With Courage I Will Face
Arc III: The Nugget Bridge
Chapter Eleven: Psyduck's In A Row
Whatever feeling of moisture Ash felt upon entering Cerulean City was doubled upon entering the Cerulean Gym.
It was properly massive inside, considering Misty had made him aware of the water shows that take place inside. But even still, compared to the Pewter Gym this was practically a mansion. The floor was covered with pool tiles and used color to denote specific areas, it looked like. Paths were marked in white pool tile, and the rest were a pretty light blue. In the middle of the room was an in-ground pool the size of a regulation battlefield. There was a thick black square around the pools perimeter that Misty noticed Ash looking at.
"It's a glass retaining wall. When the girls do their water shows, they put up them up and it makes a huge box they fill with water from the river." Misty explained. "It makes it easier for the guests to see that way."
"How do they get it in here?" Ash asked curiously, trying to picture the entire battlefield submerged.
"There's a whole bunch of tubes and pumps underground that connect to the river. We just open a floodgate and water comes rushing in from the river. And as long as the glass is up it stays contained, and we can cut it when we want. After the show, we turn the pump on and pump it out the other side and into Route 9 instead of Route 24. It's all pretty simple once you see it happen once." Misty elaborated.
Ash nodded his understanding as he finished looking around the gym, noting the stands for the first time where the audience for the water shows would sit. They were stadium seats that lined three of the four walls, six rows deep. The Sensational Sisters had to be truly sensational if they even filled part of this seating with every show.
"C'mon, they're probably in the back." Misty showed herself through the open room and up to a door on the wall opposite the entry door.
This room was much narrower, but seemingly only because of the glass tanks that held Pokemon on either side. At the end it opened more into an office kind of space, and Ash had to admit that the three girls occupying it were very, very sensational looking.
Beautiful was an understatement. There was a pink haired girl in a yellow bikini, and already Ash found himself blushing at the sight. The next was a girl in green with dark blue hair, wearing a one-piece swimsuit that seemed unnecessarily tight. Last his attention went to the tallest woman, a blonde bombshell in a bright red wetsuit. She was wearing the most clothes, but Ash was instantly more drawn to her over the other two.
"You three don't even look like you're going to be in the same show." Misty remarked, getting all their attention at once.
Two of them seemed surprised, but happy, but the blonde nearly squealed and rushed to hug Misty. A hug which the red-head quickly returned.
"Aww, I'm so glad to see you, Mist!" The blonde said as she let Misty go. "What brings you back here already? Did you want to do our next show with us?"
"No, no, nothing like that." Misty brushed her off politely but very quickly. "I was on my way back anyway, but my primary motivation is my friend over there," She gestured behind her to Ash. "Is challenging gyms in the Big Eight."
"And you were going to introduce us, when?" The pink haired girl asked, raking her eyes over Ash and Brock.
Before Brock could even say a word, Misty spoke again.
"Ash, Brock, these are my sisters. Daisy, Lily and Violet." She pointed to the blonde, then the pink-haired girl then the blue-haired girl in that order. Then she looked back at her traveling companions. "Daisy, this is Ash, he's the one challenging gyms, and this is Brock, he used to be Pewter City's gym leader."
"I thought you looked a little familiar." Daisy noted looking at Brock.
Misty seemed as surprised as Ash at the idea that Brock was already acquainted with her sisters.
"What brings you back home, little sis?" Lily asked. Her voice was innocent, but Misty seemed determined not to answer.
"Well, I wasn't just gonna come see Ash's battle without saying hi." She answered like it was obvious.
The room paused. Daisy was the one who spoke first.
"Misty, why don't you show Ash and Brock some of the Pokemon while we get changed?" Daisy suggested.
Misty didn't have time to reply before Daisy was ushering her sisters up the stairwell in the corner of the room. She turned to her friends with a sigh.
"They seem…" Brock trailed off again, as before.
"Did you already know them?" She asked. Brock shook his head quickly, sensing the correct answer.
