Here's yet another episode redo. This time it's the Gligar and Gliscor episode. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and please continue to give reviews. Enjoy!
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Chapter 15

Misty's POV

I was feeling so refreshed after taking that hot soak in Leona's hot-spring. I guess me and Vaporeon had a lot in common, since we both feel better after being in the water. But now we had reached yet another city, but this one was a lot larger than Brad's town, and it was filled with regular people. Although one thing we noticed, it was really breezy here. Ash and I had once again begun to spar with each other, as he was determined to make Turtwig master 'Energy Ball'. I had to give him credit; he was being really patient with this.

"Turtwig, use 'Energy Ball'!" Ash ordered. Turtwig created the ball and fired. And this time, it stayed intact all the way. "Way to go Turtwig!" I cheered. "Alright, now we've gotta work on your aim! Fire it at Vaporeon!" Ash said. Turtwig fired, but my Vaporeon stood its ground, as it flew off course of its intended target. "One more time!" Ash yelled. It fired again, except this time it sailed far off into the distance.

"At least Turtwig is getting some distance!" I yelled. "Yeah, Turtwig's got the form; the control just needs a bit more work!" Ash said. I was about to launch an attack, when a giant shadow flew overhead. I looked up, and saw a bunch of Gligar with one bigger Pokémon who was probably the leader.

The larger Pokémon instructed its Gligar followers to dive-bomb Dawn and Brock, who had set up a picnic lunch while me and Ash were battling. I snatched Azurill from the blanket and watched as the Gligar stole all of our food. "Do something Ash!" I cried.

Normal POV

"Turtwig, 'Energy Ball' now!" Ash ordered. Turtwig fired, but again it missed its target. Ash growled in frustration. "A little help here?" Ash yelled. "Right!" Misty and Dawn said in unison.

"Turtwig, 'Razor Leaf' go!"

"Vaporeon, use 'Water Pulse'!"

"Piplup, use 'Bubblebeam'!"

The attacks were fired at the Gligar in the trees, but they all easily dodged. "Guys, call back your Pokémon!" Brock yelled, calling back his. Misty and Dawn did as they were told, but Ash wasn't quite ready to give in yet, so he kept his out just in case. "Who are those Pokémon?" Dawn asked. "Gliscor and Gligar." Brock said.

"Whoa, I gotta see this." Dawn said, pulling out her Pokédex. "Gligar, the fly-scorpion Pokémon. It glides using the membrane attached to its arms and legs and attacks the base of its prey with its claws." her Pokédex said.

Ash pulled out his, and analyzed Gliscor. "Gliscor, the fang-scor Pokémon, and the evolved form of Gligar. It watches its prey as it hangs from trees by its tail, and attacks from above when it sees the chance." his Pokédex said.

"And boy, did it see a chance!" Misty said. Just then, an 'Ice Beam' came flying in from nowhere. Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock ducked, as it almost nailed the now angry Gliscor. They turned around and saw a purple-haired boy with a Weavile.

"Who's that?" Misty yelled angrily. "It's Paul!" Ash yelled. "THAT'S Paul? He almost made us popsicles!" Misty yelled.

"Right, Murkrow, use 'Haze'!" Paul yelled, calling out his flying-type. Gliscor called for its followers, and they attacked their adversary. "Dodge that Murkrow!" Paul ordered. Murkrow flew up to avoid the attacking Gligar. A strong gust of wind came in, and Gliscor signaled the Gligar to make a break for it.

They all glided underneath the wind, except for one that was too busy eating an apple to realize they had gone. It noticed that its friends had vanished, swallowed the apple whole, licked its face, and then took off. Without the wind though, Gligar didn't get far, and landed right on top of Ash.

"Get off me!" Ash yelled. Charizard grabbed Gligar and held him still while Ash was helped up by Misty and Brock. Pikachu, Turtwig, Piplup, Vaporeon, and Ash's other Pokémon glared angrily at the now scared Gligar. It freaked out, slapped Charizard in the face with its tail, which caused Charizard to release it. It jumped into the air and tried to leave again. This time, it managed to take off without issue.

Ash grumbled, and thanked his Pokémon for a job well done before returning them to their balls. The group heard another sound from a Pokéball; they turned around and saw Paul returning his Pokémon. "At least that Gliscor lives up to its reputation." Paul said smugly. Misty remembered the attack that almost froze her, and had some words for Paul.

"You creep! You almost made ice-statues out of us!" Misty screamed. "It's your fault for getting in my way." Paul said. "US get in YOUR way?" Misty screamed, her rage growing stronger. "Does that mean you're here to catch a Gliscor?" Ash asked. "Just stay out of my way, got it? And keep your mouth to yourself, whoever you are." Paul said. "What did you say to her?" Ash yelled furiously. Ash was about to take off after Paul, probably to punch him or something, but was held back by the firm grip of the Pokémon breeder.

