Episode Twenty-Six

(Quick author's note before we begin the episode. During this episode's writing process, we lost Rachael Lillis due to cancer. Rachel was best known for providing the voices of Misty and Jessie in the 4Kids dub of the anime series but was sadly diagnosed with cancer three months ago. Thank you for all you've done to support the Pokemon community. RIP Rachael, 1978-2024)

Last time, our young trainer Amanda managed to catch a Scyther. Now Scyther is usually tough to capture, and it proved to be Amanda's toughest catch yet. Complicating things, however, was that her Fearow unexpectedly began to disobey her. Amanda wasn't the only one to gain a new Pokemon, however, as Michelle obtained a brand new Psyduck. Will Fearow ever obey again? Find out as the journey continues.

Today, we find our trio wandering down a path in the forest. They had just finished some lunch, and they were now trying to find a way out, but unfortunately, they found themselves completely lost.

"Pikachu." Pikachu said worriedly, which meant 'How are we going to get out of here?'

"That's what we're trying to figure out, Pikachu." Said Amanda.

"There's a tall oak tree right over here." Said Michelle, and she pointed to the tree. "Maybe if we try this direction, we'll find our way out."

"We already tried doing that at least five times." Said Mark. "And every one of those times, we just ended up back here."

"There's got to be a way out of this forest." Said Amanda. "There's just got to. I can't stay here forever or I'll never get my next badge."

"Is that all she thinks about lately?" asked Michelle.

"Probably." Said Mark. "That's just how determined she is." Unknown to them, however, a young girl was making their way toward where the trio was located.

"My mom said to try and make some new friends." She said. "I wonder if I'll find anybody in here." The trio were about to make another attempt at finding the exit when they crossed paths with the girl.

"Oh, hi there." Said the girl. "I was wondering if the three of you could help me."

"What a coincidence. We need help ourselves." Said Amanda. "You see, we're lost in this forest and we're trying to find the way out."

"You're in luck, because I know which way will lead you out." Said the girl.

"You do?" asked Michelle. The girl nodded.

"I've been in this forest a couple of times already, and I haven't gotten lost once." The girl said. "I'll help you, but on one condition."

"What condition is that?" asked Amanda.

"The condition is that you have to have a Pokemon battle with me." The girl said.

"I gladly accept." Said Amanda. "I already know which Pokemon I'm going to use first."

"You're definitely eager, but I haven't even told you yet how many Pokemon we're going to use." Said the girl. "We'll do three Pokemon each. Is that okay with you?"

"That's perfectly fine." Said Amanda.

"Then let's get started, then." Said the girl. She threw her first Poke Ball, and out came a large, rodent Pokemon that was bigger than Rattata. There were three whiskers on each side of its face.

"What's that?" Amanda wondered, and she took out her Pokedex.

"Raticate, the mouse Pokemon. Raticate uses its feet as flippers so it can swim freely in lakes and rivers. It also likes to gnaw on rocks and logs."

"There's no rocks here, but there's plenty of logs and Raticate likes them a lot." Said the girl.

"Oh yeah, well let's see how it likes this." Said Amanda. "Go, Pikachu!"

"Pika!" Pikachu cried happily. He jumped off Amanda's shoulder and ran onto the field ready to take on the Raticate. Michelle decided to act as the referee.

"This will be a three on three battle with no substitutions and no time limit." She said. "Trainers, begin!"

"Let's do this, Pikachu." Amanda said. "Thunderbolt attack!" Pikachu launched a powerful lightning bolt at Raticate, but the large rat jumped out of the way.

"Raticate, Double Team now!" the girl ordered. Raticate spit out a circle of illusions of itself, leaving Amanda and Pikachu very confused.

"Pikachu, try your Thunderbolt again. Aim it until you find the real Raticate." Amanda ordered. Pikachu unleashed its attack again, with each illusion going away upon being zapped. The last one hit Raticate directly, causing it to cry in pain.

"Raticate!" the girl cried.

"Yes!" Amanda cried. "Time for Quick Attack now." Pikachu ran full speed towards Raticate.

"Raticate, Hyper Fang now!" ordered the girl. Raticate prepared itself to clamp down on Pikachu with its teeth. Pikachu looked behind him and gasped. Amanda face palmed.

"Oh great, Raticate's going to turn Pikachu into a meal." She Said. "Come on, Pikachu, don't give up. Try using your Agility to get away from Raticate!" Pikachu started to run, but Raticate covered him closely and clamped down on Pikachu's back with its teeth.

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'That hurt a lot!'

"Pikachu!" Amanda cried.

"Time to end this round." The girl said. "Take Down!" Raticate charged hard at Pikachu and was about to deliver the finishing touch when Pikachu bounced out of harm's way.

"You're kidding me." The girl said.

