Episode Twelve
Last time, Amanda challenged the Vermillion City gym leader Lieutenant Surge and his Raichu to try and win a Thunder Badge. However, Pikachu was beaten easily in the first match, resulting in it having to recover in the Pokemon Center. That prompted Amanda, Michelle, and Mark to call up Ash, Misty, and Brock for suggestions on how to defeat Surge. After being informed by brock about Raichu having evolved too early, Amanda, her friends and Pikachu went back to the gym, fully determined to win. After a more intense rematch, Pikachu came out the winner, and Amanda got her Thunder Badge. What do you suppose will happen next? Let's find out together as the journey continues.
"It was such an exciting battle, Mama." An excited Amanda said on the phone. "Pikachu gave it his all, and we pulled through to win it."
"That's wonderful." Said Kangaskhan. "What do you think you're going to do now?"
"We're not sure." Said Amanda. "I'm sure we'll think of something, though. I have to go now, but I'll talk to you later." Amanda hung up the phone and went out into the Pokemon Center lobby where Michelle and Mark were.
"According to the guidebook, Vermillion's known for housing the luxury St. Anne ship." Mark said.
"That's pretty cool." Said Michelle.
"Well, we were known for housing it." Said Nurse Joy.
"What do you mean, Nurse Joy?" asked Amanda.
"I guess you three kids didn't hear about it." Said Joy.
"Heard about what?" asked Michelle.
"Last year, the St. Anne ran into a wave of rough water and completely sank." Said Joy.
"Oh dear." Said Mark.
"Did everyone make it off the ship okay, Nurse Joy?" asked Michelle.
"For the most part, they did." Said Joy. "At least, upon initial evacuation. We originally thought that five lives were claimed when the ship sank, but it turns out that those people also managed to make it off."
"That's a relief." Said Michelle.
"It is, but the St. Anne was lost forever." Said Joy. "If you want to stick around the area for a little longer, though, then I would suggest checking out Diglett's Cave. It's not too far from here."
"I think that's where we'll go then." Said Mark. "Thanks for the suggestion, Nurse Joy."
"No problem." Said Joy. The trio left the Pokemon Center sand made their way east.
"I wonder why it's called Diglett's Cave." Said Amanda.
"I think it's because a whole bunch of Diglett live there." Said Michelle.
"I guess we'll find out when we get there." Said Mark.
"Looks like we'll have some new friends to meet in the cave, Pikachu." Said Amanda.
"Same goes for you, Eevee." Said Michelle. Both partner Pokémon squealed with happiness. Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the entrance.
"Looks like this is it." Said Mark, and they made their way inside the cave.
"Looks like something isn't quite right with the lighting in here." Said Amanda. Mark looked up at the ceiling and saw that it was darker than normal.
"Hey, you're right." Said Mark.
"But I thought this was supposed to be easy to navigate." Said Michelle.
"It should be, but I suspect that there may be foul play involved." Said Mark, and he grabbed a Poke Ball. "I do know how we can fix the lighting situation, though." He threw the ball and Charmander came out.
"Charmander, I need you to use the flame on your tail to guide us through the cave." He said. "Can you do that for me?"
"Charmander charm!" the fire type happily cried, which meant 'Sure thing.'
"All right, lead the way." Said Mark. Charmander nodded and the group followed him down the cave's pathway.
"I'm hoping the bad lighting didn't make the Diglett go away." Said Amanda.
"I hope not either." Said Mark. They trekked through the cave slowly so that they could fully check. A few minutes later, a tiny brown Pokemon with a pink nose popped up from under the ground.
"Diglett dig!" it cried.
"Aw, it's so adorable." Said Michelle.
"It's certainly one of the cuter ones, that's for sure." Said Amanda. She took her Pokedex out to scan for information.
"Diglett, the mole Pokemon. Its small stature makes it both the lightest and shortest Ground-type. It feeds on tree roots and vegetables, and sometimes makes its home insides of trees and burrows near forests."
"I don't see any forests anywhere near here, though." Said Michelle.
"Maybe it likes to play in the forests during the day, and then come back here at night." Said Mark.
"That's certainly possible." Said Amanda. She crouched down toward the Diglett.
"Hi there, little buddy." She said. "Do you think you could do me a favor and tell me and my friends what's been going on?" The Diglett nodded and explained the situation in its' own language. Amanda took in everything carefully before nodding her head.
"I see. Thank you, Diglett." She said and turned back to her friends.
"Diglett says that a pair of crooks were here and cut off electricity to the entire cave." Said Amanda.
"Now I know why I'm having to use Charmander to guide us through." Said Mark.
"That's not all it said, though." Said Amanda. "It also said those same crooks took away its' friends and are holding them hostage outside the other entrance somewhere."
"That's terrible." Said Michelle.