"Let me go!" Ash yelled. "Forget it Ash, whatever he says doesn't matter." Brock said calmly. Ash growled and finally gave in. "Charming fellow." Misty said sarcastically. "Well that's Paul for you." Dawn said. "He's got some nerve." Ash hissed. "Ash, he shouldn't have said what he said, but what good would fighting do?" Misty reasoned. Ash calmed down a little, but he was still upset at Paul for insulting Misty.

They heard a noise from the street, and saw that it was Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. Brock immediately went into "girl-crazy" mode, as hearts appeared in his eyes. "Are you folks alright?" Officer Jenny asked. "We're fine, except that they got away with our lunch." Dawn said. "It looks like they've done it once again." Nurse Joy said to Officer Jenny. "And we weren't in time once again." Officer Jenny replied.

Brock got down on one knee. "On the contrary, your timing's perfect! My heart was feeling so empty, but now my heart is full again, all because of you!" Brock said passionately. "So, should I do it, or let Croagunk?" Misty asked. "Yank him away Mist, I need a good laugh." Ash snickered. Misty cracked her knuckles and grabbed Brock by the ear. "Your heart may be full but your head is empty." Misty said, dragging Brock away.

"Did you see the way Gliscor and Gligar looted the twerps' lunch?" Jessie asked, hiding behind a bush. "Ya know? If we could hitch a ride on those powerful Pokémon's lunch wagon, we'd never be scrounging for sandwiches again!" Meowth said. "Consistently full stomachs translate directly into greater thieving creativity and productivity too!" James added. With that, Team Rocket snuck away to devise a scheme.

Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock had reached the Pokémon Center with Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy. "The Gliscor and Gligar have turned our city into a ghost-town." Officer Jenny said sullenly, "They've eaten up every bit of fruits and vegetables they can find, and now they're grabbing food right out of our hands."

"But Gliscor and Gligar usually live in the forests, don't they? What are they doing here?" Brock asked. "Yeah, remember Gligar-man back in Johto? We met his Gligar in the forest." Misty added. "I remember Gligar-girl!" Brock said excitedly. Croagunk jabbed him, and Brock fell to the floor in pain. "I must apologize for our friend, you were saying?" Misty said. "I was saying that we think they've all managed to get lost." Officer Jenny said sullenly.

"That is so weird." Ash said. "Pi ka." (Yeah.) Pikachu agreed. "But unfortunately it's true." Nurse Joy said, "We had a storm one day, and the wind was particularly fierce, it was so strong that Gliscor wasn't able to escape its force, so it ended up being trapped in our city." Nurse Joy explained, "Of course Gliscor WANTED to return to the forest, but the winds were just too strong…they still are." Nurse Joy finished.

"Of course! Those sky-scraper currents are strong…TOO strong to fight!" the now recovered Brock exclaimed. "That's it exactly." Nurse Joy confirmed. "Sky-scraper currents?" Dawn asked. "The taller a building is, the stronger the winds that swirl around it." Brock explained. "So Gliscor had no other choice but to stay here. And before long it attracted all the Gligar in the surrounding area." Officer Jenny said.

"But how'd it do that?" Ash asked. "Gliscor and Gligar give off a sort of sound-wave in order to detect obstacles and fly around them." Nurse Joy said. "You mean like echolocation!" Misty exclaimed. "Exactly! But in the city, their echolocation can become amplified and scattered, bouncing wildly off of buildings! Their powerful sound waves are what attracted the Gligar, attracting them to the city. "We've tried many times to capture them so we could return them to the forest, but they're very cautious and we can't get a hold of them!" Nurse Joy explained.

"So our latest plan is to lure all the Gligar by using their favorite fruit as bait!" Officer Jenny said. "I wanna help!" Ash exclaimed. "Good idea! Whaddya say guys? Want to help too?" Misty asked. "You bet!" Dawn and Brock said.

"Alright, let's load up a truck and get going!" Officer Jenny exclaimed. The group went down to a warehouse to gather the fruit, and they gasped at how much there was. "No way can we do this alone!" Dawn whined. "Then we won't! Come on out everyone!" Ash exclaimed, calling out all of his Pokémon. Buizel, Turtwig, Chimchar, Staravia, and Charizard announced their presence, and immediately started dumping fruit into the truck. "Misty called out her land-capable Pokémon, and Dawn and Brock called theirs as well.

Brock's Happiny immediately grabbed the biggest box, and dumped it into the box. Charizard stared at the little egg Pokémon with wide eyes. "How did it pull that off?" Charizard thought. After a lot of help from Happiny and Charizard, along with the assembly line of smaller Pokémon, they finished the job quickly.

