Team Legacy Original Saga Episode VI: The Start Of A New Pokemon Journey
Author's Note:
Hey, guys; PhoenixGirl here. Anyways, here's the start of a brand new fanfic. Now originally this was going to be loosely based on the rebooted Pokemon anime series with Goh and Ash that came out a few years ago but I wanted something a bit more cohesive and a bit less convoluted so I decided to focus on the original Pokemon anime, which is basically known as Pokemon: The Indigo League. I'm only going to focus on a handful of episodes that are relevant to the plot and the narrative as a whole so it's not as clunky and it flows better. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this story and the next episode is going to be a pretty big one!
Also I do have to warn you though that there will be some disturbing and uncomfortable scenes at the very beginning of this story, so be warned!
Chapter 1 – Meet Ash Ketchum
MAY 2002
SAINT MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
CENTRAL LONDON, ENGLAND
12:45 P.M.
It was a bright and breezy Sunday afternoon as a large group of people gathered in the pews to watch a long line of children march down the aisle. Among them was Rhonda, who was wearing a simple white dress with a pair of white high heeled dress shoes and a beautifully embroidered lace veil hanging over her hair, which hung loosely over her shoulders in small waves. Several members of Rhonda's family, including her own parents, were beaming and gushing at her with great pride and joy as they were busy snapping pictures of her with their cameras.
Rhonda then continued to trudge slowly in line as she looked over to see a priest standing near the altar from a distance with an anxious look on her face. Then when it was finally time for her to accept the bread and wine, she walked up to the priest and opened her mouth as the priest placed the wafer onto her tongue.
Rhonda then accepted the wafer into her mouth as she grabbed the golden goblet and sipped the wine gingerly. She then turned around and walked away as she headed over to where her family was sitting, glancing around briefly to watch the rest of the children walk up to the priest in order to receive their first official Holy Communion.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
A little over an hour later, the Buchanans were hosting a lavish party in Rhonda's honor in the dining room with many of their friends and loved ones in attendance. To Rhonda's chagrin, however, her parents had also decided to invite Xavier and his family to the gathering, not being fully aware that Xavier and Rhonda weren't exactly on friendly terms.
"I thank you all tonight for joining us on such a wonderful and special occasion," Harold proclaimed as he held up a glass of champagne. "We are so happy and thrilled to celebrate a very important milestone in Rhonda's life as she is officially recognized as a member of God's church."
"Here, here!" many of the guests clamored as they all raised up their champagne glasses and drank deeply.
Rhonda then glanced down at her plate of roasted meat and mashed potatoes with an uncomfortable grimace as she began to nibble at her food gingerly.
"I can't wait to get out of this stupid dress," she muttered to herself.
Xavier was sitting right next to Rhonda as he flashed a lecherous grin at her.
"You look really lovely in that dress," he said with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"Oh, piss off," Rhonda sneered as she continued to eat her food.
"Well that's not a very ladylike thing to say," Xavier chided her sternly.
"I'm no lady," Rhonda snapped angrily with narrowed eyes.
"That's not what I think," Xavier replied demurely as he placed a hand gingerly on her left leg, his smile never leaving his eyes.
Rhonda shuddered in disgust as she quickly pulled away from him, shielding her legs from him.
"I don't even know why my folks invited you here; we're not exactly mates, you know," she protested.
"I know, but we could be more than that," Xavier proposed as he reached over to touch her face.
Without even thinking, Rhonda quickly reacted by slapping him across the face and abruptly getting up from the table as she rushed upstairs in a terrified panic. Many of the guests gasped and murmured quietly in horror as they couldn't believe what they had just witnessed.
"What on earth has gotten into her?" Beatrice demanded angrily as she also got up from the table and followed after Rhonda.
Then once Rhonda got into the room, she quickly shut the door and locked it as she grabbed her clothes out of the closet and quickly changed out of her dress before putting on her favorite blue T-shirt and blue jeans. She then jumped onto the bed as she cradled her face in her hands while breathing and gasping heavily with fear in her eyes.