"I think I might have an idea already who the culprits are." Said Mark.
"I think so too." Said Amanda. "Diglett, do you remember exactly how and when it happened?"
"Diglett." The Diglett nodded and started to explain again.
Flashback to Earlier in the Day
Conrad and Sally were both sharing a large pizza for their lunch.
"Ah, there's nothing like a nice meal before going on a mission." Said Sally.
"Remind me again what our mission is." Said Conrad.
"We're supposed to steal all of the Diglett in the cave and bring them to the boss." Said Sally.
"Do we even know how many Diglett are in there?" asked Conrad.
"No, but since it's a Diglett cave, there's bound to be plenty of them." Said Sally. They continued their discussion, but what they didn't know was that the youngest of the Diglett was listening to everything that was being said. It quickly dashed into the cave to warn the other Diglett.
"Diglett dig!" it cried, which meant 'Team Rocket is planning something. We have to hide.' The other Diglett in the group were determined to not allow themselves to be stolen, so they all went off into different hiding spots. Outside, Conrad and Sally were finishing their lunch.
"Well, I think it's time we went to work." Conrad said. They got up from the tree they were sitting under and headed into the cave.
"Oh little Diglett, come out wherever you are." Said Sally. But no Diglett popped out.
"I wonder where they went." Said Conrad.
"They're probably scared of us, which is why they're hiding." Said Sally.
"We'll just have to make them come out." Said Conrad. "Hey Diglett, we have some nice Pokemon food for you." The Diglett still didn't come out, however.
"These guys are smarter than we thought." Said Sally.
"If they won't come out willingly, we'll have to force them to come out." Said Conrad. "Luckily, I think I know how we can do that." They found a hidden light switch around the middle of the cave and cut the electricity. This scared the Diglett even more.
"Diglett dig?" the lead Diglett asked, which meant 'What just happened?'
"Diglett." Said another one, which meant 'I don't know.'
"Diglett dig." Another Diglett said, which meant 'Let's see what's going on.' They all got together and gathered where the two Team Rocket members were standing. Conrad and Sally were smiling.
"You're ours now." Sally said. She and Conrad stuffed the Diglett into sacks and went out of the cave the same way they came in. When they were back outside, they took all of the Diglett out and tied them up to a tree a fair distance from where they had entered.
"You're going to stay there until we decide what to do with you." Said Sally. Both her and Conrad yawned and went to take a nap under the tree where they had eaten their lunch. In their haste, however, they had forgotten about the youngest Diglett of the bunch, who had cleverly hidden himself to avoid being captured. He slid himself outside, and when he saw his fellow Diglett all tied up and looking angry, he knew that he had to find help. He quickly popped back into the cave to wait for the help to arrive.
End Flashback
"Diglett dig." The Diglett Said, which meant 'And that's what really happened.'
"I had a feeling that Team Rocket would be responsible for this." Said Michelle. Amanda growled angrily.
"Those two are always up to no good." She said. "Diglett are so sweet and innocent." The Diglett appreciated the compliment, but it was frustrated too.
"Dig." It said, which meant 'I'm worried about the other Diglett. They're like family to me.'
"Don't worry, Diglett, we'll help you find your friends." Said Mark.
"Diglett dig!" the Diglett cheered happily, which meant 'Thank you so much!'
"You're welcome." Said Amanda.
"Charmander, return." Said Mark. He recalled his fire type and turned his attention to Diglett.
"Let's go and save your friends." He said. The Diglett nodded and led the group down the cave's pathway. Because the lights were still disabled, they had to go slowly and carefully so that they wouldn't bump into anything. A little further down, the Diglett stopped.
"Why are we stopping here?" Amanda asked.
"Diglett." Said Diglett, which meant 'You'll see.' He went down into the ground to look for something.
"I wonder what he's searching for down there." Said Michelle.
"Hopefully it's something good." Said Mark. The Diglett searched as thoroughly as possible, and then he came back up holding a golden spherical object on top of its' head.
"What is that?" Amanda asked.
"I think that's a nugget." Said Michelle. "Those are some of the most precious treasures around. How one ended up here is anyone's guess." Mark took the nugget and put it away in his backpack.
"I don't know how you found that, but very good find, Diglett." He said.
"Diglett!" the Diglett cried happily, which meant 'Thank you very much!' In fact, he was so happy that he kicked up some dirt.
"Easy there, buddy." Said Amanda.
"I guess he does this when he gets excited." Said Mark.
"Well, some of that excitement got onto my dress." Said Michelle.
"Diglett." Diglett said, which meant 'Oops, sorry.'
"That's okay, Diglett." Said Michelle. "I know you didn't mean to do that."
"Let's keep moving." Said Mark. They continued to trek through the cave, with Diglett leading the way as normal. They didn't get too much further, though, when they saw a bigger version of Diglett pop up unexpectedly. It looked at the trio with an angry glare.
