AUTHOR'S NOTE: Greetings, readers! Here is chapter 28 of the continuing adventures of Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as they continue their journey through the Hoenn region. In the last chapter, we had Misty join the cast. BUT! We don't know how Colonel Hansen managed to catch two Ninjask and a Shedinja to help with his evil plot to steal a Togepi and claim the throne for himself. Let's say that Taz was Colonel Hansen's first choice before the events of the Pokémon: Advanced Challenge episodes: "The Princess and the Togepi" and "A Togepi Mirage." Although he poses a threat to Tristan and Hillary, he doesn't confront them. And one other thing I want to tell you about is that even though I only try to put in music cues that appear on Pokémon, I'm going to make an exception and place a music cue from the second season of the English dub of Digimon in this chapter because it seemed epic enough to put it there. Let's imagine some more as Tristan and Hillary's journey through the Hoenn region continues.
TEASER: Taz is appointed by a man named Colonel Hansen to steal a Togepi for him. And it turns out Hillary is his first victim! Will she and Tristan be able to protect Togepi...and each other? And with Taz in control of one of the most dangerous Pokémon our young Trainers have ever seen, will he succeed in his evil plot?
Chapter 28. A SHED OF DIGNITY
(Music Cue: Opening M01B (1997-1998 (as heard at the beginning of "The Wayward Wobbuffet")))
As our heroes continue their journey to Mauville City, an unexpected visitor is about to make things very interesting.
Tristan and Hillary were still walking along in the woods the next morning when who should appear but a disguised man with a beard and mustache in strange clothes.
"Pardon me, dollink, but is that a Togepi in your arms?" asked the man in a funny accent.
"Why, yes, it is," answered Hillary.
"Oh, it's such a cutie-pie!" The man took Togepi and embraced it.
Togepi was confused.
But Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu started to become suspicious.
"Hey, that's my sister's Togepi," warned Tristan. "You'd better give it back."
"Oh, don't worry, I'll take care of it," said the man. "I just want to borrow it. Permanently."
"Permanently?!" This made Tristan and Hillary very suspicious.
Even Pikachu was alarmed.
"Why do you want Togepi?" demanded Hillary.
"It's just that Togepi's my favorite Pokémon, and I've wanted to see one for so long. So much so that I've wanted to do this!"
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (as heard in "Espeon...Not Included"))
And he threw off his disguise and revealed his true identity. "Ha! Hello, kiddies!"
"It's Taz!" cried Tristan and Hillary.
Pikachu exclaimed in disbelief.
"Whee! Togepi is mine!" shrieked Taz triumphantly. "Now it's off to the rendezvous point!" And he quickly jumped into his waiting Electabuzz balloon and took off into the sky. "Later, losers!"
"Not so fast! Beldum, let's go!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
Beldum emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"After him, Beldum, we can't let Taz take Togepi away!" ordered Tristan.
Beldum quickly floated up and proceeded to charge toward the balloon using Take Down.
"Oh, yeah? Magmar, use your Smokescreen!" commanded Taz as he threw his Poké Ball.
Magmar emerged from the white light that shot out of it and emitted a thick, black cloud of smoke that not only enveloped Beldum, but Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu as well, causing them all to choke.
"I love it when a plan works," chuckled Taz as he and his balloon quickly drifted out of sight.
The smoke disappeared just as quickly as it came.
"Where did Taz go?" wondered Hillary nervously. "And where's Togepi?"
Tristan looked up. "They're gone! Taz must've gotten away!"
"Togepi? Togepi?" called Hillary. "Please answer me!"
But there was no response.
Tristan began to worry himself. Togepi can't be gone. It just can't!
Hillary looked up to the sky and cried out as loudly as she could, "TOGEPIIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Her cry was so loud that it could be heard for miles.
(Music Cue: Kanto Title Card)
(Music Cue: Team Rocket's Theme 2002 (as heard in "Pokémon: Heroes: Latios and Latias"))
Meanwhile, Taz was gloating over his latest capture as Togepi struggled desperately to get out of his demented grip. "You're gonna be the grand prize for my newest master, my cute widdo cutie-pie." And he hugged Togepi, who didn't take very kindly to his kind of affection. "Now, I need to add to my firepower and speed. Come to think of it, my Nincada hasn't had very much training lately. So, I'll find a good opponent for it to battle." And he searched high and low for one as he continued floating in the sky in his balloon.