Just then she looked up to hear her stepmother pounding and banging relentlessly on her bedroom door.
"Rhonda? Rhonda? Open this bloody door right now!"
"Yes, Mum!" Rhonda answered as she got up from her bed and rushed over to the door before unlocking it and letting her stepmother in.
"What the bloody hell has gotten into you? You know better than to hit people in public!" Beatrice chastised her sharply with a stern akimbo.
"But Mum, he was touching my leg! I had to do something to get him to stop!" Rhonda argued.
"I don't care what he was doing; you don't ever hit people like that, do you understand me, young lady?" Beatrice snarled, her eyes narrowing with a thin scowl on her lips. "Now you march downstairs and apologize to Xavier right this instant!"
"The hell I will!" Rhonda spat disdainfully, becoming increasingly frustrated and fed up with her attitude.
Beatrice then quickly grabbed Rhonda's right ear and yanked her roughly close to her before striking her in the face, causing her to let out a sharp yelp.
"Don't you dare mouth off to me, do you understand, young lady?" Beatrice hissed in a dangerous, harsh tone, shaking her. "Don't you ever disrespect me like that again! If you don't march your butt downstairs right this instant and apologize to Xavier, I'm going to take away all of your electronics and ground you for the next six months!"
"All right, all right; I'm sorry, Mum! I'll apologize!" Rhonda wailed desperately as her voice broke and she was shaking in terror with tears welling up in her eyes.
"Good," Beatrice growled as she let go of Rhonda and she grabbed her white dress before tossing it right at her. "Now change back into your dress and come right downstairs to apologize to Xavier. And don't dilly-dally."
She then turned around and stormed out of the room before slamming the door shut behind her.
Rhonda then collapsed onto the floor as she buried her face into her dress and began to sob and weep bitterly, with her entire body convulsing and shivering violently.
A short time later, Rhonda had changed back into her white dress as she quickly rushed back downstairs and headed over to where Xavier and his family were still sitting.
"Mr. and Mrs. Grey, my daughter Rhonda would like to apologize to your son for her behavior earlier," Beatrice said as she gestured over to Rhonda and shot a knowing glare at her.
Rhonda then inhaled sharply and took in a deep breath as she looked over at Xavier with an embarrassed and regretful expression.
"I'm sorry for hitting you," she said, trying to sound as genuine and sincere as possible.
"I forgive you," Xavier answered dryly, a smug and self-satisfied smirk forming on his lips.
"Well then… who wants dessert?" Harold announced suddenly, interrupting the tense and uncomfortable silence.
"I'll get the plates," Beatrice volunteered with a bright smile as she rushed out into the kitchen in preparation to serve her guests dessert.
Meanwhile, Xavier walked over to Rhonda and pulled her closer to him while placing his hand on the small of her back and leering close to her face.
"You'll never escape me, wench," he hissed softly in her ear with dark, narrowed eyes. "You will be mine forever, I'll make sure of that."
A cold, repulsed shiver ran down Rhonda's spine as Xavier continued to stare at her with a creepy, unsettling grin plastered on his face.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
Meanwhile in the Grand Hall of Hollow Bastion, Maleficent and Pete were overlooking the second floor of the room as they were peering down at a few dozen glass chambers that held some of their unconscious prisoners; among them were Lucky, Yoyo, Dragon, Muriel, Eustace and Courage.
"I'm surprised that you were somehow able to capture that meddling pink dog and his elderly owners," Maleficent marveled in awe.
"Believe me, that wasn't no easy feat," Pete retorted with a shake of his head. "That dog put up one hell of a fight, that's for sure. It took well over a dozen people to bring him down. He kept on trying his hardest to escape and we weren't about to let him get away."
"But now we have their hearts and they are under our complete and total control," Maleficent declared with a confident and haughty gleam in her eye. "With those hearts we can amass a powerful and unstoppable army that will wipe out and obliterate all of those warriors of light – the Keyblade wielders. And when little Miss Jeannie Donovan is no longer of any use to us, her heart shall be ours as well."
