and hard throughout the evening and into the wee hours of the night to help take care of Treecko, making sure that nothing bad happened to it. He eventually crawled into his sleeping bag and fell asleep.

Treecko slowly opened its eyes and saw that Tristan was sleeping. It knew the lengths Tristan was willing to go to help it get well and take care of its injuries. It slowly walked over to Tristan and stared at him for a long time. Then it carefully and quietly crawled into his sleeping bag and fell back asleep.

The other Treecko, seeing this, knew that they found someone their friend could trust.

The next morning, Tristan and Hillary woke up to a gorgeous day.

Tristan opened his eyes and saw that he had an extra visitor. He was startled and leapt out of his sleeping bag. "What's a Treecko doing in my sleeping bag with me?" Then he remembered that he helped take care of its injuries and fever, and to his delight, its fever was gone. "All right! Treecko's feeling better!"

Sure enough, Treecko was jumping up and down and admiring its new hero.

Hillary groaned as she opened her eyes. Then she saw that Tristan was right. She was happy to see Treecko jumping around in the trees like it used to do. "Looks like your hard work paid off. Treecko's just about back to normal."

Treecko gave a nod, came down from the trees, and proceeded to thank Tristan for its help.

Then suddenly, multiple voices were heard from nearby, crying out for help.

"What was that?" gasped Tristan.

"Let's go see," replied Hillary as she, Pikachu, and Tristan ran off to the source of .

Treecko, not wanting to be left behind, followed them.

They arrived on the scene a few minutes later and saw a cage with multiple Treecko inside rising into the air. Sure enough, it was the same Treecko who asked them to help, but this time, they were crying out for help themselves.

"The Treecko!" cried Hillary.

"What's going on?!" demanded Tristan.

(Music Cue: Groudon, Kyogre, & Rayquaza Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of "There's No Place Like Hoenn"))

Just then, there was a cackle from above as an Electabuzz-shaped balloon was seeing hovering high in the sky. "Well, hello, kiddies! You're just in time to see me run off with my ever-so-valuable catch!"

"It's Taz!" exclaimed Hillary.

"Let the Treecko go!" ordered Tristan.

"Sorry, no can do," smirked Taz. "You see, these Treecko aren't gonna stop me from catching 'em, not after I spent so much time trying to catch one of them myself."

"Wait! So you're the one who made that Treecko sick and injured?!" exclaimed Hillary. "You've always been despicable, Taz, but now you've reached a new low!"

"Yeah, only decent honorable Trainers use their own Pokémon to catch new ones!" added Tristan furiously.

"Well, if you must know, I'm not decent or honorable. In fact, I'm just the opposite. Now it's time for us to fly and say 'buh-bye!'" he cackled as the balloon started taking off.

"We've gotta do something, Tristan!" said Hillary.

"I know," agreed Tristan. "Mudkip, shoot that balloon down with your Water Gun!" He threw his Poké Ball.

Mudkip emerged from the white light that shot out of it and unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at the balloon.

"Oh, yeah? Electabuzz, ThunderPunch!" ordered Taz as he threw a Poké Ball.

Electabuzz emerged from the white light that shot out of it and made an electrified fist, scoring a direct hit on Mudkip and sending it crashing to the ground.

"No, Mudkip!" cried Tristan.

"You're not getting away that easily, Taz! All right, Ralts, use Confusion to stop that balloon!" commanded Hillary as she threw a Poké Ball.

Ralts emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Its eyes glowed blue, as did the balloon, stopping it in midair.

"I've had enough of your meddling!" growled Taz. "Electabuzz, take care of that pest!"

Electabuzz threw another ThunderPunch, scoring a direct hit on poor Ralts, sending it careening to the ground.

"Ralts, are you okay?" asked Hillary worriedly.

"Well, that takes care of those two," smirked Taz. "It was a pleasure doing battle with ya!" And he gloated triumphantly as the helpless Treecko cried out and the balloon rose higher in the sky. Then he took out another Poké Ball and commanded, "Magmar, use your Smokescreen!"

Magmar emerged from the white light that shot out of it and unleashed a thick, black cloud of smoke, enveloping Tristan, Hillary, and their Pokémon, rendering them unable to see.

Tristan and Hillary gasped and coughed in the smoke.

"There's gotta be something we can do to stop Taz," hacked Tristan.

"Yeah, but what can we do?" added Hillary.