"I don't think that thing looks too happy to see us." Said Mark.
"Maybe it thinks we're trying to take Diglett away from the cave." Said Amanda.
"We're not, though." Said Michelle.
"Try telling that to whatever this Pokemon is." Said mark. "Amanda, see what your Pokedex has to say about it." Amanda immediately took out her Pokedex and pointed it at the new Pokemon.
"Dugtrio, the mole Pokemon. It is capable of burrowing endlessly without stopping. Dugtrio can tunnel under the earth at sixty miles per hour to a depth of sixty miles, triggering tremors and earthquakes."
"This thing can make earthquakes?" Mark wondered. "If that's the case, then I might need to add it to my team." He was about to throw a ball when Dugtrio shook its' head.
"I don't think this Dugtrio is in the mood for a battle right now." Said Michelle.
"It's probably still angry with us." Said Amanda. Dugtrio nodded.
"It shouldn't be. We didn't do anything to it." Said Mark.
"Pikachu, try talking with Dugtrio." Said Amanda.
"Pika." Pikachu said, which meant 'I'm on it.' It jumped off Amanda's shoulder and onto the ground where the Dugtrio was.
"Pika chu?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'Are you actually angry at us?'
"Trio." Dugtrio answered, which meant 'Yes.'
"Pika?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'But why?'
"Trio." Dugtrio replied, which meant 'You and your friends are trying to take the little Diglett away from me.'
"Pikachu pika!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'No we're not. We're trying to help it find the rest of its friends.' The Dugtrio pondered, then spoke again.
"Trio?" It asked, which meant 'Why should I believe you?'
"Pikachu." Pikachu answered, which meant 'Because we're good guys. The people that took away Diglett's friends are bad guys. We don't want to do any harm.' The Dugtrio thought a little more, then smiled at Pikachu.
"Dugtrio." It said, which meant 'I can tell that you're being honest, so I'll help you too. Besides, the Diglett you and your friends came across is my son, so I have to help him out.'
"Pika!" Pikachu exclaimed happily, which meant 'Thank you so much!'
"Trio." Said Dugtrio, which meant 'No problem.' Pikachu ran back to Amanda and told her everything that the Dugtrio had said, including the fact that it agreed to help the trio out.
"Great work, Pikachu." Said Amanda. The three friends followed Diglett and Dugtrio onward through the cave.
"I'm glad that Dugtrio's on our side now." Said Michelle.
"So am I." said Mark. They continued walking along the pathway, and as they walked, the lights in the cave slowly started to come back on.
"Well, I guess that's a good sign." Said Mark.
"Now we'll be able to see a lot better." Said Michelle.
"Diglett." Diglett said, which meant 'I have another thank you gift down here.' He went back under the ground, and when he popped back up a couple of minutes later, he was holding a piece of jewelry.
"What do you have there, Diglett?" Michelle asked.
"Diglett." The Diglett answered, which meant 'I found this heart shaped pendant lying around.'
"That's pretty neat and all, but why do you have it?" asked Amanda.
"Diglett." Diglett answered, which meant 'It was meant to be for one of my sisters, but she didn't want it. You can have it. It's a special reward for helping us out.'
"Thank you very much, Diglett." Said Michelle. She took the pendant and placed it around her neck.
"That looks very nice on you Michelle." Said Mark.
"Thanks." Said Michelle. They continued to follow the Diglett and Dugtrio all the way to the exit.
"Diglett!" Diglett cried, which meant 'I think we're getting close.'
"Looks like the culprits are just out here." Said Mark. They hurried outside and saw the tree that Conrad and Sally were snoozing under.
"Are they the ones that took your friends away?" Amanda asked. Diglett nodded.
"I had a feeling that it might be them." Said Michelle. They inched toward the tree slowly and quietly so that they wouldn't wake up the two Team Rocket crooks.
"They're snoozing like a Snorlax." Said Mark.
"Well they won't be sleeping much longer if we have our say." Said Amanda.
"I wonder what they could be dreaming about." Said Michelle.
"Focus up, Michelle." Said Amanda. "Remember, this is a rescue mission." Conrad and Sally were dreaming about the big rewards they could possibly get for turning in so many Diglett to their boss. However, their thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of throats being cleared. Conrad and Sally opened up their eyes and saw Michelle, Mark and Amanda standing in front of them. The three of them has their arms crossed and they were angry.
"We've come to take those Diglett back, Team Rocket!" Amanda exclaimed. All of the other Diglett were very happy to see their little one and squealed in delight. Even Dugtrio was happy to see them.
"What makes you think we're going to let you have them back?" Conrad asked.
"Those Diglett over there would be much happier here than with crooks like you!" Mark cried.
"We also know that you cut the lights in the cave." Said Michelle.