"Does she even know about this?" Pete asked with a suspicious eyebrow.
"No, and if I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut," Maleficent retorted with a dirty, withering look, causing him to back away slowly with a nervous grimace. "There is no need to arouse her suspicion at the moment. She needs to believe that there is nothing going on and that everything is normal. Then when she least expects it, we shall take her heart and she will become nothing more than our little mindless puppet to control and manipulate as we see fit. In the meantime, you should focus on traveling to several more worlds and finding more people to harvest their hearts from."
"As you command, my mistress," Pete replied while giving her a reverent bow.
Maleficent then burst out into a fit of uncontrollable and diabolical laughter as she continued to look on at her prisoners as they lay motionless and still in their glass chambers, with a soft and eerie hum permeating through the air.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
A few days later, it was business as usual as Rhonda rode the bus to school and went about her day. However, she had a very difficult time focusing on her schoolwork as her mind kept on flashing back to the events of the prior weekend and the way Xavier looked at her with that sinister, cruel smile of his.
When recess finally arrived, Rhonda decided to sit by herself by the big tree in the playground area and just stared solemnly at the sky, curled up into a ball and sobbing quietly. Katie then noticed that there was something really wrong and she immediately rushed over to see what was bothering her.
"Rhonda? Rhonda? Are you all right?" Katie frowned as she walked over to Rhonda and sat down next to her.
"No," Rhonda shook her head with a sniffle as she continued to weep bitterly. "I'm not all right Katie; last weekend was horrible."
"Tell me what happened," Katie urged her with a gentle smile as she looked on at her.
Rhonda just kept on sobbing and weeping bitterly, not even looking at her. "I was having dinner with my family after my Holy Communion ceremony at church and Xavier wouldn't stop touching my leg, so I slapped him. I… I-I don't know what even came over me… I just panicked and ran off into my room because I was so scared and terrified out of my wits. And my mum came into my room and she scolded me for my behavior and I got cross with her because I felt like Xavier was clearly in the wrong…"
"But then she slapped me and threatened to take my electronics away for the next 6 months unless I went downstairs and apologized to Xavier and I relented just to save face. And you should've seen the look on his face when I had to stand there and apologize to him in front of everybody… he looked like the cat that ate the canary and he was so damned pleased with himself for succeeding in humiliating me in public like that and somehow turning my mum against me."
"Has she even apologized to you for hitting you the other night?" Katie asked in an incredulous and quizzical voice.
"She did, the next morning," Rhonda answered, inhaled sharply as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. "But then immediately after that, she followed up with her usual lecture about showing respect for your elders and acting like a proper and dignified lady in public at all times and how I should've known better than to cause a major scene the way I did."
She then continued to wipe her eyes fervently with a sharp, forceful exhale as she looked over at Katie with a sullen and disdainful look in her eyes.
"I don't even want to go home and face her right now. I want to get the hell out of here."
"Where would you go?" Katie asked curiously.
"I don't know; anywhere but here," Rhonda demanded angrily with narrowed eyes.
She then flashed her Wayfinder watch and tapped in a couple of numbers before pushing a button and then turned around to see a rotating and pulsating blue portal materialize right before them. Katie just stared at it with wide and frightened eyes as she watched Rhonda approach the portal determinedly.
"Where are you going?" she demanded.
"I'm getting out of here; I need to clear my head for a while," Rhonda declared as she then stepped into the portal and jumped inside.
"Wait for us!" Luthor bellowed as he, Jasmine, Yuki, Shirley and Katie followed her into the portal as they all disappeared inside.
It wasn't long before there was a loud whirling and high pitched shriek as the portal collapsed into itself and vanished in an instant.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
Meanwhile, in the faraway and distant region of Kanto, a 10-year-old boy named Ash Ketchum was dragging a reluctant Pikachu along an open and vast clearing as they were searching for some wild Pokemon to catch.