"Not really, I've seen Daisy once or twice now but that's all. Never the other two." Brock said. "The League likes to get together with us sometimes and talk shop, like budgets and trainees and the like- most aren't mandatory, but you try to go a few times a year to show face. Most of it can be politely corresponded in mail or email, so it's really just how much brown-nosing you want to get in with Mr. Goodshow."
"Daisy's only been the gym leader for two years, I doubt she's gone to more than two of those." Misty said, shaking her head.
"I see why they call them the Sensational Sisters, Misty. They were all really…" Brock once again trailed off, with Ash nudging him with his elbow.
"Daisy seems really nice." Ash commented. Misty gave him a small smile.
"Yeah, she is. She's the only one in my whole family I feel like likes me sometimes." She replied. "Lily and Violet mean well, somewhere, but they're a lot harder to deal with."
"It doesn't help that they're all so gorgeous." Brock added.
"Is that why you left?" Ash asked as if Brock hadn't spoken.
"Pretty much. Ever since our parents up and ditched us, Daisy's been wearing a lot of hats and been under a lot of pressure. I was hoping to take some of it off of her by leaving. I was thinking about it for a while before that anyway, so then seemed like as good a time as any." Misty said. "I left a note once, and off I went. That didn't take, though, and Daisy found me four days later in Vermilion Harbor." She smiled at the memory. "We talked it out after that and she gave me permission to go, turning it into a gym mission kind of thing on the books. She just wanted me to stay in touch. Which I could be doing more of."
"Family can be difficult like that." Brock told her. Clearly, he knew from experience. "If Daisy let you go like that, it doesn't matter what you were as kids; she loves you, you know."
"I know. It's the other two I can't stand more often than not. And she takes their side, they're her business partners and she needs them for her shows a lot more than she needs me." Misty shrugged. "It's okay, water under the bridge and all that."
"As soon as we leave town, anyway." Ash pointed out. "Sorry I brought you back here."
"It's okay, I wasn't lying before- I was on my way back here when we first met. It was never going to be a long stay." She said with a sigh. "I don't know where I'm off to after this, though. I came here to pick up a Pokemon, but after I met you I kinda stopped planning my own route."
Ash blinked at her.
"After… this?" He said dumbly. She nodded. "Are… do… are you not coming with me?"
The thought that she would be splitting from them never crossed his mind, even though in retrospect they had only agreed to travel with each other until they reached Cerulean City.
Misty blinked at him.
"I… hm. I guess I am." She said. The solution came very obviously to her now that he had brought it up.
Ash and Misty beamed at each other and broke into a fit of laughter.
"Well, now that that's settled and that we aren't splitting up any time soon," Brock interrupted them. "Can I ask what Pokemon you came to pick up?"
"I'll do you one better, I'll show you!" She answered and sprinted excitedly towards one of the large glass tanks full of water.
Ash and Brock followed close behind, coming up to Misty standing in front of one tank with her palms pressed to the glass. They peered in after her so see her Pokemon swimming up to the glass to greet her. It was small and blue, like a lot of water Pokemon, but had two large red crystals on either side of the top of its head and two tentacles that waved it through the water.
"A Tentacool!" Ash exclaimed in excitement, pulling out his Pokedex to scan it.
Tentacool, the Jellyfish Pokemon, and the pre-evolved form of Tentacruel. It drifts through the sea searching for prey. Its poisonous tentacles break off sometimes, but after a while, they grow back.
Tentacool pressed close to the glass as it enjoyed the attention Misty was showing it.
"I let Daisy keep Tentacool for a few months to train with and use in some matches if she needed to." Misty explained to them. "We have gym Pokemon for higher level battles, but most of Daisy's own Pokemon couldn't even beat Ash's Caterpie before she started working with me." She winked at them.
Every gym had regulated Pokemon specifically for gym-use only in the event they needed them. It was to be expected, since having a small roster only worked for so long until that small roster gained so much experience it was necessary to practically throw matches. Most gym leaders used a mix of personal and gym-regulated in most battles to best challenge the challengers since gym-regulated Pokemon were all on public record while personal Pokemon were not, hence a lot of overlap.