"Alright! Thanks a lot guys!" Ash exclaimed. "We better hurry! We can't afford to waste any time!" Officer Jenny said. Nurse Joy joined them with her laptop and a bazooka, and hopped into the passenger seat of the truck. "Oh man, that back seat sure looks cramped." Ash said. "Looks like we'll just have to squeeze." Misty said in mock disappointment. "Yeah, I bet you're real torn up about that." Dawn teased. Ash and Misty turned pink, and proceeded into the back of the truck.

"Open the door Joy, and let's get going!" Officer Jenny said. Nurse Joy pushed a button on her laptop, and the warehouse door opened up remotely. Jenny started the truck, and drove towards the Gliscor and Gligar's hideout. "Alright, toss them the bait!" Officer Jenny exclaimed. Nurse Joy pulled out the bazooka she brought, and fired a silver orb full of fruit into the window. "Any minute now!" Officer Jenny said.

Just then, a swarm of Gligar, led by Gliscor, flew toward the truck full of fruit. Ash and Misty peered out the window to see the swarm. "They're following us!" Misty exclaimed. "Great, it's working!" Ash added. "Let me see!" Dawn said, squeezing her head out the window. "Get your heads back in! I'm heading for the target and it's a sharp turn!" Officer Jenny ordered. They obliged, just in time for Officer Jenny to execute a sharp left-turn. The Gliscor and Gligar continued to follow, not passing up an opportunity to sample their favorite fruit.

Nurse Joy analyzed the wind patterns to see how their plan's status was. "The wind is about to get a lot stronger! Let's hope that does the trick!" Nurse Joy said. "So the idea is to use the strong winds to blow them all the way back to the forest!" Brock reasoned. Just when things were going their way, they heard Gliscor give a cry of agony. "That can't be good!" Ash yelled. "Stop the truck!" Brock yelled. Officer Jenny slammed on the brakes, and once the truck came to a complete stop, they all rushed out to see a Meowth balloon. "It's Team Rocket again!" Misty screamed. "What in the world are they doing?" Nurse Joy asked with concern.

Jessie: "Listen, is that some clueless claptrap I hear?"

James: "Clueless, but crystal clear."

Jessie: "On the wind!"

James: "Past the stars!"

Meowth: "In your ear!"

Jessie: "Bringing chaos at a breakneck pace!"

James: "Dashing hope, putting fear in its place!"

Jessie: "A rose by any other name's just as sweet!"

James: "When everything's worse, our work is complete!"

Jessie: "Jessie!"

James: "And James!"

Meowth: "Meowth! Dat's a name!"

Jessie: "Playfully putting the do-gooders in their place!"

James: "Team Rocket!"

Team Rocket: "In your face!"

"Wobbu wobbu!" (Yeah!)

"Mime mime!" (Yeah!)

"Back off you creeps! We're trying to get them back home!" Misty screamed.

"Yeah, they're not yours so give them back!" Dawn added.

"You don't fork over family, and that's what they are!" Jessie replied.

"Anyone who grabs grub for free is in my family tree!" Meowth added.

"They're going back to the forest where they belong! Pikachu, use 'Thunderbolt'!"

"Piplup, use 'Bubblebeam'!"

The attacks were launched and they struck the glass case, but it wasn't even scratched. Gliscor, who refused to be caged up, used an 'X-Scissor' attack to break through, but the glass proved to be just as strong on the inside as it was on the outside. "The 'Thunderbolt and the 'Bubblebeam'…even Gliscor's 'X-Scissor'…they did nothing!" Brock gasped in horror.

"Then let's try a size advantage! Misty calls Gyarados!" Gyarados roared upon release, which scared James back into the balloon faster than a 'Quick Attack'. "Gyarados, nail that cage with a 'Hyper Beam'!" A powerful beam formed in his mammoth jaws, but just like before, no damage was done. "That's impossible!"

"Sorry red-head, but not even your Gyarados can't beat our special twerp-proof cage!" Jessie taunted.

Just then, the late Gligar landed on top of the cage. "I remember that Gligar!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's the same clumsy one that flattened you!" Misty added.

Gligar naively cut the rope, which was not nearly as strong as the cage itself, and the cage plummeted down towards a pile of sharp rocks. When it landed, Gligar was thrown off, and it flailed in the air. "No, Gligar!" Ash yelled.

"It's gonna get hurt!" Dawn screamed.

"Gligar!" Ash ran to catch Gligar.

"Ash, be careful!" Misty ran after Ash, who had gotten flattened by Gligar again while trying to catch it.

"Hey, can't you watch where you fall?!" Ash yelled. Gligar hopped off of Ash, and Misty helped him get up.

"You ok Ash?" Misty asked with concern.

"Yeah, I'm alright Mist." Ash replied reassuringly.

Suddenly, the cage broke open, and an angry Gliscor flew up to the Meowth balloon, followed by the rest of the Gligar. "Well, looks like Gliscor and his gang will take care of Team Rocket for us." Misty said.