Just then the blue portal opened up and Rhonda and her friends came flying out as they all collided straight into Ash and his Pokemon. Ash then let out a terrified and startled scream as he tumbled onto the ground and fell on his back.
"Oh, sorry, mate! We didn't mean to land on you!" Jasmine quickly apologized as she and her friends got onto their feet.
Ash then groaned softly with a stunned and dazed expression as Pikachu looked over at his Trainer while snickering to himself.
"Um… hi…" he drawled.
"Where are we?" Luthor asked as he surveyed his new surroundings.
"We must be in the Pokemon universe," Rhonda surmised.
Just then, a red beam emerged from Rhonda's Poke Ball as Blaze emerged onto the scene with a bright and eager smile.
"Charmander!"
"Oh, cool; you got a Charmander! I wish I had one, but all I have is a lousy Pikachu who won't even listen to me," Ash marveled in awe as his face soon faltered at the mention of his partner Pokemon.
Pikachu then turned away with a disgusted scoff as he shot a dirty look in Ash's direction.
"So how did you even end up with this particular Pikachu in the first place?" Rhonda asked quizzically.
"Well, I overslept and I got to Professor Oak's lab pretty late, and Pikachu was the only Pokemon that he had left. Even his grandson Gary got to pick his very own Pokemon; it's not fair," Ash explained with a abashed and embarrassed look on his face.
"Oh Jesus fucking Christ on a cracker," Rhonda muttered underneath her breath as she wandered off.
Just then, she saw a Pidgey flitting about in the grass, minding its own business.
"All right, time to catch my very first Pokemon," Rhonda announced confidentially. "Blaze, go!"
"Charmander!" Blaze cried as he lunged into the air with his eyes and tail blazing.
"Blaze, use Ember!" Rhonda bellowed, pumping up her fist.
Blaze then launched a huge burst of flames at Pidgey as it struck it dead on, causing it to spiral to the ground.
"Blaze, hit it with Ember again!" Rhonda yelled as Blaze fired another shot of flames at Pidgey, causing it to let out another sharp cry of agony.
"All right; let's finish this," Rhonda declared with a determined smirk as she flashed out a Poke Ball and hurtled it at Pidgey. "Poke Ball, go!"
The Poke Ball then flew right at Pidgey as Pidgey disappeared into the ball and it landed on the soft grass. Rhonda then held her breath and watched anxiously as the Poke Ball shook furiously a couple of times as if the Pokemon was about to break out at any possible second. Then moments later, the Poke Ball went completely still and flashed a red light, signaling that it was officially caught.
"Booyah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Luthor cheered as he jumped into the air excitedly while performing a celebratory dance. "It's your birthday, it's your birthday; it's your birthday! Yeah, baby; we got a winner here!"
"Argh, no fair! How do you even know how to catch a Pokemon?" Ash pouted with a sharp whine, sulking. "Are you sure that you're not a pro?"
"Yeah, I'm sure," Rhonda laughed. "Blaze's been my only partner up until this point. We've been training together for at least a while now."
"Well, he's got to be ready to evolve soon at this rate," Ash sighed dejectedly, hanging his head.
Meanwhile, Pikachu had climbed up a tree and was watching the gang's antics with an amused look on his face while secretly jeering at Ash.
"Hey, Ash; there's another Pidgey for you to catch!" Luthor cried while pointing at another Pidgey perched on the grass from a short distance.
"All right; now here's my chance," Ash muttered to himself as he then took out his Poke Ball and then adjusted his cap by turning it backwards.
"Poke Ball go!" he yelled as he then tossed the Poke Ball at the Pidgey and the Pidgey then disappeared into the ball.
"All right, I did it!" Ash cheered excitedly but then stopped as he looked on at the Poke Ball curiously.
The Poke Ball then shook furiously for a few minutes as everyone held their breath and waited to see if it would hold the Pokemon inside, only to be shocked and horrified when the Poke Ball broke apart and bounced back right into Ash's hands. The Pidgey then emerged from the ball before darting straight into the grass, never to be seen again.