"That was nice of you. It's obvious the gym means a lot to you." Brock told her.
"It totally was, Tentacool helped me train so much! Maybe you'll notice a difference in it, I hope it got stronger from me too." Daisy said from down the hall, returning. Lily and Violet were trailing her, and all three were wearing different colors of shift dresses.
"I'm sure I will. Tentacool's gonna help me keep this one in shape," She gestured to Ash. "While we learn all about water Pokemon."
"I bet! Tentacool looks really strong, d'ya think we can have a battle with you soon Misty?" Ash asked happily, turning back to Tentacool. Tentacool, to its credit, seemed thrilled with the idea, and held up its tentacles as if it were lifting weights.
"Sure, it'll be a great way to test Tentacool's training. We should come back tomorrow for that, though, we have other stops we have to make today." Misty turned to Tentacool. "Say goodbye to anyone you want to tonight, okay? Tomorrow, you're rejoining my team!" She tapped the glass to its tank as the Jellyfish Pokemon did the same with a nod.
"Are you really sure you have to leave already?" Violet asked. "We were just getting ready to have lunch."
"Weren't we going to pay bills- "Lily started, but Violet tugged on her wrist quickly.
"We really can't stay today, we have stuff to drop and the Pokemon Center, supplies to pick up, all that fun stuff." Misty waived off politely. "But we have all week, Ash wants to get some training in and do a few errands for the city before he challenges you."
"If you insist. But you have to come to one of our shows this week!" Daisy told her. Misty looked at both her companions, who smiled.
"Yeah, we should!" Brock agreed.
"Sure, sounds like a lot of fun!" Ash seconded. Pikachu even let out a small "Pi!" from his position on Ash's shoulder.
Ash could tell Pikachu was warming to Misty very quickly. He seemed skittish in crowds still but was just as willing as Ash to voice support for the water show.
"Okay, we'll be there. We can talk the details tomorrow, okay?" Misty said.
Daisy, Lily and Violet agreed, and with that the travelers moved on to their next stop.
Their next stop, as Misty decidedly didn't tell her sisters, was the small police station to talk with Officer Jenny inside. The station was not very big, like most stations across Kanto, and was little more than three rooms. Officer Jenny's would-be office was just a desk in the corner of the room, flanked only by a single wall that was about five feet high.
Still, she happily led Ash, Misty and Brock into the corner as she sat behind her desk. They each took a seat opposite her, Pikachu moving into Ash's lap.
"So, you said you had an encounter with Team Rocket in Mt. Moon?" Jenny started. "What exactly happened?"
Between the three of them, they recounted their events inside the caves.
"I have to say, if I hadn't already heard from the Jenny in Viridian City this story would be very hard to swallow. But considering you already have involvement in Team Rocket affairs, I'm much more inclined to believe you." Jenny was writing down every detail. "It helps when a Gym Leader is a witness, that always does wonders for credibility."
"Do you have any idea what they could be up to?" Misty asked, but Jenny could only shrug.
"This is the first time I've heard of any Rocket activity inside Mt. Moon in years. They're known for causing a lot of trouble, sure, but most of their schemes are about stealing Pokemon or money. More general thefts and robberies, sometimes, but nothing on the scale of an invasion of Mt. Moon and conducting an entire mining operation." She replied.
"What was the commotion today, if you don't mind me asking?" Brock asked next. "We noticed you outside of a house earlier with a few other officers."
Jenny seemed to hesitate, but quickly let out a sigh and grabbed a folder from a drawer on her side of the desk.
"I want to be clear I'm telling you this as a courtesy, because this also involves Team Rocket and I'm hoping something in this file means something to any of you. I cannot just go around showing confidential files to witnesses, even if they are Gym Leaders." Jenny passed the folder to Brock.
Brock passed it to Ash, who sat between them so he and Misty could read over Ash's shoulders.