"What am I gonna do?" moaned Hillary. "That Togepi was special. Great-Grandma Rachael gave it to me as a gift."
"I'm sorry, sis," said Tristan a few minutes later. He bent his head low in disappointment. "I should've been quicker. If it hadn't been for me, Togepi wouldn't be with Taz now."
Pikachu apologized to Hillary as well.
"It's not your fault, Tristan," Hillary assured him. "Taz just took us by surprise, like he always does. And he was faster this time. Still, we can't waste too much time or Taz will get too far away."
"You're right," agreed Tristan. "Beldum, try to scout the area and see if you can find Hillary's Togepi."
Beldum nodded and floated off to search for it.
"We're counting on you, Beldum!" called Hillary. She then turned to Tristan. "Come on, let's split up and search as well. We'll cover more ground that way."
Tristan nodded in agreement. "Let's go, Pikachu." And he and Pikachu went west while Hillary went east.
Back with Taz, he couldn't find any opponents worth battling. "Rats! Why can't those Pokémon accept my challenge and battle me already?" And he yelled out, "YOU COWARDS! GET OUT HERE AND FACE ME!" His yelling was so loud it could be heard for miles. But it certainly didn't make any wild Pokémon appear. "Nothing. Nada. No Pokémon to battle with. Except..." He turned to Togepi in his arms. "Ah, you'll do." He landed his balloon on the ground and set Togepi down. Then he leaped a few yards away, took out a Poké Ball, and shouted, "Go, Nincada!"
(Music Cue: Come Along (as heard the second time in "Snack Attack"))
Nincada emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
Togepi instantly became terrified and started crying.
"Oh, quit your whining!" ordered Taz. "I need you to battle my Nincada! Go, Nincada, use Dig!"
Nincada quickly dug underground and prepared to strike.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble under Togepi and out Nincada came.
Fortunately, Togepi managed to dodge Nincada's attack just in time.
"No, no, no, no!" barked Taz. "You know you can't hurt Togepi like that! Just pretend to battle Togepi."
Nincada bent its head low in shame.
"Let's try it again," advised Taz. "But this time, be gentle with it, will ya?"
Nincada nodded.
"Nincada, use Dig again!"
Nincada quickly dug underground.
Presently, a mini radio in Taz's pocket rang and a voice said, "Come in, Taz! Come in now!"
Taz instantly trembled at the voice and quickly answered it. "C-C-Colonel Hansen, sir! Y-Yes, go ahead."
"How close are you to stealing a Togepi for me?" Colonel Hansen's voice sounded impatient.
"Not too much longer, sir, I just got one. I was doing some last-minute training with my Nincada and..."
"Enough!" ordered Colonel Hansen. "Just bring my Togepi to me immediately. And forget your stupid battling!"
"Stupid?! Why I oughtta..."
"It's an order!" And Colonel Hansen signed off.
Taz seethed in anger. "The nerve of that power-hungry Hansen! I'll show him." Little did he know that Togepi was waving its arms just a few yards away from him.
Togepi's arms then started glowing and suddenly, it disappeared into thin air.
Nincada kept waiting for Taz's signal from underground.
"Come on, Nincada, the battle's off!" called Taz. "We gotta get Togepi to that stuck-up Colonel Hansen by nightfall or we're toast."
Nincada quickly came up to the surface. But then it saw that Togepi was nowhere to be seen and alerted Taz.
"Ugh! What now, Nincada?" grumbled Taz impatiently. He then turned to see Togepi was no longer present. "Oh, no! My precious Togepi! My precious Togepi is GOOOOOONE!"
"Whose precious Togepi?" said a voice.
(Music Cue: A Creeping Threat (full version))
Taz stopped to see a tall man wearing royal attire standing behind him. He had gray hair, as well as a beard and mustache. "C-C-Colonel Hansen, sir!"
"Where is my Togepi?" fumed Colonel Hansen.
"Well, you see, Togepi was battling my Nincada, as you probably know from earlier. I only turned away from it for one second, but then suddenly, it just up and left!"
"What?! What did you say?! TOGEPI GOT AWAY?!" Colonel Hansen was furious.
"Y-y-y-y-yes, sir," trembled Taz.
"You are total incompetence!" shouted Colonel Hansen angrily. "I can't believe I put you of all people in charge of stealing a Togepi for me! I searched high and low for one for days, and I finally came close to capturing one only to find out that you of all people lost it! All right, then, I'll give you one more chance, just one."