"Pikachu used its tail as a springboard to escape potential danger and avoid the attack." Mark pointed out.

"Well done, Pikachu." Said Amanda. "You haven't won yet, though. Swift attack now!" Pikachu shot yellow stars out of its body, which hit Raticate directly.

"No!" the girl cried.

"Thunder!" Amanda ordered. Pikachu launched its most powerful electric attack at Raticate, and although the big rat tried to get out of the way, it got struck by the Thunder and knocked out.

"Raticate is no longer able to battle. Pikachu wins." Michelle declared.

"We did it, Pikachu." Amanda cried, and the two of them high fived each other. The other girl recalled Raticate and grabbed her next ball.

"You did well to beat my powerful Raticate, but now, you're about to see a Pokemon with super strength!" she cried. She threw the ball and out popped a grey Pokemon that looked bigger than Machop, but both of its arms and legs were much bigger. Amanda got her Pokedex back out.

"Machoke, the superpower Pokemon. Machoke has muscles that are as hard as steel, and its immense strength makes it capable of lifting extremely heavy objects with just one finger."

"Be careful, Pikachu." Said Amanda. "This one looks much stronger than the Raticate we just battled."

"Machoke, start things off with a Karate Chop." The girl ordered. Machoke alternated his arm movements to try and land a hit.

"Agility now, Pikachu!" Amanda ordered. Pikachu built up speed and dodged each of Machoke's attack attempts. However, the battle with Raticate had tired Pikachu out a little bit, causing him to lose some speed. That allowed Machoke to swat Pikachu away with his arm, but thankfully, the electric mouse didn't land too far.

"We have to try and stop Machoke dead in his tracks." Said Amanda. "Pikachu, try using Thunder Wave. That should slow it down a bit." Pikachu shot yellow circular waves out of its body, and because Machoke wasn't exactly known to be a fast Pokemon, the waves hit him directly.

"We've got him." Amanda said with confidence. She fully expected the attack to leave Machoke paralyzed. Unfortunately, the strong fighting type brushed it off as if nothing happened.

"Pi?" Pikachu said rather confusingly, which meant 'Why didn't it work?'

"That's what I want to know too." Said Amanda. "Machoke isn't classified as a rock or ground type."

"Correct, but with how strong Machoke's body muscles are, it can withstand any electric attack that gets thrown at it." The girl said. Pikachu got ready to launch another Thunderbolt when Amanda stopped him.

"Electricity won't work. We have to try something else." Said Amanda. "Go for a Quick Attack instead." Pikachu ran hard at Machoke but was barely able to nudge him.

"Machoke, show this trainer why you're so strong." Said the girl. "Seismic Toss, now!" Machoke picked up Pikachu with his arms, spun him around three times, and launched him forward right into a tree trunk. Amanda rushed over and saw that her partner was knocked out.

"Pikachu is unable to continue. Machoke wins!" Michelle declared. Amanda scooped up Pikachu and brought him back to the battle area.

"You did your best, buddy." She said. She put him down beside Mark.

"Spray some potions on him. That'll make him feel better." She said. She then turned to face both the girl as well as Machoke.

"I choose you, Squirtle!" Amanda cried as she threw the ball. The water starter appeared in a blaze of light.

"Let's go, Squirtle. Water Gun attack now!" Squirtle aimed a line of water directly at Machoke, hitting the fighting type square in the face.

"Don't let this little turtle beat you, Machoke." The girl said. "Use your Mega Punch!" Machoke reared his arm back and got ready to punch Squirtle's shell. The water type was faster, though, and avoided the attack with ease.

"Bubblebeam now!" Amanda ordered. Squirtle shot a line of bubbles directly at Machoke, who took a chunk of damage from the attack.

"Don't give in, Machoke." Said the girl. "Low Kick!" Machoke lifted its left leg slightly and gave Squirtle a short kick backwards.

"Squirtle!" the small turtle cried.

"Squirtle looks like it's in a bit of pain." Said Amanda.

"How can you tell?" asked Mark.

"That kick left a bit of a mark on Squirtle's shell, that's how." Amanda answered. "Okay, Squirtle, go for Skull Bash!" Squirtle lowered its head and charged it right into Machoke's body. The strong fighting type still didn't go down, however.

"Go for another Seismic Toss." The girl ordered.

"Hydro Pump!" Amanda called at the same time. Right as Machoke picked up Squirtle, the water type disappeared into his shell and got off his attack before Machoke could pull his off. The powerful blasts of water sent Machoke crashing to the ground.

"Machoke cannot continue. Squirtle wins!" Michelle declared.

"Great job, Squirtle!" Amanda cheered. Squirtle gave a thumbs up. The girl recalled Machoke and got one more Poke Ball out.