(Music Cue: Hoenn Elite Four Battle (full version))

Suddenly, Treecko flashed through the smoke past them, quickly climbed up a tall tree, and leaped up into the balloon before Taz had time to react.

Seconds later, Magmar's Smokescreen cleared up, and Tristan and Hillary saw that Treecko had come to the rescue.

"It's Treecko!" said Tristan excitedly.

"It must've come to help us out!" added Hillary.

Treecko angrily shouted at Taz to let its friends go.

"Oh, so it's youse again! Youse wanna hassle with me, too, huh?" barked Taz. "Well, then I'll have to hassle you outta here foist! Come here, you!" He tried grabbing Treecko, but it evaded him. Again and again he tried in vain.

Electabuzz and Magmar's efforts were just as futile.

Mudkip and Ralts struggled back to their feet, having recovered enough from Electabuzz's ThunderPunch attacks.

"All right! Looks like Mudkip and Ralts are ready for more action," said Tristan. "Ready, sis?"

"Ready!" agreed Hillary as she took out another Poké Ball. "I choose Cyndaquil!"

Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.

"Okay, Ralts, get Cyndaquil and Mudkip up to the balloon!" instructed Hillary.

Ralts used its Confusion attack to lift Cyndaquil and Mudkip up toward Taz's balloon.

Cyndaquil was lifted to the same height as the rope that held the Treecko's cage while Mudkip was lifted inside the balloon.

Mudkip faced Taz just as Treecko was still evading his attempts to grab it.

"Now, Mudkip, Water Gun!" ordered Tristan.

Mudkip unleashed a powerful blast of water from its mouth at Taz's face, scoring a direct hit on him.

"Why, you!" snarled Taz. "Electabuzz, Magmar, get those two outta this balloon!"

Electabuzz and Magmar charged at Mudkip and Treecko. But the combined weight and all the running made the balloon shake so much that they caused the cage below the basket to shake violently, too.

Tristan and Hillary saw that the captured Treecko were in danger.

"The rope's gonna break and the Treecko are gonna fall if this keeps up!" exclaimed Tristan worriedly.

"Then we have no choice. Quick, Cyndaquill, use your Flamethrower attack to burn through that rope!" shouted Hillary.

Still in midair, Cyndaquil ignited the flame on its back and unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth at the rope, breaking it and sending the cage hurtling toward the ground.

"The Treecko!" gasped Tristan.

"Hurry, Ralts, help them out!" ordered Hillary.

Ralts quickly used Confusion to slow the speed of the falling cage, safely landing it back on the ground while Hillary safely caught Cyndaquil in her hands.

"Perfectly done, Ralts, good job!" commended Hillary.

Ralts gave a happy reply.

As for Taz, he saw Treecko and Mudkip jump out of the basket on top of the balloon.

"All right, youse guys, this is it," said Taz. "Electabuzz, give 'em a Thunderbolt! And Magmar, burn 'em to a crisp with Flamethrower!"

Without hesitation, Electabuzz unleashed a powerful bolt of electricity from its body toward Cyndaquil and Mudkip while Magmar unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth..

But Treecko saw the double attack coming and, quickly grabbing Mudkip, jumped off the balloon and into the trees below.

As for Taz, he and the balloon were in for a real big shock. "Aaaaah!" he screamed. "I goofed! I should never have attempted to use a Thunderbolt and Flamethrower attack while inside a balloon!"

BOOM!

"Youse guys are gonna pay for this! Mark my woids!" he yelled as he and his Pokémon disappeared in the sky.

DING!

Tristan and Hillary managed to set all the Treecko free as Treecko and Mudkip rejoined him. "Great work, everyone," he said. "You were both just wonderful."

Treecko and Mudkip gave happy replies as the other Treecko thanked them.

"You were awesome, too, Cyndaquil," added Hillary.

Her Cyndaquil nodded happily.

"Your Cyndaquil's gotten a lot stronger since the last time I saw it in action," smiled Tristan to Hillary. "Have you been doing special training at home?"

Hillary nodded. "Cyndaquil and I figured that since you were training all the time, we figured we should train hard too. And knowing this, I know I'll find my calling someday soon. Just wait and see."

"I know you will, too, sis," agreed Tristan. "It'll happen before you know it."

Just then, Treecko jumped up and faced Tristan and Hillary. It seemed to have a determined look in its eyes.