"Uh oh, it's the cavalry!" Jessie whimpered. Gliscor and his gang 'X-Scissored' the balloon, that smashed into the already weak building, and sent Team Rocket blasting off into the hemisphere. But after that crash, the walls of the partly demolished building started to come crashing down.

Ash's POV

The walls were about to crash down on me and Misty, when I saw an opportunity. "Misty, move!" I gave her a strong shove and pushed her out of danger, but it was too late for me to get out of the way.

"Ash, no!" I heard Misty cry. She was safe, I knew that.

"I've only got one shot!"

Misty's POV

When Ash shoved me out of the way, I imagined the worst: Ash, crushed underneath the wall that he had saved me from. "Ash, no!" I felt tears forming in my eyes as the wall came crashing down, but at the last moment, Ash leaped into one of the windows of the wall, and dust went flying everywhere. As soon as the dust settled, I ran to the crash site to look for Ash. "Ash! Ash where are you?!" I heard a soft cough from where the window of the fallen wall was, and I saw Ash. He was dusty, he had a few scratches on his arms and face, but he seemed ok. I ran to him and embraced him tightly, crying the whole time. "Ash, I thought I lost you!" Ash wrapped me into a comforting hug and let me cry, reassuring me that he was alright. I didn't even care that I was weeping in public, the thought of Ash being dead was always too much for me to handle.

Then Nurse Joy ran towards me and Ash to give us the once-over. "Are you two alright?!" she asked with concern. We gave her a reassuring nod, and I wiped the tears from my eyes before gingerly helping Ash back to his feet. He wobbled a bit, and leaned on me for support, but before long, Ash had walked off his weakness and was back to his old self.

Normal POV

"Ash! Are you alright?" Brock asked.

"Yeah, just a bit scratched up." Ash replied as he dusted himself off.

"What were you thinking?!" Dawn screamed.

"I knew we couldn't both fit through that window, so I shoved Misty out of the way." Ash explained.

"Well I'm glad you're alright, but we have a problem now that the road is blocked!" Officer Jenny exclaimed.

Nurse Joy analyzed the wind, and saw that it was now blowing in a different direction. "How will Gliscor and Gligar be able to get through?"

"Oh no! Look!" Dawn pointed towards the truck of fruit. Gliscor and Gligar had begun chowing down, which meant that their bait was history now. After their failure, they regrouped at the Pokémon Center, where Misty assisted Nurse Joy in tending to Ash's wounds.

"Gliscor and Gligar are wreaking havoc, and the city has come to a stand-still!" Nurse Joy said sullenly.

"Right now, I'm just glad that Ash isn't at a stand-still." Misty said sincerely, wrapping a bandage around her boyfriend's knee.

"We have to get those Pokémon back to the forest now!" Officer Jenny banged a fist on the table she was sitting at.

"Yeah, but how? The only way out of here has been blocked off." Dawn sighed discouragingly.

"If we could just create a current of wind strong enough to blow them out of the city, our problem would be solved." Officer Jenny figured.

Misty gasped. "That's it! Ash, don't you have a flying-type that can help?!"

"Yeah! Staravia, and maybe even Charizard!" But Ash's enthusiasm quickly drained away, "But…there's no way that those two alone can do the job."

"We have a whole bunch of Pokémon inside the roof dome that can use 'Gust', and if we make a huge gust of wind from the roof…" Nurse Joy made some calculations on her laptop. Moments later, she beamed. "That'll work!" she said excitedly.

"Well alright then!" Ash handed Nurse Joy two Pokéballs, "Here Nurse Joy, take Staravia and Charizard and take them to the roof, it's time for a talk!"

"A talk? With who?" Dawn asked.

"With Gliscor of course. I'll just explain to them that we want to help and then everything will be fine!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm going with you Ash!" Misty chased after her boyfriend.

"Hey, wait for us you two!" Dawn called. Dawn and Brock ran after the couple, while Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny went to make preparations for their last-ditch effort.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was trying to enjoy what was left of their ever empty food-stash. "Lost our posse and our balloon as well." Jessie groaned.

"Though that sparking effect was striking." James said in the same tone, referring to the multiple 'X Scissor' attacks.

Just then, an apple core fell from above. Team Rocket looked up, and saw a still angry Gliscor and Gligar staring them down. They swooped down and chased after Team Rocket. "I guess Gliscor and da Gligar have come back home to roost!" Meowth yelled, running from the angry gang.

Jessie tossed Gliscor and the Gligar some food, hoping that they would get them off their backs. Gliscor ate the food, but persisted the chase. "Those were my organic rice-balls you just under-handed!" James yelled angrily.