"Well, Amanda, you managed to beat my strongest Pokemon." She said. "But now, let's see how well you handle this last one." She threw the ball and out popped a Pokemon with a light yellow underside and a white underbelly. The Pokemon was similar in color to Sandshrew but much bigger. Amanda brought her Pokedex back out.

"Sandslash, the mouse Pokemon. Sandslash can defend itself by curling up into a large ball to shield itself from attacks. It is also very skilled at climbing trees and

can prey on its enemies from high tree branches if they're not careful."

"Just one more win to go, Squirtle!" Amanda cried. "Water Gun attack!" Squirtle aimed his water, but Sandslash moved right as the attack was about to hit.

"Sandslash, use Sand Attack." The girl ordered. Sandslash dug up a bit of sand from underneath the grass and threw it toward Squirtle.

"Squirtle, duck!" Amanda cried. Squirtle lowered his head just in time to avoid the sand.

"Good work. Now, dive underground." Amanda ordered. Squirtle nodded and dove down under the grass.

"Look out Sandslash, her Squirtle could appear out of nowhere." Said the girl. Sandslash looked around everywhere, but then Squirtle popped up from behind and hit his head on Sandslash's back.

"Sandslash!" the girl cried. "Are you still able to battle?" Sandslash gave the thumbs up.

"Great. Use your Slash." The girl commanded. Sandslash used its claws to leave sharp marks on Squirtle's shell.

"I don't think Squirtle can last too much longer." Said Mark.

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'I don't think so either.'

"Go for Fury Swipes." The girl ordered. Sandslash swiped its claws in a tremendous fury, leaving Squirtle both dazed and knocked out.

"Squirtle is unable to continue. Sandslash wins." Michelle declared. Amanda recalled the water starter back to his capsule.

"Good work, Squirtle." She Said. She put Squirtle's ball back on her waist and was about to throw the one containing Fearow when she remembered what had happened in her battle with Scyther.

"I probably shouldn't risk it if I can't control him." Said Amanda. She put Fearow's ball back and grabbed a different one instead.

"Weepinbell, I choose you!" she cried. She threw the ball and the small grass type appeared in a blaze of light. The other girl got excited when she saw it.

"Ah! Weepinbell is my most favorite Pokemon ever!" she screamed.

"I'm glad you like it." Said Amanda. "Weepinbell, use Razor Leaf!" Weepinbell fired green leaves, but Sandslash sliced them in half with his claws. Amanda and Weepinbell were both shocked.

"The claws on my Sandslash are better than every one of its species." Said the girl. "You'll have to try to find a different way to win if you want to beat it. Sandslash, use your Swift attack!" Sandslash shot yellow stars from its belly and the stars hit Weepinbell's head.

"Weepinbell! Are you all right?" Amanda asked with a bit of concern. Weepinbell nodded.

"Great." Said Amanda. She then remembered what her opponent had just said about Sandslash's claws. "Weepinbell, bounce around Sandslash in a circle a couple of times." Weepinbell nodded and started to jump.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu wondered from the sideline, which meant 'What is she doing?'

"I don't have the slightest idea." Said Mark. "Whatever she's cooking up, I hope it works." Weepinbell started jumping faster and faster, leaving Sandslash dazed and confused.

"That's it! Now, hit it with your Sleep Powder!" Amanda ordered. Weepinbell sprayed blue dust all over Sandslash, who plopped down onto the ground and fell fast asleep.

"Great work. Vine Whip time now!" Weepinbell lashed out its vines and hit Sandslash repeatedly with them until the ground type was completely knocked out.

"Sandslash is unable to battle. Weepinbell wins." Michelle declared. "Amanda wins this match!"

"You were awesome, Weepinbell." Said Amanda. She hugged her grass type before recalling it. The girl recalled her Sandslash and shook hands with Amanda.

"I have to say, that was quite the strategy you came up with to have your Weepinbell bounce around like that." Said the girl. "Now that our match is over, it's time to hold up my end of our deal. I'll show you guys the way out of the forest." Mark, Amanda, Michelle, Pikachu and Eevee all followed the girl so that they wouldn't get lost any further.

"I don't think I ever gave my name." the girl said. "I'm Rachael."

"It's very nice meeting you, Rachael." Said Amanda. "These two here are my friends Michelle and Mark. They're Pokemon trainers too, just like me."

"It's nice meeting all of you." Said Rachael. "Since I've been nice enough to help the three of you with the problem that you were having, it's time for you to return the favor and help me with my own problem."

"No problem, Rachael." Said Amanda. "What's your problem?"

"Well, today's my birthday and my mom's having a big party for me." Said Rachael. "The problem, though, is that when I tried to invite the kids that live in town to come, they were either busy or didn't want to come."

"That's no way to treat a pretty young lady like yourself." Said Mark.