"What's up, Treecko?" wondered Tristan.

Pikachu was confused, too.

(Music Cue: Team Aqua & Magma Grunt Battle (as heard in the Japanese version of "All in a Day's Wurmple"))

Treecko threw its arms back and forth and waved its tail aggressively.

"I wonder what it wants," whispered Tristan to Hillary.

"Wait, I think I know!" gasped Hillary. "Treecko wants to challenge you to a battle!"

"Battle? What for?"

"It's true, you helped Treecko get better and made friends with it in the process, Tristan, but now it wants to test your strength to see if you're worthy," explained Hillary. "It's that simple."

Treecko nodded in agreement.

"Oh yeah!" Tristan was growing excited; he'd been looking forward for the chance to catch a Treecko. "We accept, Treecko! Let's do it, Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded and ran forward, readying itself for battle against Treecko. Sparks crackled from its cheeks as both Pokémon eyed each other warily.

All the other Treecko watched anxiously with the battle about to begin.

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" ordered Tristan.

Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity, but Treecko nimbly jumped out of the way, dodging it.

"That's fast!" gasped Tristan.

"Too fast, there's hardly any time for Thunderbolt to work!" added Hillary.

But Pikachu wasn't one to give up, for it unleashed multiple Thunderbolt attacks and scored a hit on Treecko; however, Treecko just took the damage and easily shook it off.

Then Treecko used its thick, green tail to attack Pikachu, slamming it to the ground.

"That's a Pound attack!" exclaimed Hillary.

But Pikachu easily got back on its feet and charged back into the battle.

I know Treecko's resistant against Pikachu's Electric attacks, thought Tristan. But I know a perfect way to beat it. "Quick Attack, Pikachu, now!" he commanded aloud.

Pikachu sped toward Treecko as a white line streaked behind it.

Treecko dodged the attack by jumping into the air.

But that was the opening Tristan needed. "Now, Pikachu, use Thunder!" he shouted.

Pikachu unleashed a big earth-shaking yellow bolt of electricity from its body, scoring a huge direct hit on Treecko in midair.

This time, Treecko was unable to absorb the damage from Thunder, as it wasn't on the ground to do so.

"Tristan must've known that Treecko would be defenseless against Electric attacks once it was off the ground!" remarked Hillary excitedly.

All the other Treecko watched in surprise as their friend was dealt a massive blow.

Treecko fell to the ground, defeated.

"That was perfect, Pikachu!" commended Tristan as he took out a Poké Ball. "Poké Ball, go!" He threw it at the Treecko.

Treecko was hit by the ball, which opened and transformed Treecko into red energy and sending it in.

The ball closed and began to wiggle as a red light flashed.

Everyone was watching with uncertainty, not knowing whether Treecko would be caught or not.

Seconds passed by until the ball stopped wiggling and its button stopped flashing. Then it emitted a tone, signaling that it had been caught.

(Music Cue: Opening Selection B 2002-2005 (as heard in the Japanese version of "Tree's a Crowd"))

This pleased Tristan greatly. "Yes!" he cried as he raised his Poké Ball in the air. "We caught a Treecko!"

"Pi-Pikachu!" added Pikachu as it did a victory pose.

"Congratulations, Tristan," smiled Hillary. "It's a catch to be proud of."

"Thanks, sis," replied Tristan.

All the other Treecko watched proudly as they celebrated the moment.

That evening, Tristan and Hillary prepared to leave the spot where they treated their friend.

Tristan sent out his newly-caught Treecko to join him. "Hey, Treecko, we're glad to have you with us."

Treecko nodded. Then it turned around and lifted its tail.

Tristan was confused at first. But then he chuckled, "I understand now!" He and Pikachu delightedly and gently shook Treecko's tail using their hands.

"I guess that's how Treecko do handshakes," said Hillary. "I tell you, the world of Pokémon seems to get better and better all the time."

Togepi trilled in agreement.

Then all the Treecko said their goodbyes and waved to their friends.

"Goodbye, Treecko!" called Tristan and Hillary. "Take care!"

Pikachu, Togepi, and Treecko waved their goodbyes to their friends as well.

After taking care of Treecko's sickness and injuries, Tristan has found himself with another new friend. Now with a new member on his team, he's more determined than ever as he and Hillary continue their journey toward Rustboro City!

TO BE CONTINUED...