"Anything, sir!" replied Taz, who sighed with relief.
"I'll let you borrow my Ninjask to aid your Nincada for this mission," explained Colonel Hansen. And he took out his Poké Ball. "If you can sucessfully capture that girl's Togepi, then I'll let you keep that Ninjask."
"I won't let you down again!" replied Taz, who was filled with determination to succeed.
"But," continued Colonel Hansen, "should you fail, then not only do I keep my Ninjask, but your Nincada shall join it."
This surprised Taz greatly. "Not my Nincada!" he gasped.
"It's either that or get fired."
Taz sighed. Then he said, "Okay, I accept."
Nincada ran forward in front of Taz to defend him. Then suddenly, it was bathed in a bright white light.
Taz was surprised.
So was Colonel Hansen. "Well, well," he smiled wickedly. "Looks like Nincada is starting to evolve."
Nincada began to grow a little bigger as it evolved. When it emerged from the white light, it had grown two pairs of wings. It had a mostly black body with accents of yellow and gray. It also had a pair of gleaming red eyes.
"Is that a..." began Taz.
"Yes," replied Colonel Hansen. "It appears you lucked out again. Your Nincada has evolved into a Ninjask."
But suddenly, a white light emerged from Taz's belt.
A new Pokémon resembling a cicada's shed exoskeleton appeared out of the white light. Most of its body was light brown while its abdomen was gray. It had a pair of tattered wings divided into three wingtips with a black hole between them. To top it off, it had a halo floating over its head.
Taz was extremely surprised. "Wait. What just happened?"
"Well, this is getting more and more interesting," smirked Colonel Hansen. "Looks like you just obtained a Shedinja."
"A what?"
(Music Cue: Ash's Decision to Fight (Decision))
"Shedinja," repeated Colonel Hansen. "It appears when Nincada evolves into Ninjask. The only catch is you have to have an empty space in your party and an extra Poké Ball. You met those requirements."
"Wow, really?"
"Not only that, Shedinja's body is so strong, it can withstand almost any attack."
"Almost any attack?" This made Taz excited. "Now I can finally defeat those kids at last!" He felt unbeatable.
"Use my Ninjask along with your Ninjask and Shedinja correctly and you shall succeed in your mission," reminded Colonel Hansen. "Remember, succeed in capturing that girl's Togepi for me, and you can keep my Ninjask. But fail, and all three Pokémon are mine."
"Yes, sir!" replied Taz. And he set out at once.
Colonel Hansen smirked evilly and said to himself. "And once he does, I'll finally be able to become king of the Mirage Kingdom and throw out the King and Queen."
Meanwhile, Beldum was floating high and low for Togepi.
Presently, teeny-weeny crying could be heard from the top of a tall tree.
Beldum turned around to see the source of the crying.
Sure enough, it was Togepi, and it was completely terrified of heights.
Beldum floated over to Togepi and offered it a lift, which it happily accepted. Then it floated in the air to report back to Tristan and Hillary.
Little did they know that Taz was peering through the bushes. "Aha! There you are. Soon you'll be all mine."
Meanwhile, Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu had just gotten back together after searching frantically through the woods.
"Find anything?" asked Hillary.
"Nothing," answered Tristan. "How about you?"
"Nothing. I'm getting really worried."
Suddenly, a familiar trill was heard from the air.
Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu turned to see Togepi happily appearing with Beldum none the worse for wear.
"It's Togepi!" cried Hillary excitedly as Togepi jumped off of Beldum into Hillary's arms. "Oh, Togepi, I thought I lost you! I'm so glad you're okay."
Togepi trilled happily as Hillary embraced it.
Tristan turned to Beldum. "Thanks, Beldum. Great job."
Beldum gave a happy reply.
Then Tristan became puzzled. "But how did Togepi manage to get away from Taz. It's very little."
"Well, for a little Pokémon, that was a pretty big escape," replied Hillary. "Right, Togepi?"
Togepi trilled in agreement.
"I think it must've used Metronome, and then teleported away from Taz," continued Hillary.
"You think so?" replied Tristan. "Wow, Togepi, you sure are a smart Pokémon."
Togepi trilled happily.
But the celebration didn't last long, for suddenly, everyone found themselves quickly surrounded by two cicada-like Pokémon.
Tristan and Hillary gasped, for the two Pokémon buzzed fiercely.