"I blew it," Ash grumbled in disappointment at his dismal failure as Pikachu continued to laugh and cackle at him tauntingly from the tree branch above.
"To capture a Pokemon, you usually have your own Pokemon to battle it," the Pokedex intoned in a flat, robotic voice.
"Now it tells me," Ash growled irascibly as Pikachu kept on laughing and giggling hysterically.
Ash then turned around to shoot a dirty glare in his direction.
"Well I have to do everything myself!" he whined as his eyes then fell on his green backpack.
After pondering for a moment, an idea soon came to him.
"Wait! I got an idea!"
It was then that Ash was slowly creeping up to an oblivious Pidgey digging into the ground with its talon while holding a green shirt in his hands.
"What on earth is he doing?" Katie muttered in disbelief with wide eyes.
"What a moron," Jasmine groaned with an eye roll and a disapproving shake of her head.
"Okay… just be quiet… there's nothing to be afraid of…" Ash muttered to himself as he stepped ever close to the Pidgey.
Then when Ash got close enough to the Pidgey, he offered a sheepish, goofy smile while still holding up the shirt in front of it.
"Hi, little friend. It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you."
"Jesus fucking Christ on a cracker," Luthor groaned while face-palming himself.
"This is going to be hilarious," Rhonda snickered.
"Sorry, buddy!" Ash hollered as he then lunged at the Pidgey and threw the shirt down on it while wrapping it tightly in his arms in an effort to trap it and prevent it from escaping.
However, despite of his best efforts to hold it in place, he was soon knocked away by a huge gust of wind as the Pidgey soon escaped from his clutches and disappeared into the grassy wilderness again.
"Told ya that wasn't gonna work," Katie retorted with a wry scoff.
"What happened?" Ash groaned as he sat up from the ground.
"Pidget's Gust power creates tornadoes; it also uses Sand Attack," the Pokedex intoned.
"Sand?!" Ash yelled in terror as he was soon overcome by a huge blast of sand and he started coughing loudly, not noticing that the Pidgey was now flying away.
Rhonda and her friends were also coughing heavily as they were also blown back by the huge blast of sand before it finally dissipated.
"Bloody hell; now I need to clean out my glasses," Rhonda grumbled as she took off her glasses and wiped them clean with the edge of her shirt.
"Guess it's not my lucky day," Ash sighed dejectedly.
Pikachu just kept on laughing as Ash scowled at the tiny yellow mouse-like creature with a frustrated groan. Just then he turned his attention to a Rattata digging through his backpack as it soon scurried away.
"Hey, get out of there!" he yelled as the purple rodent-like creature hissed at him contemptuously before dashing away.
"The Rat Pokemon – Ratata…" the Pokedex intoned. "It likes cheese, nuts, fruits and berries."
"Yeah, but we're not in a forest; we're in an open field," Ash pointed out.
"It also comes out to the open field to steal food from stupid travelers," the Pokedex added.
"That means I'm… stupid…?" Ash balked at the Pokedex in utter disbelief as Pikachu kept on laughing and shrieking in delight and amusement.
Rhonda and her friends were also rolling around on the ground in hysterics as they were also howling and jeering at Ash mockingly.
"What a dumbass!" Luthor cackled. "He can't do anything right!"
"Hey, shut up! You're not helping!" Ash snapped angrily at him.
He then turned around to see three more Pidgeys pop out in the grass; Ash picked up a small rock and hurtled it right at them with a furious yell as the Pidgeys scattered off into the far off distance.
But moments later, another Pokemon emerged from the grass and Ash picked up yet another rock with a self-satisfied smirk as he prepared to throw it once more.
"I'll get you this time," he muttered as he then flung it right at the bird and conked it right on the head.
"I got it!" Ash cheered loudly.
But then the bird turned its head and to Ash's horror, he soon realized that it wasn't a Pidgey – it was another bird Pokemon, and it had a massive pink bump on its head and it was also very angry.