Suddenly, an 'Ice Beam' came out of nowhere, and blasted Team Rocket off for the second time that day. "So who under-handed dat 'Ice Beam'?!" Meowth yelled, as they vanished into the sky.

Another 'Ice Beam' was fired, Gliscor managed to avoid it, but all of his Gligar friends were frozen solid. Gliscor growled at the purple-haired trainer and Weavile that were responsible for freezing his gang. "Weavile, 'Blizzard' now!" Paul ordered. Weavile obeyed, and launched a 'Blizzard' attack at Gliscor, who not only managed to counter the snowstorm with a 'Sand-Attack', but also thawed out its friends, allowing them to escape. Gliscor immediately retreated, causing his Gligar friends to fly off after him, except for one. "Hold on!" Paul chased after them.

Meanwhile, Ash, Misty, Dawn, and Brock were running down the street, and saw a Gligar just sitting on the ground. "Gligar, you ok?" Ash called. Gligar gave the group its goofy smile, which identified it as the one that kept landing on Ash.

"I can't believe it's the same one!" Dawn exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's great to see you again!" Ash said. Gligar licked the other side of its face, and then felt a gust of wind come from the alley. It took off in the direction where Gliscor and its other friends went. "Hey, where are you going now?"

"Gliscor must be somewhere over there!" Brock reasoned.

"Come on, we have to hurry, there might be trouble!" Misty exclaimed.

"Right, let's go!" Ash took off after the Gligar, with his friends following close behind.

Paul was still chasing after Gliscor when he called out his Electabuzz to back up Weavile. "Weavile, 'Ice Beam', Electabuzz, 'Thunder'!" His Pokémon attempted their attacks, but Gliscor ordered his followers to fly around their two adversaries, intimidating and confusing them. "Keep focused! Electabuzz, 'Thunder Punch'!" Electabuzz followed through, and unleashed a vicious electric-punch onto a bunch of Gligar. Gliscor became enraged, and decided to take them on and defend its friends. Gliscor unleashed a powerful 'X Scissor' onto Electabuzz, who slammed into Weavile, who slammed into Paul.

Just as Paul and his Pokémon landed on their backs, the Gligar that kept crashing into Ash came flying in, followed by Ash and his friends themselves. "Gliscor! Hold on! We wanna help you and your friends get back to the forest!" Ash yelled.

"Gli?" (Really?) Gliscor said with interest.

"You come with us, over to the Pokémon Center quick!" Ash explained. Gligar believed them, but before Gliscor could make a decision, it was nailed by an 'Ice Beam' and a 'Thunder' attack simultaneously. "Now what?!"

The group turned around to find Paul, once again trying to take Gliscor for his own personal use. "Now! Go Pokéball!"

"No way!" Ash leaped into the air and deflected Paul's Pokéball away from Gliscor. "You can't do this Paul! They need Gliscor!"

"What do I care? I'm after Gliscor and nothing is going to stop me!" Paul shoved Ash out of his way, only to have Misty step in his way with her arms spread, acting as a blockade for the ruthless Pokémon trainer.

"What kind of a trainer are you?! You don't even care about Pokémon at all!" Misty screamed. Paul grabbed Misty's arm and threw her out of his way. She landed on her bottom, got up, and was then faced by a snarling Paul.

"You try anything like that again and I'll make sure you don't get up ever again!" the purple haired trainer growled menacingly.

Misty didn't back down, and now Ash was by her side. "That's enough! You keep your hands off of her!" he barked.

"I couldn't care less about what your girlfriend does, as long as she stays out of my way!" Paul said, matching Ash's tone. "Electabuzz, Weavile, keep Gliscor from going anywhere!"

The two Pokémon made moves to attack Gliscor, but Pikachu jumped in front of the exhausted Gliscor, cheeks sparking with anger. Piplup soon joined Pikachu, which stopped Electabuzz and Weavile. "Aren't you going to do something Brock?" Dawn asked fearfully.

"Only if I see fists flying. One punch or kick from either of them and I'll stop both of them quickly." Brock said seriously.

"I happen to have a name you know, it's Misty! Gym Leader of Cerulean City!" Misty announced.

"If you're a gym leader, then you know the importance of having powerful Pokémon! Which is what I want!" Paul yelled.

"Yes, but Pokémon are meant to be companions and not slaves! And you have to have respect for the world around you!" Misty screamed.

Paul scoffed, "Figures…a loser girlfriend to go with the loser trainer."

"What did you call her?!" Ash clenched his fists.

"I don't have time for this. Electabuzz, Weavile, get those weaklings out of the way!" Weavile and Electabuzz smashed Pikachu and Piplup into the opposite sides of the wall, where they collapsed in pain.

"Pikachu/Piplup!" Ash and Dawn yelled.