"Well, you're right, this seems much more like a typical Team Rocket thing." Misty noted as she skimmed the file.
"It says all that's missing is a TM." Ash noted, checking the bottom. "The TM for Dig?"
"They ransacked the house, but the homeowner is adamant that the TM is all that's missing." Jenny said. "He's more shaken up than anything, it seems. He never expected something like this to happen."
"Have there been any other burglaries nearby?" Brock asked. "On the outskirts of Cerulean, maybe? Any travelers or hikers report being robber on their travels?"
"Nothing is so simple, I'm afraid." Jenny shook her head. "Nothing similar enough for me to be suspicious, and no travelers have reported anything like that. And no TM's have been reported as stolen from anywhere that I know about. He says he's not worried about getting it back, either. He just keeps going on about how unexpected this theft was."
"Dig seems like a weirdly specific TM to be stolen around the time of this Mt. Moon excavation." Ash noted. "And one of the Rockets I fought had a TM too."
"That's a good observation, Ash. I'll get word to the Celadon Department Store and any miscellaneous TM shops to be on guard for a while. They might have a specific agenda with TM's." Jenny nodded, jotting something down on the pad in front of her. "Is there anything else?"
"Actually," Misty interjected, leaning further over Ash's shoulder. "The file says you're still searching the city for clues, but if he stole the TM for Dig and had a compatible Pokemon he could be long gone by now. I would check out the surrounding routes after your initial search is over."
Jenny nodded again, writing that down. Not that that wasn't on her list already, but she was surprised at the insights she had gotten from these kids.
"Duly noted. I think that'll be all today. Thanks for coming in. And feel free to come back if you remember something else, or if you see anything else suspicious in town." Jenny dismissed them, and with that Ash, Misty and Brock left the police station.
They meandered their way down a few streets and back to the Pokemon Center, heading into the cafeteria.
"A late lunch, and then I think I'll head over to the woods and start talking with Pikachu and the others about training." Ash said, piling his plate with fries.
"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna check out the PokeMart in town and see if there's anything worth grabbing right away." Brock volunteered.
"I desperately need another shower; I can stock up our room on stuff from here and run our stuff through the laundry while you guys are out." Misty offered.
They all nodded, and Ash gave Brock the money microchip from his Pokedex as he had Misty when they were in Pewter. After eating a quick lunch, the group split up again.
Brock went right, Ash went left, and Misty went up.
"I am pleased to report an overwhelming success in Operation Moonstone." Archer reported to his boss, shrouded in darkness behind his desk. A Persian sat in his lap, perfectly intimidating.
"Yes, I read the reports." His boss replied. "A haul worth almost 70,000 Pokedollars. Not a terrible effort, much less was spent on equipment." He paused. "Still, I do not know how much more is needed to continue funding. We will have to see how much of it sells for market value and how much of it we must move through more… covert means."
"Yes, sir." Archer replied but made no move to leave yet. He was not dismissed yet.
"Do you feel your squad is capable of deploying on another mission soon?" His boss asked.
"Of course, sir. Just say the word." Archer replied quickly. "Can I ask when?"
"The details are not set yet. I am merely… considering my options with which squad receives it." He replied. "I'm impressed with your work thus far, Archer. You may return to your duties."
"At once, sir. Thank you." Archer bowed quickly before exiting the room.
The boss picked up the manilla file in front of him and skimmed it over once again.
The excursion inside Mt. Moon began without interruption. The proper tools were needed to navigate far enough down, but once inside the cave system it was easy to shake loose the secret spoils of the mountain walls. Days went by without incident, Dodger Squad conducted hours of digging per day and detonated two-to-three sets of explosives per day.
Only on day 8 of Operation Moonstone did we experience an outside variable. Passerby trainers stumbled upon our hub of operation deep inside the walls of the mountain and made it a point to provoke a battle. My immediate guard did their job well, holding back the intruders while I relocated with the valuable assets still on-site.