"I wonder what that is," Ash said as he then took out his Pokedex to get a read on this latest discovery.
"Unlike Pidgeys, Spearows have a terrible attitude and in the wild will sometimes attack other Pokemon and humans," the Pokedex recited in a monotone voice.
"Dear God," Rhonda muttered.
Ash then let out a terrified cry as the Spearow then spread out its wings and lunged right for him. Ash dove for cover as he covered his backpack protectively and then tried to swat the Spearow away with his backpack even as it kept on attacking him.
"Duck!" Katie hollered as she and the others dove for cover while the Spearow flew right over them.
However, the moment that the Spearow noticed Pikachu standing on the tree branch, it turned around and headed straight for him as it lunged right for the yellow mouse-like creature. Pikachu then dove down in fear as the Spearow narrowly missed him and kept on flying and circling around him repeatedly.
"Hey, leave him alone! Pikachu wasn't the one that threw the rock; I did!" Ash protested angrily as he continued to watch the Spearow harass Pikachu.
"Wild Pokemon tend to be jealous of human-trained Pokemon," the Pokedex intoned.
"Human-trained?" Jasmine scoffed incredulously with a short laugh. "That Pikachu isn't even properly housebroken!"
Meanwhile, the Spearow kept on flying over Pikachu repeatedly in an attempt to knock him to the ground as Pikachu stumbled and nearly lost his footing before grabbing onto the branch and hanging on for dear life.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried in a panicked and terrified voice.
"We'll handle this, Ash! Blaze, let's trounce that wild Spearow!" Rhonda yelled determinedly.
"Charmander," Blaze nodded as he got into a fighting stance and flashed out its burning tail menacingly.
However, before Rhonda or Blaze could even do anything, Pikachu then unleashed a massive electric attack as he thoroughly electrocuted Spearow in midair and the Spearow then tumbled onto the ground in a daze.
"Yeah, we did it!" Ash cheered triumphantly.
However, the Spearow quickly regained its bearings as it then popped out of the grass and soon called out for reinforcements.
Rhonda and the others then turned around and looked over to see a massive flock of Spearows advancing right towards them from a distance.
"Oh, that can't be good," Rhonda stammered nervously.
"We better scram!" Luthor cried as panic flashed through his face and he became overwhelmed with fear and terror.
"Should we run?" Ash asked Pikachu, who nodded.
"Let's get the hell out of here, you stupid moron!" Jasmine shrieked as she and the others ran for their lives.
It was then that Ash and the gang sped frantically through the open fields as they were being chased and hounded by the angry flock of Spearows, passing by several species of Pokemon including Mankeys and Sandshrews.
"Don't worry, Pikachu; I'm going to protect you from those Spearows," Ash vowed as he kept on running as fast as he possibly could.
Then as he watched Pikachu dash out ahead of him, he felt a surge of panic and terror overwhelm him.
"Hey, don't run ahead! I said that I'll protect you…!" Ash protested as he then shielded his head instinctively while suddenly ambushed by a group of Spearows.
Pikachu also began to whimper and cry out in pain and fear as he was also being attacked relentlessly by Spearows with several of them jabbing and striking furiously from all different directions.
"Nice going, Rhonda; it's your fault that we're in this mess!" Katie berated Rhonda angrily. "If you haven't decided to run away into this universe, we wouldn't be running for our lives from a flock of angry Spearows!"
"Well it wasn't my bright idea to throw a bloody rock at a goddamn Pokemon of all things!" Rhonda snapped back, her eyes full of fury and indignation.
"You know, a flock of angry Spearows might make a great name for a band," Luthor tried to lighten up the mood by making a lame attempt at a joke.
"Luthor, shut the hell up!" the girls bellowed at him irately.
"This is no time for fun and games, you know!" Katie shot back exasperatedly.
"I'm sorry, geez; you don't need to bite my head off while you're at it," Luthor retorted with a scoff and an eye roll.