"What's going on here?" demanded Hillary. Just then, a loud triumphant cackle was heard behind her and Tristan.(Music C
(Music Cue: Team Rocket Appears (full version (with the extra note at the end as heard in the 4Kids dub of the episode "Mother of All Battles")))
Both turned around to see Taz confronting them.
"Hello, kiddies! I see you've met my two new friends, the Ninjask."
"It's Taz again!" exclaimed Tristan.
"Wait, what are Ninjask?" wondered Hillary as she scanned them with her Pokédex.
"Ninjask, the Ninja Pokémon. Ninjask is the evolved form of Nincada. Ninjask is so fast it is said to be able to evade any attack."
"How'd he get two of them?" gasped Hillary.
"One of them must've evolved from his Nincada while he borrowed another one," replied Tristan. "But why are they attacking us together?"
"They must still be after Togepi."
"Yeah? Well, not for long. Mudkip, I choose you!" shouted Tristan as he threw his Poké Ball.
"Come on out, Squirtle, I choose you!" added Hillary as she threw hers.
Mudkip and Squirtle emerged from the white lights that shot out of them.
"Water Gun attack!" ordered Tristan and Hillary together.
Mudkip and Squirtle unleashed powerful blasts of water from their mouths at the two Ninjask, but both were too fast for their Water Gun attacks to work.
"And now, I'd like to introduce my newest addition to my team," smirked Taz as he took out another Poké Ball and threw it.
Taz's new Shedinja emerged from the white light that shot out of it. It looked small, but really mad.
"Eek!" shrieked Hillary. "What is that thing?!"
Tristan, who seemed unusually nervous, quickly scanned the new Pokémon on his Pokédex.
"Shedinja, the Shed Pokémon. Shedinja possesses a hard powerful body, giving it strong defenses."
"Shedinja must've appeared after Taz evolved his Nincada," said Tristan.
"Let's team up and attack Shedinja together," suggested Hillary.
"Right," agreed Tristan. "Mudkip, use Water Gun on Shedinja!"
"You, too, Squirtle, Water Gun!"
Both Budkip and Squirtle shot another blast of water from their mouths at Shedinja, but Shedinja just absorbed the damage.
"No way!" gasped Tristan.
"The attacks bounced off!" added Hillary.
"Oh, Shedinja," sang Taz in a singsong voice, "let's have some fun with those kids."
Shedinja nodded as energy began to form above the halo on its head. Then it unleashed a devastating blast of energy so powerful that it nearly knocked Tristan, Hillary, and Pikachu off their feet.
"That was a strong SolarBeam!" gasped Hillary.
"No kidding!" agreed Tristan.
Then, Shedinja charged up again and fired another one; this time, the attack was aimed for Squirtle and Mudkip.
Although Squirtle managed to avoid the blast, Mudkip, unfortunately, wasn't, as the attack instantly sent it flying.
"Oh, no, Mudkip's been hit!" cried Hillary.
"Quick, Mudkip, return!" shouted Tristan as he recalled it safely back into its Poké Ball. He then turned to Hillary. "Let's retreat and regroup."
"Right. Okay, Ralts, Teleport us away from here!" shouted Hillary as she threw another Poké Ball.
Ralts emerged from the white light that shot out of it. Then using its telekinetic abilities, it disappeared into thin air along with Tristan, Hillary, Pikachu, Togepi, Squirtle, and Beldum, just as Shedinja launched another SolarBeam attack in their direction.
BOOM!
Fortunately, they teleported away just before Shedinja's attack hit.
When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Taz saw that everyone had disappeared. "Arrgh!" he growled. "Those blasted kids got away. But I know they can't hide forever. I'll search the entire Hoenn region for them if I have to. And that little Togepi, too."
Everyone found themselves in a familiar room an instant later.
"Phew, that was close. Thanks, Ralts," commended Hillary.
Ralts gave a happy reply.
"Hey, wait a second. Isn't this...?"
(Music Cue: Mystical Story (full version))
"Of course!" said Tristan. "It's our Secret Base!"
"The one Keanu helped us with!"
Sure enough, it was their Secret Base on Dewford Island.
"We've gotta figure out some more information about Shedinja, and fast," said Hillary. "That's the most dangerous Pokémon of all."
"I'll look it up," agreed Tristan as he looked up Shedinja's entry in his Pokédex and logged into the Secret Base's computer. He found the information he needed a moment later. "It says here that Shedinja has a special ability called Wonder Guard."
"What's Wonder Guard?" asked Hillary.