"If you ask me, that's being very rude and disrespectful." Said Michelle.

"My point exactly." Said Rachael. "The party's supposed to start in two hours, and unless I can make some new friends and get them to come within that time frame, it's going to be just my mom and myself. That would be kind of boring."

"Pikachu?" Pikachu asked, which meant 'What does she mean by new friends?'

"I'm not sure, Pikachu." Said Amanda.

"I'll tell you." Said Rachael. "My mom and I moved here a month ago, and so far, I haven't made a single new friend. I've tried, but they either have their own friend groups or just don't care for me."

"Don't you worry, Rachael, because Michelle, Mark, Pikachu, Eevee and I will all be your friends." Said Amanda.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Rachael cried. "I can't wait to tell my mom." And she ran off happily, with Amanda, Michelle, Mark, Pikachu and Eevee following close behind. Meanwhile, Conrad and Sally were keeping their eyes on them from their balloon.

"Seems like the twerps have a new friend." Said Conrad.

"And said friend has a birthday party." Said Sally.

"You know what that means, right?" said Conrad.

"We crash their party." Said Sally.

"Exactly." Said Conrad. "And I know exactly how we do it, too." He whispered his plan to Sally, who nodded and smiled.

"That's certainly very devious." She said, and they got ready to land the balloon. Meanwhile, the group was rapidly approaching Rachael's house.

"You know, Rachael, I had a birthday myself not that long ago." Said Michelle.

"How did that go?" asked Rachael.

"It went pretty well." Said Michelle. "I got some new clothes, and I even got a new Pokemon, too."

"That's pretty cool." Said Rachael. "I don't know yet what kind of presents I'm going to get."

"Let's hope they're at least as good as what I got." Said Michelle.

"Did you ask your mom for hints?" Mark asked.

"I did, but she wouldn't say anything." Said Rachael. "She wants me to be surprised." They reached her house a short time later, and Rachael burst through the door.

"I'm home, Mom." She said. "I even have some new friends with me."

"Great, bring them in here." Said Rachael's mom.

"Come on, guys." Said Rachael, and she led her new friends into the kitchen where her mom was.

"Hello, sweetheart." Said Rachael's mother.

"Hi, Mommy." Said Rachael.

"Did you make some new friends like I asked you to?" asked Rachael's mom.

"I sure did." Said Rachael. "I want you to meet Michelle, Mark and Amanda. They're all on a Pokemon journey together."

"It's very nice to meet you, miss…." Amanda stammered.

"Oh please, you can call me Veronica." Said Rachael's mom. She then looked down at the two partners Amanda and Michelle had with them.

"And who are these two cuties?" Veronica asked.

"Those are Pikachu and Eevee." Said Amanda. "They've been our best friends for a long time."

"I think they're very good choices for friends." Said Veronica.

"Mom, can I invite my new friends to my birthday party?" Rachael asked.

"Of course, dear, if that's what they want." Said Veronica.

"Please come, guys." Said Rachael. "Nobody else will, and I don't want my birthday to be a complete bust."

"Well, seeing how we're already here, we may as well stay for the party." Said Amanda. "What do you guys think?"

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'I think we should stay.'

"Eevee!" Eevee excitedly squealed, which meant 'That goes for me too.'

"That settles it." Said Michelle. "We'll come to your party."

"Thank you so much!" Rachael cried. "You have no idea how much this means to me." The four of them played together in Rachael's room for an hour, and then it was time for her to get ready. Mark, Michelle and Amanda left the room to allow Rachael to change.

"I hope that this party will be successful." Said Amanda.

"I just hope we don't have to deal with Team Rocket at this party." Said Michelle.

"Pika pi." Pikachu said, which meant 'I don't want to be dealing with them either. Not on our new friend's special day.' Rachael emerged from her room ten minutes later looking very different compared to when she had met them about an hour prior. The blue shirt, white jean shorts and pink sneakers she had been wearing before were replaced with a sleeveless green dress with white dandelions on its' skirt, and a pair of silver boots on her feet. Her hair was also pulled into a tight but neat ponytail.

"Well, what do you think?" she asked.

"Pikachu." Pikachu answered, which meant 'You look really pretty.'

"That dress looks very nice on you." Said Amanda.

"Thanks." Said Rachael. "Since it's my special day, I thought that I should look special."

"You definitely look special to me." Said Michelle. A white flash of light was seen, and Psyduck popped out from its' ball. He took a curious look at Rachael's dress.

"Psyduck, what are you doing?" Michelle demanded. Psyduck ignored her and kept looking. He then turned his head away.

"Don't you like the color, Psyduck?" Amanda asked.

"Psyduck!" Psyduck yelled angrily, which meant 'It's fine, but it doesn't match my own colouring.'