"Now, go Pokéball!" Paul tried again. This time, Brock tried to deflect it, but he fell short and landed on his side, as the Pokéball struck Gliscor, and was captured. Seeing that saying anything else would prove to be pointless, Ash and Misty rejoined their friends after picking up the injured Pikachu, Dawn had gone to get Piplup, who chirped in pain. As Paul picked up the newly captured Gliscor, he scanned its stats with his Pokédex. "This Gliscor may be useful to me."

"Another slave to join his party." Dawn hissed.

"And what do you intend to with all those Gligar, Paul?" Ash asked with venom dripping from his voice.

"Don't you get it? They're none of my concern." Paul replied.

Ash growled in fury. The friendly Gligar charged towards the Pokémon trainer who had captured its leader, seeking vengeance. "Gligar, don't do it!" Brock warned.

Gligar ignored the warning, and dive-bombed Paul. "Electabuzz, 'Thunder Punch'." Paul said coolly. Electabuzz obeyed, and gave Gligar a vicious punch in the stomach. It quite possibly could've been enough to knock Gligar unconscious if it wasn't part ground-type, which gave it some defense.

Instead, Gligar was sent flying into Ash, who got the wind knocked out of him when Gligar crashed into him. "Ash, are you ok?" Misty asked, now deeply concerned for the boy who taken hit after hit over the past few days. Ash tried to speak, but found it was too difficult at the moment, so he settled for a nod.

Paul called back his Pokémon, and turned to walk away. "I've had enough of you and this town. I'm out of here." with that the trainer walked away without another word.

Misty and Brock gingerly helped Ash onto his feet, shooting icy-glares at the slave-driver Paul. "He's worse than ten Gary's. At least Gary cared for what happened to his Pokémon." Misty hissed.

"This is a new low, even for Paul." Ash strained, still trying to get his breath back.

The Gligar above them had just now realized what happened. Their leader had been captured, leaving them confused as to what to do. They flew around in confusion, some of them nearly running into the group of teens, who did a face-plant to avoid getting hit. "What's going on Brock?!" Dawn screamed.

"Now that Gliscor's been captured, the Gligar have no idea what to do!" Brock explained.

Ash slowly stood back to his full height after being hunched over from the hit. "We've gotta get them to the Pokémon Center!" Ash looked down at his Pokémon partner, "Pikachu, I know you're weak, but I need you to give us one last 'Thunderbolt'!" Pikachu obliged, and gave a 'Thunderbolt' attack to lead the Gligar to where they were supposed to go.

"Piplup is too weak!" Dawn screamed, holding her exhausted penguin.

"Then leave this to me! Staryu, come out and use 'Water Gun'!" Misty's sea-star Pokémon leaped out of its ball, and fired a stream of water that forced the Gligar to move toward the Pokémon Center.

"Alright, now they're heading in the right direction!" Brock exclaimed.

"Not all of them! Some of the Gligar don't want to go along with the others!" Dawn said.

Just then, the clumsy Gligar appeared from behind Ash and explained to the stragglers the plan, they followed it into the sky, and flew towards the Pokémon Center. "It's our buddy!" Ash exclaimed.

"And it understood what you said Ash!" Brock added.

"Come on we have to follow them!" Dawn said. Dawn and Brock ran off after the Gligar.

"Ash, can you run?" Misty asked with concern.

"I'm alright now Mist, let's just help those Gligar!" Ash replied. Misty grabbed Ash's hand, just in case he needed help, and chased after the Gligar as well.

By this time, Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy had gathered all of the Pokémon in the dome that could use 'Gust' and explained to them the situation. "Here they come." Officer Jenny said.

Sure enough, a swarm of Gligar came flying towards them, and landed in the trees. "Wait a minute, where's Gliscor?" Nurse Joy asked.

"There's no time for that Joy! We can't wait or we'll lose our chance!" Officer Jenny replied.

"Right! Quick everyone, use 'Gust'!" Nurse Joy ordered. The Pokémon, which included Staravia and Charizard, created a huge gale of wind that blew all of the Gligar out of the city and into the forest. By now, the group had reached the top of the Pokémon Center.

"Wow, they did it!" Brock exclaimed.

"Great job everyone, it worked like a charm!" Officer Jenny said.

"Soon they'll all be back home." Nurse Joy added. Suddenly, evil laughter filled the air, and yet another Meowth balloon came into view.

"We'll beat you goons as long as we got balloons!" Meowth cackled.

"That's what you think! Staryu, use 'Swift'!" Misty ordered. Staryu showered a flurry of stars, but it fell short of the target.

"They're too far away to hit!" Dawn said.

"I want no Gligar left behind." Jessie said.

"With one swish, you'll get your wish!" James said, pulling out a net.

"Turtwig, protect the Gligar with 'Energy Ball'!" Ash yelled. Turtwig popped out if its ball, and immediately fired an 'Energy Ball' at the balloon. It had the range required, but the aim was off.