"According to this, it's an ability that prevents Shedinja from taking damage against many different types of attacks, including Water and Electric attacks."
"Many different attacks? No wonder our Water Gun attacks didn't do anything to it! How can we possibly stand a chance against that thing?"
"Shedinja may seem unstoppable, but it's not unbeatable. If there's one thing that we've learned, it's that every Pokémon has a weakness."
"So what's Shedinja's weakness?"
"Well, Shedinja possesses traits of both Bug and Ghost-type Pokémon. So if we come up with the most effective attacks we can think of, we just might be able to defeat it."
"Like Cyndaquil's Fire attacks?"
"Definitely. Pikachu and I will take care of the two Ninjask since they carry traits of Bug and Flying-types, and they're vulnerable against Electric attacks. Then it'll be up to you to take care of Shedinja, since one of its weaknesses is Fire attacks."
"You're right. It's our only chance."
Tristan logged off of the computer and prepared to depart with Hillary and the Pokémon.
"Okay, Ralts, it's time to Teleport back to Taz. I know we can beat him this time."
Ralts nodded and began to glow.
Instantly, everyone teleported out of the Secret Base.
Back with Taz, he was trying to find Tristan and Hillary while Shedinja and the two Ninjask slowly searched high and low. "What a nuisance those kiddies are," he grumbled. "Now where did they go? I'll have that Togepi by the end of the day if it's the last thing I do."
Meanwhile, just out of sight, Tristan, Hillary, and the Pokémon appeared and peered through the bushes.
"Look, there they are," whispered Tristan.
"Okay, remember our plan," reminded Hillary. "You take on the Ninjask first. Then I'll deal with Shedinja."
"Got it. You ready to go?"
"Yeah."
And a moment later, Tristan and Hillary crawled out to put their plan into effect.
Taz turned to his Pokémon. Then he looked out into the distance. "If nothing else, those kids are sure good at running. Where are they?"
"Here we are, Taz!"
(Music Cue: Raid! (full version))
Taz turned to see the voice belonged to Tristan, who emerged with Hillary, Pikachu, Togepi, Ralts, Squirtle, and Beldum. "So you came back after all," he smirked. "Now, hand over Togepi, or else."
"Try and make us!" retorted Hillary.
"So that's how you wanna play? Fine with me. All right, youse guys!" ordered Taz.
And at Taz's command, Shedinja and the two Ninjask quickly flew toward Tristan and Hillary.
"Hillary, you lead Taz and Shedinja away while Pikachu and I deal with the Ninjask," advised Tristan.
"Got it, Tristan," agreed Hillary. "Squirtle, return!" And she recalled Squirtle safely back into its Poké Ball. "Ralts, use Teleport, now."
Ralts nodded and instantly teleported away with Hillary and Togepi.
"Don't just stand there, Shedinja, go after her!" barked Taz. "Ninjask, you take on the boy!" And he and Shedinja gave chase, leaving Tristan behind to deal with the Ninjask.
"Come and get me, Ninjask," said Tristan defiantly.
The two Ninjask began to create illusory copies of themselves at a high rate of speed.
"They're using Double Team," grunted Tristan as he frantically looked for the real ones. "But where could they be?"
Presently, the Ninjask began firing golden beams of energy straight at Tristan, Pikachu, and Beldum.
"Look out! That's Hyper Beam!" cried Tristan.
Everyone managed to avoid the double Hyper Beam attack just in time.
Then Tristan's sharp eyes spotted the two Ninjask breathing hard. "Of course! After using Hyper Beam, they can't attack again for awhile, let alone move. This is our chance! Quick, Pikachu!"
Pikachu quickly ran to Tristan's side, awaiting his instructions.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt 'em!" commanded Tristan.
Pikachu unleashed a powerful yellow bolt of electricity at the two Ninjask, scoring direct hits on them.
BOOM!
The defeated Ninjask lay in a heap, gripped with paralysis from Pikachu's Thunderbolt.
"Excellent! Great job, Pikachu," commended Tristan.
Pikachu gave a happy reply.
"Now we've gotta find Hillary. Come on." And Tristan led Pikachu and Beldum to find her.
(Music Cue: Danger! Pikachu! (as heard in "Enter the Dragonite"))
Meanwhile, Hillary was running as fast as her legs could carry her while she carried Ralts and Togepi. "I just hope Taz doesn't figure out how to play hide-and-seek," she said to herself.