"That doesn't give you the right to insult our new friend like that." Said Michelle. She expected that Rachael would be angry, but instead, she was smiling at Psyduck.

"I don't think he means any harm, Michelle." She said. "If he doesn't like my dress, then that's fine, he's entitled to his own opinion. To tell you the truth, though, I don't really dress up too much. Only for special occasions like this."

"That doesn't matter." Said Michelle. "Psyduck, you apologize to this nice girl right now!" Psyduck started to go up to her before turning around and saying "Duck?" which meant 'What's an apology?' Michelle was even more mad now.

"That's when you say sorry to someone for hurting their feelings." Michelle answered firmly. "Which you're going to do, or you'll be under Poke Ball arrest for two weeks!" Psyduck held his hand out toward Rachael and made a handshaking gesture. The two of them shook heads and then Psyduck said "Psy." Which meant 'I'm sorry I insulted you.'

"That's okay, Psyduck." Said Rachael. "I think you're adorable, though."

"Psyduck psy." Psyduck said, which meant 'Thank you. You're not too bad yourself.' Michelle promptly recalled Psyduck before any more damage could be done.

"I'm really sorry about my Psyduck acting like that." Said Michelle.

"There's no need to apologize, Michelle." Said Rachael. "I figured that you probably just obtained that Psyduck not too long ago, which means there's things he doesn't really understand yet."

"I guess that's true, but that's still no excuse for him to behave the way he did." Said Michelle. Veronica popped into the room an hour later.

"Sweetheart, it's time for your party to start." She said.

"Okay, Mom." Said Rachael.

"Hey, here's an idea." Said Mark. "How about we let our Pokemon enjoy the party too."

"Great idea, Mark." Said Amanda. "I'm sure, they'll want to be part of the action." All of them headed out to the backyard, where the party was set up. A banner reading Happy 11th Birthday Rachael was hung across the bottom of the tablecloth.

"Okay, let's let out our Pokemon so they can enjoy themselves." Said Rachael. "Raticate, Machoke, Sandslash, all of you come on out!" She threw their Poke Balls and the three Pokemon appeared with smiles as they were ready to enjoy the festivities.

"Bulbasaur, Gastly, Diglett, Charmander, it's party time!" Mark cried. He threw their Poke Balls, and all four Pokemon happily appeared.

"Eevee, Electabuzz, Doduo, Ponyta, you're all invited too." Said Michelle. Eevee ran to join the others and Michelle threw the balls belonging to the other four Pokemon and all of them appeared ready to join in on the fun. Psyduck popped back out on his own, but Michelle wagged a scolding finger at him.

"Nice try, but no party for you." She said, and immediately recalled him.

"Pikachu, Squirtle, Nidoran, Flareon, Weepinbell, time for some fun." Said Amanda.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, and happily ran over to Eevee. Amanda threw the balls belonging to Squirtle, Nidoran, Flareon and Weepinbell and they all looked like they were ready to have a good time. But then, Amanda remembered she had forgotten one of her other Pokemon. She was about to start throwing Fearow's ball to let him out, but Michelle stopped her.

"I don't think letting Fearow join the party when he's not listening to you is a good idea." She said.

"Michelle's right. If you let Fearow out, who knows what kind of problems he could cause." Said Mark. Amanda calmly put Fearow's ball back on her waist.

"He can come next time." She promised. While the kids were running around in the yard, the Pokemon went over to the big table that had one side filled with appetizers. Hamburger sliders, shrimps, and cold cuts made up the bulk of the starting menu. The other side of the table was filled up with all of Rachael's presents. Squirtle grabbed a slider and chomped on it with one bite. Pikachu and Eevee even helped themselves a little bit.

"Squirtle squirt." Squirtle said to both of them, which meant 'This food is so good.'

"Eevee." Eevee squealed, which meant 'Try the celery sticks, Pikachu.' Pikachu slowly bit on one of the sticks and smiled.

"Pikachu." He said, which meant 'These are really good too.' Both Pikachu and Eevee also helped themselves to some small bread pieces.

"Don't fill up too much, guys." Amanda called to them. "There's more food coming later." The Pokemon stopped eating and played their own games with each other. Pikachu and Eevee engaged in a friendly game of tag, while the kids took turns going down the slide on Rachael's play set.

"This party's certainly a lot of fun so far." Said Michelle.

"It's a lot better because of the fact that I have good friends to enjoy it with." Said Rachael. "I just wish that some of the other kids had agreed to come."

"We're better than nothing, though." Said Amanda.

"I suppose you have a point." Said Rachael. She tried her best to enjoy the party, but at the same time, she was still thinking about other things. Meanwhile, Veronica was just about done cleaning up the kitchen from her baking when the doorbell rang.