"Nyahh nyahh! You missed us!"

"The distance is there…" Brock paused.

"But the control isn't!" Dawn finished.

"Ash, this is not a good time to train! Use an attack that will reach!" Misty screamed.

"Turtwig can do it!" Ash insisted, "Turtwig, try it again and aim carefully!" Turtwig concentrated its power, and with determination and adrenaline flowing through its body, it fired the 'Energy Ball', which nailed the Team Rocket balloon right on target. "Bulls-eye!" Ash cheered.

"I wanted to net Gligar, not you!" Jessie screamed at Meowth.

"I guess it's back ta scrounging for our own sandwiches." Meowth said sullenly.

"And consistently empty stomachs translate into just one thing…" James added.

"We're blasting off again!"

"Wobbuffet!"

*Ping*

"That was awesome! Now don't forget how that felt!" Ash said encouragingly. Turtwig nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well Ash, I apologize. Turtwig really came through when it counted." Misty said, petting Turtwig's head.

"Twig!" (Thanks!)

"No worries Mist, I know you were just trying to help." Ash said.

"Uh, you guys? Look over there!" Dawn said, pointing towards one of the trees.

They found their friend Gligar reaching for an apple. "Alright Turtwig, use 'Energy Ball'!" Ash ordered. Turtwig fired below Gligar, and the detonation caused Gligar to fly off the tree.

"Now use 'Gust' again everyone!" Nurse Joy ordered. The Pokémon obliged, and blew whatever remaining Gligar there were back to the forest.

"Bye Gligar, hurry home!" Ash called.

"And please, stay home!" Dawn added.

"(Sigh) That's a relief." Nurse Joy said.

"Now we can finally relax." Officer Jenny added.

Just then, the clumsy Gligar came flying in again. "Not again!" Ash said. Gligar glided in, and landed on Ash yet again. "Hey, where'd you learn how to fly anyway?!"

"Why didn't you go with your friends?" Dawn asked, dragging Gligar off of Ash. Gligar licked its face in response.

"I'll tell you what I think! Gligar likes Ash!" Brock explained.

"Cool! Do you want to be my Pokémon then?" Ash asked.

"Gli gar!" (Yeah!)

"But Ash, you already have six Pokémon with you don't you?" Misty asked.

"Sure, but at least he'll be with Prof. Oak." Ash replied. "Alright, go Pokéball!" The Pokéball struck Gligar, and it happily stayed in. The group waited for the Pokéball to vanish, but they began to grow confused when the Pokéball just stayed on the ground.

"Um…why is it still here?" Misty asked in confusion.

"Good question." Ash picked up the Pokéball, and threw it. Gligar popped out and licked its face.

"This is a little weird." Brock said.

"Nurse Joy, I thought you could only have six Pokémon at a time?" Ash asked.

"Oh yes, there's been some confusion regarding that. You see, the Sinnoh Region has a slightly different rule set. In the Sinnoh League you can only enter six Pokémon, but to save time and make things more efficient, you can keep up to eight Pokémon with you at a time so you can decide quicker." Nurse Joy explained.

"Really? That's awesome!" Ash recalled Gligar and cheered. "I just caught…a Gligar!"

"Oh, by the way, in gratitude for helping us save the Gligar, we're offering you a free-night at the Pokémon Center!" Nurse Joy said cheerfully.

At that, Brock got down on one knee and grabbed Nurse Joy's hand. "Oh my dear Nurse Joy, you can't imagine how much we appreciate your offer, but no one appreciates you more than me…" Brock was cut-off by Croagunk's 'Poison Jab'. "Why…do I…keep doing…this?" Brock strained. Croagunk snickered and dragged Brock away by the wrist.

"Thanks for letting us stay Nurse Joy; I think we could use a good-night's sleep." Ash said.

"Think nothing of it, I just wish I knew what happened to Gliscor, he wasn't there to go with his friends." Nurse Joy replied.

Ash's expression turned grim, thinking about the purple-haired trainer who had selfishly and mercilessly ripped Gliscor away from his friends. "Gliscor got captured." he muttered angrily.

"Oh…I see." Nurse Joy said sadly.

"Nurse Joy, I'm afraid that Piplup was pretty badly hurt chasing the Gligar, could you take care of it?" Dawn asked. Nurse Joy gave a nod, and took Piplup.

Ash handed Pikachu to Nurse Joy as well, "Here, Pikachu could use a nice rest too." With that, he walked back into the Pokémon Center without another word.

Ash's POV

"I can't believe Paul. He captured Gliscor and left all of those Gligar without a leader, he made fun of me for defending the Gligar, and he hurt Pikachu without even thinking twice! And on top of it all, he insulted Misty! This is a new low." I went down to the cafeteria to try and enjoy a sandwich, but my stomach was tied up in knots from my frustration. I managed to eat half before I just threw away the rest. On the way to the rooms, I ran into Misty, Dawn, and Brock.