Elsewhere, another outside variable was in the cave as well. My squad reports a single trainer traveling alone through the mountain, picking fights with every one he saw. This trainer defeated no less than a dozen Rocket Agents using only a single Pokemon, a Pikachu. I did not encounter this trainer myself, but reports throughout Dodger Squad were consistent.
Rocket Operatives Jessie and James were nearing verbal warning due to lack of participation in the excavation but redeemed themselves upon the digs completion. They contributed perhaps the rarest item of the haul, the Dome Fossil, along with information about the rouge trainer with the Pikachu. Rocket Operatives Jessie and James are up for nomination of commendation for their work in Operation Moonstone.
Operation Moonstone – Inventory Log
-TM284 (Thief)
-TM229 (Water Gun)
-TM000 (Mega Punch)
-Potion (x3)
-Great Ball (x5)
-Paralyz Heal
-Rare Candy (x2)
-Ether (x2)
-Awakening
-Repel
-Stardust
-Moonstone (x4)
-Pearl
-Tiny Mushroom (x12)
-Big Mushroom (x9)
-HP Up
-Nugget
-Revive (x3)
-Antidote
-Dome Fossil
-Old Amber
Consultation with Dr. Zager values the haul of Operation Moonstone to be approximately 68,000 Pokedollars at market value should all items decide to be sold.
Final Notes: Operatives Jessie and James provided a small insight on the rogue trainer based off an earlier encounter in Viridian City. They think he will continue to interfere with Team Rocket Operations, but I determine this to be coincidence. Twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.
Mission Status: Completed.
A Pikachu. Peculiar, indeed.
Ash sat by the Cerulean River in just shorts as Pikachu, Butterfree and Pidgeotto sat just inches into the water.
"So, I don't know when we're gonna get around to challenging the gym, but I want to be ready just like last time, so we're gonna do some more training." Ash dipped a cloth into the running water and scooted closer to the water's edge, beckoning Pikachu into his lap.
Pikachu obliged, and Ash began to wipe him down with the cloth.
"Pikachu, like you heard I want you to learn Quick Attack. ThunderShock and Brick Break are great moves, but neither of them were very effective on Rena's Bulbasaur. We can't be caught like that too often." Ash wiped Pikachu's back and down to his tail. His tail tensed a little, and Ash stopped, unsure if he had done something to agitate the electric-type.
But quickly, Pikachu relaxed again without even looking back at Ash and his tail flattened out. Ash smiled and gently ran the washcloth over it.
"I shoulda taken some soap from the Pokemon Center, but this'll do you guys good for now. Maybe before we leave you can get a proper scrub-down. It'll get rid of all the chlorine you're probably about to get stuck in your fur." Ash noted, remembering the smell of chlorine in the Cerulean Gym. "Anyway, Quick Attack will help maneuver you better too, since you're already so fast." Pikachu let out a proud 'Chaa'.
Ash turned Pikachu around and began to rub his cheeks in circles. Pikachu made minimal fuss for a moment, but quickly relented to the relaxing sensation.
"You'll be a huge help in the next gym battle for sure. No way you can't take anything Daisy can throw at us, right buddy?" Ash asked. Pikachu pumped his fist like he had seen Ash do several times, and Ash mimicked him. "That's right! Okay Pikachu, scoot over. Butterfree's turn."
Pikachu moved off Ash's lap and onto the grass beside him and resisted the urge to roll on the ground to dry off. Instead, he sparked a little.
"Butterfree, you need a lot less of a scrub than Pikachu, luckily. You didn't spend hours running around cave floors." Ash said, dampening his cloth again. "I'm just gonna wipe your wings, okay? It'll get the extra scales and any lingering traces of powder off, should make flying easier. But you gotta be patient, because it'll be harder to fly while your wings are damp, okay?"
Ash waited for Butterfree's acknowledgement before he began dapping at the Butterfly Pokemon's wings and continued discussing strategy.