"That must be the pizza that I ordered." She said and she made her way to the door. A friendly young gentleman of about seventeen years old stood at the door with two medium sized pizza boxes, and two bottles of diet soda.

"Here you are, miss." Said the boy. "Your total comes to thirty-six dollars and eighty cents." Veronica reached into her wallet to pay the boy, and then made a proposal to him.

"You know, my daughter has a birthday today, and I'm sure she'd appreciate it if you could join the party." She said.

"As much as I'd like to, I have a lot of other deliveries that I have to make." Said the boy. "Thanks for the offer, though." He got back into his delivery car and drove off. Veronica brought the pizza out to the backyard and placed it on the food table.

"Kids, it's pizza time!" she called. The four of them rushed over to the table, and Pikachu was about to grab a slice when Amanda held up her hand in front of him.

"Don't be rude." She said. "The birthday girl should be the one to go first."

"That's right." Said Michelle. "That goes for you too, Eevee. Let Rachael get her food first, and then we'll take our share."

"Thank you." Said Rachael. She put two slices on her plate and went over to the table that was set up for them to sit down at. Michelle, Amanda and Mark took their slices and joined her, with the Pokemon following close behind.

"You never told us why you and your mom moved here." Said Mark.

"The city we used to live in was too noisy for both of us." Said Rachael. "There would be emergency vehicle sirens going off constantly, not to mention all of the loud noise from the construction workers. It kept going on all day and all night. My mom requested for at least the construction noise to be quieter at night, but nothing was ever done about it. That's why we moved here. It's much more peaceful, and not as much noise."

"How are you liking the town?" asked Michelle.

"It's pretty good." Said Rachael. "There's a park not too far from here, and there's also that forest where I found you earlier. In fact, you're actually the first friends that I've made since moving here."

"We're very happy to be your friends, aren't we, Pikachu?" Amanda asked. Pikachu nodded, but just then, a large gift box came out of nowhere and sucked up both Pikachu and Eevee. The Pokemon both screamed loudly, causing the group to see what the commotion was.

"Pikachu!" Amanda cried.

"Eevee!" Michelle cried.

"Who's there?" Rachael demanded. The laughter from a pair of familiar voices answered her question.

"Oh great, them again." Amanda groaned.

"You better believe it's us again!" Sally cried from the air balloon.

"Sorry to crash your party, but we find it rude to not invite us." Said Conrad. Veronica rushed out so she could see what was happening.

"Oh, you invited more people, how very nice of you." She said in a sweet voice.

"No, Mother, those two are bad guys!" Rachael exclaimed.

"More specifically, they're from Team Rocket." Said Amanda.

"Team who?" Rachael asked. She clearly had no idea who Conrad and Sally were.

"Team Rocket has been on our tail constantly since Pewter City trying to steal our Pikachu and Eevee." Michelle explained.

"Do you understand now?" Amanda asked.

"I think so." Rachael answered.

"Say kid, if you let us come to your party, we'll gladly give your friends these Pokemon back." Said Conrad.

"Don't listen to them, Rachael!" Mark cried. "That's just one of their dirty tricks."

"What'll it be, kid?" Sally asked, her attention focused solely on Rachael.

"No way!" Rachael exclaimed. "I'd rather go riding on the back of a Rhyhorn before ever agreeing to let you two join any of my parties!"

"Then these two come with us, permanently." Said Sally.

"So long, twerps." Said Conrad. The two of them started to fly off, but Amanda was determined to not allow the two crooks to get away.

"We have to stop them!" she cried and grabbed a Poke Ball from her waist.

"Hold on. That's not Fearow's Poke Ball that you're holding, is it?" asked Michelle.

"It is." Amanda confirmed.

"I don't think it should be out when you can't control it." Said Mark.

"I don't have any other choice!" Amanda cried and threw the ball. Fearow instantly appeared and gave a loud screech.

"I'm counting on you, Fearow." Said Amanda. "Please go up there and get Pikachu and Eevee back for us." Fearow looked like it was going to listen, but then he noticed the big table of food. He flew over to it and started helping himself.

"Stop that, Fearow!" Amanda ordered. "You'll get to eat after you complete your job." Fearow just ignored her and continued eating. Squirtle, Nidoran and some of the other Pokemon also tried to tell him to stop, but it did no good. It wasn't until he heard the sound of silver pellets being thrown down and about to explode that he finally sprang into action.

"Who needs a party when we can just take our own gifts?" said Sally.

"Once the boss sees two adorable Pokemon so neatly gift wrapped, he's sure to forgive our previous failures." Conrad said with high confidence. What they didn't expect to see, however, was a large and angry bird charging right towards them.

"Is that….?" Conrad started to ask.