"You know, a flock of angry Spearows does remind me of this band called 'A Flock of…'" Rhonda rambled on inanely.
"We don't have time for your random and ridiculous 80's pop culture references, Rhonda! We're literally about to die out here for the love of God!" Luthor yelled.
Meanwhile, as the kids continued to argue back and forth, Ash charged right into the flock of Spearows attacking Pikachu as he proceeded to bravely fight them off.
"Hey, leave Pikachu alone, you Spearows!" he bellowed as he continued to fight his way through the flock of Spearows before grabbing Pikachu and scooping him up in his arms.
"Don't worry, Pikachu; you're safe now," he reassured him.
A short time later, the gang came to a sudden stop at the edge of a cliff as the kids kept on screaming and hollering at the top of their lungs.
"We're going to die! Help!" Katie bellowed.
"Okay, here goes nothing," Ash said as he then tilted his hat backwards before crouching down and jumping off the cliff as he then dives down into the water below, with Rhonda and the others following suit.
Within minutes, the gang was soon swept up in the strong and powerful currents as they were carried away through the surging and raging rapids, with Rhonda thrashing and fighting to stay afloat.
"Katie! Luthor! Jasmine! Help!" she gasped as she then went under and continued to spin and rotate wildly in the water, even as she began to see her life flash right before her eyes.
The last image that she saw in her mind was of Jeannie smiling right at her with her mischievous, playful grin.
Jeannie… Rhonda sighed as she soon blacked out and faded into unconsciousness altogether.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
Meanwhile, a young girl with red hair tied up in a ponytail and spiky bangs was sitting in front of a lake as she was busy trying to catch some fish. Just then she felt a strong tug coming from her fishing rod as she excitedly attempted to reel it in.
"Hey, I got a bite! I think this might be a big one!" she exclaimed.
The girl then stood up and used all of her strength to reel in her prospective catch and with one final pull she was surprised to see a group of kids flying through the air as they landed on the hard, rocky ground.
"Oh, it's just a bunch of kids," she said as she walked over to Ash as he and the others were coughing deeply and trying to catch their breaths.
"Oh, and a Pokemon! Ooh, are you okay?" her voice suddenly changed to that of concern and worry as she focused her attention on Pikachu.
"Yeah, I'm okay," Ash answered.
"Not you!" the girl snapped with a harsh glare in her eyes as her face then softened with more worry. "Look at what you've done to that poor little thing! Is it breathing?"
"Yeah… I think so," Ash replied hesitantly while glancing down at Pikachu.
"Well don't just sit there! It needs a doctor right away! There is a medical center not too far from here; you need to get over there now," the girl chastised him sternly.
"You mean a hospital?" Ash questioned her curiously as he and the others got up to their feet.
"Yes, for Pokemon," the girl replied.
"Um, can you tell me which way do I go?" Ash asked anxiously.
"That way," the girl answered, pointing off towards a far off distance to the left.
Just then, Ash heard some loud squawking and shrieking from a distance overheard as he turned around to see the huge flock of Spearows heading right for him.
"They're back! Run!" he yelled as he raced over to an orange bike and hopped on it.
"Hey, where do you think you're going? That's my bike!" the girl protested angrily.
"Sorry; I promise to give it back to you someday!" Ash hollered as he quickly rode off on the bike while Rhonda and the others raced off after him.
Jasmine then typed a couple of buttons on her Wayfinder watch before a black motorcycle quickly materialized and she and the others jumped on it as they drove off after Ash.
Meanwhile, a large thunderstorm was brewing as Ash desperately pedaled his way through more of the open fields while trying to reach the nearest city possible. He then looked down at Pikachu worriedly as Pikachu gazed up at him weakly.
"Hang on, Pikachu; we're almost there!"
Pikachu nodded weakly as a single raindrop fell on his face.