"You ok Ash?" I pretended I didn't hear Brock and kept walking. I wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts, so I opened the room with the key Nurse Joy had given me on her way to the Pokémon healing room, and went to the balcony that it happened to have.

Misty's POV

Ash walked away without a word. I knew exactly what was on his mind. That creep Paul had done something unforgiveable. Taking Gliscor away without thinking about the Pokémon he was hurting in the process was something that Ash simply couldn't stand. "What's wrong with Ash?" Dawn asked.

"I think Paul is on his mind." Brock suggested glumly.

"Maybe we should talk to him." Dawn and Brock agreed with me, and followed me to the elevator.

After getting back to the main floor, we saw Ash leaving the cafeteria with a grim look. "You ok Ash?" Brock asked. I knew Ash could hear, but he pretended that he didn't. He walked up the steps to the rooms, and eventually vanished from sight. "Misty, maybe you should talk to him."

"Yeah, if Ash will listen to anybody, it has to be you." Dawn agreed. I didn't want to blow my own horn, but I couldn't help but feel they were right. I gave them a nod, and chased after Ash. I saw one of the room doors open, and looked through it. I saw Ash leaning over the balcony, and he was still obviously upset. I slowly walked up to him, and joined him over the side of the balcony.

"Hey Misty." Ash said sullenly.

"Hey."

"I can't believe that creep, Paul."

"Ash, what's done is done. As sad as it is, Gliscor is a member of Paul's group now."

Ash gave me a look that said he was still upset. "That's not the only thing he did that's making me mad."

Now I was confused, I figured that'd be it. "What did he do Ash?" I was slightly surprised by his answer.

"He insulted you Mist, how can you not remember?"

Figures…a loser girlfriend to go with the loser trainer.

I blushed at that. He wasn't just upset because of Gliscor, he was mad at Paul for calling me a loser. I smiled inwardly, touched by his concern. I gave him a playful nudge, and he gave a small smirk before frowning again. "Ash, I don't care what some random creep thinks about me. What I do care about…is what you think of me." I said soothingly.

Ash gave me a smile. "I think you're the best Mist, thanks." I gave him a loving hug which he gladly reciprocated, and we stood there in each other's embrace for a few minutes before breaking apart. "You see what I meant when I said I needed you here?"

"I see. You need me to keep you from losing your temper and beating the tar out of Paul." I said playfully.

"Yeah, I mean, the guy could use a bit of discipline…like you gave to me." Ash said, rubbing his head jokingly.

"There's an idea."

"What?"

"Next time he messes with either you or me, I give him a beating he'll never forget!" I said, swinging my mallet.

"Watch it Misty! Or you might put me to sleep right now!" Ash said fearfully, ducking my weapon.

I giggled, and put away my mallet. "Oh Ash, I think I forgot to get a room for myself." I said, feigning fake guilt.

"Of course, you sure Dawn didn't put you up to this?" Ash asked playfully. I shook my head in a "no" fashion and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Hey, I'm starving, let's get something to eat."

"You're hungry? I thought you already ate dinner?"

"You call half a sandwich dinner? I need something that'll last me the night!" I shook my head in amusement and grabbed his hand, and we walked down to the cafeteria where Dawn and Brock looked relieved to see Ash back to his old self.

Normal POV

"Hey guys." Ash greeted.

"You alright Ash?" Brock asked.

"I am now." Ash made a loving glance at the redhead holding his hand.

"Wow Misty, you're like some sort of happy pill for Ash." Dawn joked.

"Nah, a pill would take too long. Misty's like an insta-cure." Brock joked.

Ash and Misty blushed and smiled at each other. "So Brock, how long before we get to Veilstone City?" Ash asked.

"It should be just a couple more days." Brock said.

"Alright, and then I'll get me another gym badge!" Ash exclaimed.

"Hey Ash, you know what I just realized?" Misty asked.

"What is it Misty?" Ash asked.

"Now that you have a Gligar, you can enter the gym as another Gligar-man!" Misty joked. Ash face-faulted and groaned. And the group laughed at their friend.
_

A/N: Ok, I'm well aware that the whole "more than six Pokémon" is completely non-canon, but Charizard is too awesome to ignore, and I also like the Gliscor that Ash eventually gets. Also, I have some reservations as to how I wrote up Paul. I would appreciate some opinions on what you thought of Paul, because I know that he's mean, but I think I may have pushed it beyond the limit. And one more thing, I realize that there are many episodes that lead into each other. (The eventual Wallace Cup for instance) So some chapters may be far longer than others, since it really is a "To-be-continued" thing. I hope to cut down on the chapters, while still getting all the required episodes. Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for updates!