"Fearow?" Sally finished. "Quick, fire more pellets. I'm sure the boss wouldn't mind an extra gift." Conrad sent down another round of the pellets, but Fearow swatted them away with his wings and sent them back toward the balloon, hitting it and popping it, forcing it to start descending. One of the pellets hit the lid of the box that Pikachu and Eevee were trapped in, resulting in the box opening.

"Pikachu!" Pikachu exclaimed, which meant 'Look who it is!'

"Eevee!" Eevee squealed, which meant 'We're so happy to see you!'

"Fearow fear!" Fearow screeched, which meant 'Climb on, both of you!' Pikachu and Eevee jumped onto Fearow's back, and he safely flew them down to where all four kids were. Amanda and Michelle scooped up their Pokémon and gave them big hugs.

"Great work, Fearow!" Amanda cried. "I hope this means that you're going to start listening to me from now on." Fearow glared at Amanda and pecked her repeatedly with his beak.

"I take it that's a no." said Mark. Amanda recalled Fearow and placed his ball back on her waist.

"Fearow will listen to me one day." Said Amanda. However, Conrad and Sally were furious.

"Where's that bird brain?" Sally demanded. "I want to teach him a lesson about what happens when you mess with Team Rocket!"

"If you mean Fearow, he's safely inside his ball." Said Amanda.

"Bring him back out here!" Conrad demanded.

"Forget it! Why don't the two of you just leave and let us get on with our party?!" Rachael exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's bad enough that you showed up to my daughter's party without an invitation, but trying to steal her new friends' Pokemon makes things worse. I'm afraid I'll have to ask the two of you to leave right now!" Veronica demanded.

"We're not leaving unless we have a Pokemon in our possession!" Sally fumed.

"You'll have to fight us first!" Amanda yelled. "Let's do this, Pikachu!"

"Come on, Eevee, let's get rid of these party crashers!" Michelle cried. Both partner Pokemon sprang into action. Both Team Rocket members sent out Ekans and Zubat to counter.

"Okay, Pikachu, get ready." Said Amanda.

"Okay, Eevee, get set." Said Michelle.

"Go for double Quick Attack!" they both yelled together. Pikachu and Eevee charged full speed at the two poison types, sending them backwards a bit upon impact.

"That's it!" Amanda cried. "Play time's going to be over for you two before you know it."

"In our eyes, play time is just getting started." Said Sally. "Ekans, use Poison Sting! Zubat, use Supersonic!" Ekans fired sharp needles at the two Pokemon, but they dodged them easily with Agility. As for Zubat's Supersonic, Pikachu was able to avoid the blue circles, but Eevee wasn't as fortunate and screamed upon being hit by them.

"Oh no!" Michelle cried.

"Are we actually going to beat the twerps for once?" Conrad asked.

"I think so." Said Sally gleefully.

"Come on, Eevee, try to keep yourself focused!" Michelle cried. "Use your Take Down attack!" Eevee nodded, and started to run towards Team Rocket's Pokemon, but then changed direction and darted toward a nearby tree. Eevee banged its head on the tree over and over again.

"What happened there?" Amanda wondered.

"Zubat's Supersonic caused Eevee to get confused and now it thinks that the tree is a Pokemon." Mark explained.

"That can't be good." Said Michelle.

"I think Eevee's going to need some help." Said Amanda. "Squirtle, get in there and give Eevee an assist!" Squirtle immediately ran over to where everyone was standing and faced the two crooks.

"Squirtle, use your Water Gun now!" Amanda commanded. Squirtle shot a line of water right at Ekans, completely soaking it.

"Well, Ekans did need a bath anyway, so one less thing for us to worry about." Said Sally.

"Electabuzz, use Thunder Punch now!" Michelle cried. Electabuzz ran over and gave Zubat an electric punch so powerful that it left the small bat paralyzed. Zubat gave a painful screech.

"I think the twerps have turned the tables on us." Said Conrad.

"So much for winning." Sally lamented.

"You're never winning against us, Team Rocket!" Amanda cried. "Squirtle, dive underground with Dig!" Squirtle dropped below the grass and got himself in a ready position.

"Ekans, look around so you can see when Squirtle pops up." Conrad ordered. Ekans looked all over the yard, and then Squirtle popped up and struck him with powerful damage from the attack.

"Ah! Ekans!" the two Team Rocket members cried.

"Time to finish things off." Said Amanda. "Pikachu, hit them with your strongest Thunderbolt!" Pikachu unleashed its powerful move, striking Zubat, Ekans, Sally and Conrad and sending them flying into the air.

"So much for a handsome gift for the boss." Sally lamented.

"That's the last time I ever show at a party." Said Conrad.

"We're blasting off again!" They both cried.

"Great job, everyone! You should all be proud of yourselves." Amanda said. Eevee ran over and gave Pikachu and Squirtle a high five.