Suddenly, Shedinja appeared right in front of her.
"Yikes! It's Shedinja! Quick, let's go this way!" And Hillary quickly ran in a different direction, but suddenly, Taz appeared right in front of her!
"Going somewhere?" smirked Taz as he grabbed Hillary.
"Aah! Let me go!" screamed Hillary.
Fortunately, Ralts used Teleport to transport Hillary and Togepi away from Taz and Shedinja just in time.
"You can't run forever, you know!" called Taz. "Come on, Shedinja." And he and Shedinja resumed their chase.
"That was a close one," said Hillary to Togepi and Ralts. "We just have to avoid Shedinja long enough to..."
But unfortunately, Hillary's speech was interrupted when suddenly, a SolarBeam attack stopped her and the Pokémon dead in their tracks.
"Uh-oh!" exclaimed Hillary.
Taz and Shedinja appeared in front of Hillary. "All right, girly, hand over that Togepi."
"Never!" retorted Hillary defiantly. "This Togepi is mine!"
(Music Cue: Lugia's Explosive Birth (Lugia Appears! (as heard in the Japanese version of "Revelation Lugia"))
"Shedinja, SolarBeam!" ordered Taz.
Shedinja's halo began to glow as it absorbed energy from the sun. Then it fired another beam of energy that was aimed straight for Hillary, who gasped in horror.
But just then, Togepi and Ralts leaped out of Hillary's arms and made a protective barrier to shield her from the blast.
"Is that...? Of course! They're both using Safeguard!" gasped Hillary.
Sure enough, Shedinja's SolarBeam had been blocked thanks to Togepi and Ralts, and it was no surprise that it was a strong shield of protection against it.
"Wow, thanks, guys," smiled Hillary. "You saved my life."
Both Pokémon gave happy replies, and were greatly relieved to see their Trainer unhurt.
This made Taz furious. "Why you little ingrates! When I get my hands on you, you're gonna wish I hadn't fired that SolarBeam!"
That was the cue Hillary had been waiting for. "Thanks for the tip. That just might work. Cyndaquil, let's go!" she shouted as she threw her Poké Ball.
(Music Cue: OK! (Orchestra & Guitar (as heard in "Can't Beat the Heat")))
Cyndaquil emerged from the white light that shot out of it.
"So, you wanna play with fire, let's play with fire!" retorted Taz. "Shedinja, SolarBeam!"
Shedinja charged up another SolarBeam, then fired it at Cyndaquil.
"Flamethrower, Cyndaquil, now!" shouted Hillary.
Cyndaquil ignited the flame on its back. Then it unleashed a powerful stream of fire from its mouth to block Shedinja's SolarBeam.
"Ha! Fire all you want," laughed Taz. "My Shedinja's unbeatable! There's no way you'll be able to beat it with a measly old Flamethrower attack!"
Alas, Taz was wrong, for Cyndaquil not only managed to overpower Shedinja's SolarBeam, but it scored a huge direct hit on Shedinja as well, much to his shock and dismay.
"What?! No!" yelled Taz.
Shedinja felt the burn from Cyndaquil's Flamethrower and slowly collapsed to the ground. It had finally been knocked out.
"Shedinja! But how?" gasped Taz.
"We did our homework and found out about Shedinja's special ability: Wonder Guard," explained Hillary. "It protects Shedinja from every attack...EXCEPT super-effective attacks. And Cyndaquil's Flamethrower just happens to be one of them. That puts you behind the rest of the class once again, Taz."
"But...that's impossible!" exclaimed Taz.
"See for yourself. You've lost, the game is over, now go away."
Taz seethed in anger. "You're gonna pay for this! Shedinja, return!" And he quickly recalled his burnt-to-a-crisp Shedinja and started beating a hasty retreat. Then he saw his two defeated Ninjask. "What? Not you, too! Say something!"
Sure enough, the Ninjask were in no condition to answer him.
Then he turned to see Pikachu, whose sparks crackled from its cheeks.
"Don't tell me. I'm in for a big shock, ain't I?"
"You got that right, Taz!" said Tristan as he made his entrance. "Now, Pikachu, finish him off!"
Pikachu leaped up and unleashed a powerful Thunder attack at Taz, scoring direct hits on him and the two Ninjask, creating a huge explosion that sent them flying.
BOOM!
"We'll remember this!" screamed Taz as he and the two Ninjask disappeared into the sky.
DING!