"I think you and Pidgeotto are gonna focus on stamina training for now. I want you to try and strengthen your wings and your reaction speed. But looking at your wings here tells me you're pretty close to learning those powder moves after all." Ash moved the cloth in front of Butterfree's face.
"See?" The cloth was mostly white, but there were sparkling bits of green and purple across it. No doubt it came off his wings, so Butterfree nodded excitedly. "Okay, all done for now. Pidgeotto, your turn."
Butterfree was replaced by Pidgeotto in Ash's lap. Pidgeotto quickly laid down, taking up Ash's entire lap and closing her eyes. Ash smiled and used his cloth to wipe around Pidgeotto's beak.
"You heard what I said to Butterfree, right? You'll mostly be practicing stamina. You're already practically built to dodge, so we're gonna get you super fast in the air. Pikachu's gonna help you out by shooting a whole bunch of ThunderShock's." Ash swapped his cloth out for a spray bottle.
A cloth would be no real use on Pidgeotto's thick feathers and would take ages to dry. It was easier to simply mist most birds to break up dirt on the top layer and brush it out after or let them splash around for a bit to clean themselves up. Clearly, Ash's Pidgeotto preferred to be pampered.
"That'll help him out too, of course, with stamina and aim." Ash glanced at Pikachu, who glanced back over at him. Ash smiled. "If it's a two-on-two, I think you and Pikachu are my choices, so I need you at your best this week." He paused. "I know you're eager too Butterfree, but you battled last time, and Pikachu has a major type advantage here. If I'm allowed to use more than two, I'll make sure you see the field but don't be surprised if you have to sit this one out."
Ash moved on to brushing, pulling out a hair brush to quickly go through Pidgeotto's plumage.
"I don't know when your next attack is coming yet, Pidgeotto. Wing Attack is already kinda advanced for you." Ash continued rambling. "Maybe something easier like Whirlwind, for more control? It'd be like a more intense, less-focused Gust I think." Pidgeotto preened at the idea, and Ash couldn't help but smile.
"Oh yeah, you'll be ready in no time."
Ash nudged Pidgeotto out of his lap, stood up and brushed himself off. He looked out at the flowing Cerulean River, then back to the city. He smiled, deciding to return to the Pokemon Center. Grooming his Pokemon and talking through strategy with them was enough for one day, not to mention all the other stops they made. Besides, he just had a great training idea, and it would be much easier in the daylight, of which they would be running out of soon.
So, Ash recalled Butterfree and Pidgeotto with a promise to train soon.
"Pika?" Pikachu asked from the floor.
"It's okay, we made good progress today, Pikachu." Ash said. Pikachu nodded. "I don't want to make a habit of training at every bit of down time. We talked it over, and now you guys can think about your training for tomorrow just like I can. Puts us all on the same playing field, y'know?"
"Pika, Pikachu!" Pikachu sparked his cheeks. Ash's tingled as Pikachu did so.
"It's different when we have a whole day ahead of us, but right now it's half past six already. The sun'll be going down soon, no reason to train in the dark if we can avoid it. Besides we can ask Misty and Brock for tips." Ash replied, stuffing the last of his stuff into his backpack.
"Pika, Chupi Pika." Pikachu said, getting onto Ash's shoulder while he was crouched down. Ash smiled and petted him.
"I know we learned Brick Break ourselves, but we should never underestimate the advice of other trainers." Ash said seriously, fixing his bag. "Mom always said that was what everyone had the most trouble with, and I'm not gonna make the same mistake."
Ash and Pikachu walked back to town, both staring at the changing colors of the sky.
On a whim, Ash decided to peak at the Trainer Board before heading back to the Pokemon Center. They were mostly job boards, but often towns used them like large bulletin boards. It was the easiest way to communicate a lot of things with travelers who weren't familiar with the towns.
There was a few jobs listed; moving water, trimming the thorny trees that connected Cerulean to Route 5 and an aid in the bike shop. A few miscellaneous things were on there too, like a man requesting a trade; a Poliwhirl for his Jynx and a man who knew the intricacies of every gym badge in Kanto off the top of his head in case any trainers had questions, such as what each badge unlocked in terms of jobs and the history of the gym, even for gyms not in the Big Eight.