"Looks like Eevee finally snapped out of its bout with confusion." Said Mark.

"That was the best battling I've ever seen from you, Squirtle." Said Amanda.

"Squirtle!" Squirtle cried, which meant 'Thanks!' He gave a thumbs up, and Amanda was about to recall him when he suddenly started glowing white.

"What's happening now, Squirtle?" Amanda asked.

"I don't think it's going to be a Squirtle anymore." Said Michelle.

"It's evolving!" Mark exclaimed. Once the white light had disappeared, a slightly bigger version of Squirtle had taken shape. The back of the shell now had a small, white tail, and its claws were a bit sharper. Two sharp teeth were showing from its upper jaw. Finally, two feather-like ears were present on each side of its head.

"Wartortle!" it cried out.

"Congratulations, Wartortle!" Amanda cried. "You're going to have so much more power now."

"Pika!" Pikachu cried, which meant 'Congratulations, dude!'

"Wartortle!" Wartortle answered, which meant 'Thanks, man!'

"Now that Team Rocket's out of the way, let's continue the party." Said Veronica. They played some more games, and then an hour later, Veronica brought out the birthday cake. Rachael beamed when she saw it.

"It's shaped after Weepinbell!" she cried. "Thank you so much! How did you know that was the cake I wanted?"

"Let's call it a mother's intuition." Said Veronica. They sang happy birthday to Rachael, and after the cake had been served and eaten, it was time to open her presents.

"I think you'll like what I picked out." Said Veronica. Rachael opened up a small box first and found a bright red Pokedex that resembled the ones Michelle and Amanda had.

"This is nice, Mom, but I'm not sure what I'm supposed to use this for." Said Rachael.

"This is where the next gift comes in handy." Said Veronica. Rachael tore open a medium sized box and found six empty Poke Balls.

"I think you're onto something here, Mom." Said Rachael. Veronica nodded and motioned for her to open the biggest box, which contained multiple sets of outfits as well as a backpack.

"All of this is really neat, Mom." Said Rachael. "How do all these gifts fit together, though?"

"That's for you to figure out, honey." Said Vernoica. Rachael thought hard, and a short time later, she came up with the answer.

"I've got it! All of this is for me to go on my own Pokemon journey." Rachael guessed.

"That's exactly right." Said Veronica. Rachael happily bounced up to her mother and gave her a huge hug.

"Oh, Mom, thank you so much!" she cried.

"You're welcome." Said Veronica.

"This is great, Rachael. Now you'll get to be a trainer like us." Said Amanda.

"That's definitely very exciting." Said Mark. The party lasted until sunset, at which point everyone returned their Pokemon to their balls, except for Pikachu and Eevee.

"It's a little late for you three to be heading back out." Said Veronica. "Why don't the three of you stay over tonight?"

"We'd love that." Said Michelle. "What do you think about that idea, Rachael?" However, Rachael had fallen asleep on the couch.

"I guess the party tired her out." Said Veronica. She picked up her daughter and carried her up to her bed. Mark, Michelle and Amanda made themselves comfortable in the guest bedroom and fell asleep. The next morning, after everyone was dressed, Veronica saw the four of them off.

"Now, honey, make sure you call me every chance you get." She said.

"I will, Mom." Rachael promised.

"As for the three of you, I wish you all the best of luck in your own journey." Said Veronica.

"Thanks, Veronica." Said Michelle.

"Thanks again for coming to my party and being my friends, guys." Said Rachael. "I hope we run into each other again real soon."

"I hope so too." Said Michelle. Rachael headed off in one direction, while Amanda, Mark and Michelle went in the other direction.

"Well, Pikachu, what did you think of Rachael's party?" Amanda asked.

"Pikachu." Pikachu happily answered, which meant 'It was a lot of fun.' So, one more adventure resulted in one more new friend. Rachael had a successful party, and Squirtle evolved into Wartortle. Now, our trio heads off toward a brighter future as their journey continues. Meanwhile, somewhere in a secret base….

"My dear, sweet Michelle, wherever you are right now, I hope you're doing well for yourself." The man continued sitting by himself in the corner of the cell he was locked up in and sighed.

"How I'd give my entire life to see you again."

TO BE CONTINUED

Amanda's Party: Pikachu, Fearow, Wartortle, Weepinbell, Flareon, Nidoran Male

Michelle's Party: Eevee, Electabuzz, Doduo, Psyduck, Ponyta, Charmander

Mark's Party: Bulbasaur, Charmander, Diglett, Gastly, Lapras

Amanda's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Rattata, Haunter, Magikarp, Butterfree, Zubat, Abra, Tentacruel, Pidgeotto, Dratini, Clefairy, Scyther

Michelle's Spare Pokemon at Oak's Lab: Gengar, Sandshrew, Nidoran Female, Poliwag