"Hey Diglett, who do you trust more?" Amanda asked. "Us, or these two Team Rocket wannabes?" The Diglett looked over at both groups twice before settling on Amanda's group.
"Diglett." one of the trapped Diglett cried, which meant 'You three are much sweeter and more kind.'
"I figured you'd say something like that." Said Amanda. Now Conrad and Sally were the angry ones.
"Wannabes?!" Conrad cried.
"How dare you disrespect Team Rocket like that!" Sally exclaimed.
"We don't care." Mark said.
"I guess there's only one way to settle this." Said Sally, and she took out a Poke Ball. "Battle time." She threw her ball and Ekans popped out. Conrad threw a ball as well and Zubat appeared instantly.
"Mark, you go and untie all the Diglett from the other tree. Michelle and I will take care of these two." Said Amanda.
"Got it." Mark said. He ran over to the group of Diglett, while Amanda and Michelle faced the two Team Rocket members.
"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" Amanda ordered.
"Eevee, Quick Attack!" Michelle commanded. Both Pokemon unleashed their attacks and did serious damage to the opposing Pokemon. Meanwhile, as the battle was going on, Mark was trying to free the Diglett but he wasn't having any luck.
"It's no good." He said. "They tied these ropes way too tight."
"Diglett." Cried one of the Diglett, which meant 'Please save us.'
"I'm trying, guys." Said Mark. Then, an idea came to him. He grabbed one of his own Poke Balls and threw it.
"Charmander, I need your help." He said. His trusty fire type appeared instantly.
"Charmander, use your Flamethrower to burn these ropes." Said Mark. Charmander nodded and aimed a line of fire at the tree that was holding the group of Diglett. The ropes burned and disappeared, instantly freeing them.
"There you go." Said Mark.
"Diglett!" cried the youngest Diglett, which meant 'Thanks a bunch!'
"Not a problem." Said Mark. "Now, are you all ready to kick Team Rocket's butt?" The Diglett all nodded.
"Then let's go." Said Mark. He and the Diglett hurried over to where Michelle and Amanda were.
"I brought reinforcements." He said.
"Great, we could use the extra help." Said Michelle. Pikachu and Eevee were giving it their best shot, but whatever they did, Conrad and Sally's Pokemon were countering each and every move.
"I think we might actually win this time." Said Conrad.
"I think you might be right." Said Sally.
"I think you two are going to be dead wrong." Said Mark. Conrad and Sally looked over at all the Diglett.
"Hey, how did they escape?" Sally wondered.
"I helped them, that's how." Said Mark. "Okay Diglett and Dugtrio, all of you surround Team Rocket!" The Diglett formed a circle around the two criminals.
"Are we being outnumbered?" asked Conrad.
"Outnumbered and outmatched." Said Sally.
"All right Diglett, let them have it." Said mark. "All of you use Headbutt!" The Diglett all crawled to Conrad and Sally and used their heads to send them into the air.
"Defeated again!" Conrad lamented.
"By puny moles this time." Said Sally, and they soared high into the air. DING!
"Way to go, Diglett!" cried Mark.
"Very impressive, Diglett." Said Amanda. Mark recalled Charmander, and all of them went back through the cave and back to where they had originally entered from.
"Diglett." Diglett said, which meant 'Thank you so much for helping us.'
"You're very welcome." Said Mark. "You all take care of yourselves." The Diglett and Dugtrio said goodbye to the three of them as they left the cave.
"Do you think we'll see those Diglett again?" Amanda asked.
"I hope so." Said Michelle. "They were so cute. I wish we could've captured one of them, though." As if on cue, a Diglett popped up where the group was.
"Hey fella, shouldn't you be in the cave?" Mark asked. The Diglett just smiled at him and motioned for him to grab a Poke Ball.
"I think this one wants to go with you." Said Michelle.
"Is that true, Diglett?" Mark asked.
"Diglett." Diglett said, which meant 'Yes. You proved yourself a worthy trainer and helped save my friends from Team Rocket, which is why I decided to join you.'
"If you say so." Said Mark. He tapped an empty ball on Diglett's head, and the little mole Pokemon slithered inside.
"All right, I got a Diglett!" Mark cried.
"You're definitely going to be a very good trainer for Diglett." Said Amanda.
"Agreed." Said Michelle. After saving the Diglett gang, mark now has a new companion with him. I'm sure they'll have lots of fun together, and hopefully you all agree as well.
TO BE CONTINUED
Amanda's Party: Pikachu, Pidgeotto, Squirtle, Dratini, Clefairy, Nidoran Male
Michelle's Party: Eevee, Electabuzz, Doduo, Poliwag, Ponyta, Nidoran Female
Mark's Party: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Diglett
Amanda's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Rattata, Spearow, Magikarp, Butterfree, Zubat, Abra