(Music Cue: Meeting and Parting (full version))
That evening, everyone sighed with relief as the danger passed.
"Whew!" said Tristan. "I'm glad that's over."
"Yeah, me, too," agreed Hillary. "That Shedinja was the toughest Pokémon we've faced yet. It seemed almost unbeatable. I hope we don't run into it again."
"Knowing Taz, we probably will. Hey, speaking of Taz, I wonder why he wanted your Togepi so much."
"Beats me. But it seems to me that someone else may be behind all of this. Do you think Misty might be in danger? She has a Togepi too, if I recall correctly."
"Well, one thing's for sure. If Misty ever gets into trouble, Ash and Brock will rush to her rescue."
"You think so?"
"I know so."
"Yeah. Come on. It's been a big day. Let's find a Pokémon Center so we can rest up."
"Or find a place to set up camp for the night."
Pikachu and Togepi agreed with them as they and their Trainers set off.
After encountering Taz, it seemed as though Tristan and Hillary had finally met their match. But after doing a bit of research at their Secret Base, they found a way to defeat it and give Taz another loss. And speaking of losses, let's hope they never lose their sense of direction on their way to Mauville City...and Tristan's next Gym Battle.
That night, Taz crash-landed in a vast desert with the two Ninjask. "Ow!" he groaned as he spat out dust and sand out of his mouth. "Those stuck-up kids have some nerve blasting me off into this desert. I'll teach them a lesson but good next time we meet."
(Music Cue: Pepper Flame! (as heard in the second season of "Digimon: Digital Monsters"))
But suddenly, a familiar man in royal attire appeared before him.
"Yikes!" yelped Taz. "It's Colonel Hansen!"
"Yes, it's me, now where's my Togepi?"
"I don't have it. I mean, I DID have it, but then those blasted kids sent me on my way empty-handed and..." Taz's speech was interrupted when he saw Colonel Hansen glaring at him.
"Prepare to face the consequences," grumbled Colonel Hansen.
"But sir, can't you give me another opportunity to make things right?"
"No! You had your chance. Now it's time for me to take your Pokémon by force! Ninjask!"
Colonel Hansen's Ninjask awakened and flew by him as it awaited his instructions.
"Do whatever is necessary to take his two Pokémon," ordered Colonel Hansen.
Colonel Hansen's Ninjask charged up and fired a Hyper Beam attack at Taz, who narrowly dodged it.
"Hey, you can't do that!" exclaimed Taz.
"We had a deal," reminded Colonel Hansen. "You failed in your mission, which means your Ninjask and Shedinja are mine."
"Well, guess what, pall? The deal's off!"
"Ninjask, Hyper Beam!" ordered Colonel Hansen.
Ninjask fired another golden beam of energy at Taz.
"I won't let you! Come on out, Shedinja!" shouted Taz as he threw his Poké Ball.
Shedinja emerged from the white light that shot out of it and simply absorbed the damage Hyper Beam did to it.
"Guess I shoulda warned ya, pal. Shedinja can stand up to almost any kind of attack."
"Ninjask, Shadow Ball!" commanded Colonel Hansen.
Ninjask unleashed a black ball of energy right at Ninjask.
"You can take this one, right, Shedinja?" asked Taz.
Shedinja nodded and stood in front.
But unfortunately for Taz, he didn't realize that since Shedinja was weak against Ghost-type attacks also, Shadow Ball was able to connect, knocking it out instantly. "No! Shedinja!"
"And now, you're next!" put in Colonel Hansen.
Taz trembled in fear, for he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against a Shadow Ball, and he braced himself.
Colonel Hansen's Ninjask unleashed another black ball of energy at Taz, exploding on contact with the ground and sending him flying up and crashing down to the sand.
There was worse to come, for the direct hit had caused Taz to lose Ninjask and Shedinja's Poké Balls.
Colonel Hansen smirked with triumph as he caught them in his hands. "Of course, what I didn't tell you is that Shedinja is weak against Ghost-type attacks. And he returned Taz's Ninjask and Shedinja to their Poké Balls before they knew what was happening.
Taz tried to get back on his feet. "No...give...them...back..."
"Farewell, fool," smirked Colonel Hansen. "I'm off to claim my ultimate prize...and finding Togepi myself will be the perfect way to start."
"Come...back..." grunted Taz as he desperately tried to chase after him, but the injuries he sustained from the attack were too much, and he passed out in the sands of the desert.
TO BE CONTINUED...