What caught Ash's attention, though, was the posting for a Town Tournament to be held in just a few days. Tournaments were exceedingly common, but nothing as extravagant as the Indigo League. They were held frequently across the region by individuals or towns to draw trainers (and therefore, business and revenue), and the trainers all benefitted with battle practice and a small prize pot, such as money and usually a few other trinkets decided by the hosts.
Town Tournaments were just as official as Gyms in the eyes of the League and had judges and rules. There was always sixteen competitors, broken down into two brackets. Each bracket was fought simultaneously, until the victors of each were determined. Then, they battled one another. Their small size meant that even for new rookies and seasoned veterans, the tournament could be held during a single day. Being a familiar face in Town Tournaments was enough to make a comfortable living for the plenty of trainers that don't make it to the Indigo Plateau.
"Alright! That's some good luck, Pikachu!" Ash cried as he read the poster. "This tournament will be great training for our gym battle!"
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu agreed.
Lightning darted between their cheeks, and the pair quickly sprinted back to the Pokemon Center.
Goodbye Pewter Arc, hello wildcard! Nugget Bridge Arc has arrived! Yessir, we're doing a tournament arc baby! One of my favorite things the BW anime did was include tournaments more frequently, but I wish they mattered a little more. Thus, this idea was born! Also helps to justify a lot of the smaller tournaments and things Ash will go on to enter, they'll be pretty common from here on out. Basically the idea is just that individuals sponsor tournaments for trainers whenever they can and it creates a buzz in the towns economy and provides training for trainers; a win/win. Some are held kinda regularly, like the one here at Nugget Bridge as we'll find out has been held pretty regularly since the grand opening of the bridge and the influx of trainers it brought. They can happen pretty much whenever and at the sponsors disgretion, and the participants and prizes also vary. Hope that makes sense to everyone, but if you have any questions just ask!
This chapter mostly exists to set up how much there will be to do in Cerulean, as already we've been pretty busy. And that Team Rocket scene, there's always a method to Giovanni's madness! I'm sure some of you can guess what his next operation will be.
Ash's Team: Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto
Pikachu: Electric - Male - Static - Rash | ThunderShock, Tail Whip, Growl, Nuzzle, Charm, Thunder Wave, Brick Break
Butterfree: Bug/Flying - Male - Compound Eyes - Hardy | Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Gust, Supersonic, Confusion
Pidgeotto: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Hasty | Tackle, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Wing Attack
Misty's Team: Staryu, Goldeen
Staryu: Water - N/A - Natural Cure - Modest | Tackle, Rapid Spin, Harden, Water Gun, Confuse Ray
Goldeen: Water - Female - Swift Swim - Careful | Peck, Tail Whip, Supersonic
Brock's Team: Onix, Geodude, Zubat
Onix: Rock/Ground - Male - Rock Head - Calm | Tackle, Bind, Screech, Harden, Rock Throw
Geodude: Rock/Ground - Male - Sturdy - Relaxed | Tackle, Defense Curl, Rock Throw
Zubat: Poison/Flying - Male - Inner Focus - Hasty | Absorb, Supersonic, Astonish
Jessie's Team: Ekans, Spearow
Ekans: Poison - Male - Shed Skin - Serious | Poison Sting, Bite, Wrap, Leer
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Male - Keen Eye - Hasty | Peck, Growl, Leer
James' Team: Koffing, Spearow, Weedle
Koffing: Poison - Male - Levitate - Bashful | Poison Gas, Tackle, Smog, Smokescreen
Spearow: Normal/Flying - Female - Keen Eye - Lax | Peck, Growl Leer
Weedle: Bug/Poison - Female - Swarm - Jolly | Poison Sting, String Shot
Meowth: Normal - Male - Pickup - Sassy | Fury Swipes, Scratch, Growl, Fake Out