Then just as a large bolt of lightning crackled across the sky and a massive downpour began to fall from the sky, the flock of Spearows advanced upon him as they began attacking him ferociously while he attempted to fend them off once again. However, as he went over a small, bumpy hill, he suddenly lost his balance and fell off the bike as he tumbled to the ground with a hard, violent thud. Jasmine also quickly lost control of the motorcycle as she and her friends also lost their balance and they took a very hard spill onto the ground before losing consciousness altogether.
As Ash landed on the ground, he lost his grip on Pikachu as Pikachu also fell out of the bike and landed on his left side.
"Pikachu!" Ash yelled as he slowly crawled over to where Pikachu lay as the rain continued to pour down all around them.
He then placed his hand gingerly on Pikachu's side as he looked on at him with utter devastation and fear.
"Pikachu… this can't happen…"
Then as the lightning continued to explode across the sky and the flock of Spearows continued to advance towards them with loud shrieks and cries, Ash then took out his Poke Ball and held it out in front of Pikachu.
"Pikachu, get inside," he pleaded anxiously.
"Chu…" Pikachu whispered weakly with a soft gaze.
"I know that you're afraid of going in there, but if you get inside, maybe I can save you," Ash said as he continued to try and beg for Pikachu to enter the Poke Ball. "Please, Pikachu… please go inside… After that… After that… Just trust me!"
He then placed the Poke Ball on the ground in full view of Pikachu's face as Pikachu looked on in wonder and awe.
"Pika…"
Ash then turned around to face the flock of Spearows flying around with his arms wide open and with a determined and fearless expression on his face.
"Spearows, do you know who I am? I am Ash from Pallet Town! I'm destined to be the number one Pokemon Master and I'm not going to be defeated by the likes of you!" he bellowed loudly.
Pikachu then perked his head up as he was paying close attention to what Ash was saying.
"I'm going to defeat and capture all of you, do you hear me?! Pikachu, go inside the ball! It's the only way!"
Pikachu just kept on staring at his trainer intently, wondering what Ash was planning on doing next.
"Come and face me!" Ash yelled determinedly.
It was then that the flock of Spearows swooped down as they began diving straight for Ash in a mad dash of fury. However, just as another bolt of lightning flashed in the sky, Pikachu rushed towards Ash as he climbed onto his shoulder and leaped into the air before unleashing a massive and powerful Thunderbolt attack that knocked away everybody in close proximity, including Ash, and exploded across the sky.
Eventually, after a little while, the storm faded away as the skies cleared up and the sun shone its bright, illuminating rays through the clouds. Rhonda and the others also came to as they all sat up and regained their bearings.
"Ugh… my head," Luthor groaned, holding his head.
"What the bloody hell happened?" Rhonda muttered to herself while rubbing the back of her head sorely. "Was I dreaming? Was any of this even real?"
Meanwhile, Ash and Pikachu were lying on the ground as they were smiling at each other.
"We did it," Ash whispered. "We beat them."
"Pika," Pikachu nodded softly.
Just then, everyone looked up to see a shimmering golden bird soar across the sky as it flew towards a rainbow.
"Wow, what a beautiful bird," Katie murmured in awe.
"What is that?" Ash asked as he took out his Pokedex and looked at it.
"There is no data; there are still Pokemon left to be identified," the Pokedex said.
"That's weird; I thought that the Pokedex knew everything that there is to know about Pokemon in this world," Rhonda retorted in a bemused and perplexed voice.
"Come on; we better get going and get Pikachu to the nearest Pokemon Center," Jasmine urged everyone. "I'll get my motorcycle and we can all ride on it together."
"That sounds amazing; thanks," Ash smiled gratefully.
Ash then walked over to Pikachu and picked him up before carrying him over to the motorcycle. He and the others then hopped onto the vehicle as they immediately drove off for the next city. Then as the gang found themselves out on the open road again, Rhonda peered over Ash's shoulder and saw a large group of buildings towering over the horizon from a distance.
"Viridian City, here we come!" Ash declared proudly as the heroes soon headed straight for their next destination.
Their Pokemon journey had now officially begun.