Proofread by: greenparrot08 and MaxTheMagnificent24
Chapter 2: Pokémon Emergency!
Pant..
Pant..
Left...
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A boy covered in filth from head to toe ran along the road, pulling an almost ruined bicycle up a hill. He looked weary and nearly out of breath. He'd been sprinting for an hour or so, attempting to reach his destination, and he may have collapsed at any moment, but he didn't care—the reason why was because of what was inside of the basket.
In the basket, there was a weakened and dirty yellow mouse Pokémon resting inside it, barely breathing.
"Just hang in there a little longer Pikachu...we're almost there." Ash panted, nearing the top.
Right now, he could see a town on the verge of the sunset beyond the horizon. Viridian City. Smiling with relief, Ash set the bike down near the front gate and picked Pikachu up.
In the streets, several police cars were stationed around town.
"Attention citizens of Viridian City! There are reports of thieves in our area! Be on the lookout for suspicious-looking strangers! Repeat, be on the lookout for suspicious-looking strangers!" A policewoman with blue hair warned into a speaker when she noticed Ash nearby.
"Excuse me," The woman called out, stopping him. "Where are you off to in such a hurry? And why do you have such an injured Pokémon in your arms?"
"Excuse ma'am, but I'm trying to find the Pokémon Center. My Pikachu and I were attacked by a Spearow flock and he got hurt." Ash explained, looking at Pikachu with concern.
"Oh my goodness! I'm sorry to hear that…but wait, how come your Pokémon isn't in its Poké Ball?" She questioned suspiciously.
"Because he hates being inside one." Ash explained.
"Hmm…well, it's not that I don't believe you, but I have to check in with everyone who comes through Viridian City's gates. It's my job," she said. "So if you could please show me your ID?"
"ID?" Pausing, Ash wasn't exactly old enough to have a license for anything. "Oh! I got this." Reaching into his pocket, Ash took out his PokéDex.
"A PokéDex? That's perfect." She smiled while taking it. Plugging in a code, Ash's face came up on the device's screen.
"I'm Dexter, a Pokédex programmed by Professor Oak for Pokémon Trainer Ash Ketchum of the town of Pallet. My function is to provide Ash with information and advice regarding Pokémon and their training. If lost or stolen, I cannot be replaced."
"Well that checks out everything," The officer said, checking his credentials. "Now, you said that your Pokémon was hurt?"
"Yes, we need to get to the Pokémon Center. Can you please help?" Ash pleads.
The policewoman nodded and said, "Absolutely. I can take you there myself."
Opening the garage, she revealed a motorcycle with a sidecar.
"Thank you so much uh..." Ash paused, not knowing her name.
"Officer Jenny. It would be smart to remember that name." She declared, helping them into the sidecar. With a roar of her engine, Officer Jenny hit the ignition and took off like a speeding bullet, leaving a trail of smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe.
As the sun was setting, Ash and Officer Jenny were coming up to a large building with a red roof that had a Poké Ball on it.
"Hold on tight." Swerving, Officer Jenny stopped just short of the entrance.
"Whoa, what a ride!" Ash exclaimed, blown away. "Thanks so much!"
"No problem Ash. You and your Pokémon just be careful." Officer Jenny said, helping them out.
With that, Officer Jenny drove back to her station and Ash turned around to enter the building.
"Excuse me! Is anyone here?" Ash calls out.
"Yes? How can I help you?" At the counter, there was a woman with pink hair wearing a nurse's outfit waiting for him. This was Nurse Joy.
"Can you please help my Pokemon?" Ash asked, approaching her.
The nurse looked down to see Pikachu's injured state in his arms and gasped, "Oh my! How on Earth could you let this Pokémon get hurt this bad?"
"We were attacked by a whole flock of Spearow," Ash explained.
"Oh my goodness! Chansey, get the stretcher!" Nurse Joy calls out as a pink Pokemon with a nurse's cap comes out.
"Chansey!" It said, putting Pikachu on a stretcher.
"Wait. Please, also heal him." Ash said, taking out the Poké Ball holding Spearow.
"I promised I'd get him looked at too."
"We'll do everything we can," The Nurse nodded, taking the ball from him before looking at Ash's exhausted appearance and saying, "And I think you should probably be looked at as well."
"I might as well rest while they're healing." Ash sighed in agreement.
"Feel free to relax in the waiting area, the restroom is down the hall to the left." The Nurse said as she and Chansey took his Pokémon to the back.
Moving to the waiting area, Ash sat down in a seat and reflected on the events of earlier in the day.
It took an entire Spearow attack for him and Pikachu to finally act like a team, and while he did technically catch his first Pokémon, Spearow was only a temporary catch. He sighed and kept his head down. This was a chaotic day that continued spiraling downwards by the minute.
'I just want this day to end.' Ash thought, lifting his head up when noticed a sign indicating there were phones for trainers to use.
Thinking of calling home, Ash got up and approached the videophones.
He sat down in the chair and dialed home. After a couple of rings, the voice of his mother answered.
"Hello? Ketchum Residence."
"Hello? Mom?" Ash replied and immediately heard a gasp.
"Hi honey, is everything okay?!" As the screen turned on, it revealed Delia wearing a robe. "Where are you, Ash?"
"The Pokémon Center in Viridian City." Ash answered.
"You're already in Viridian?! That's amazing! It took both your father and your grandfather four days to reach there when they were starting as trainers, and yet you made it there in just a short amount of time," Delia said, amazed that her son managed to make it past the lengthy journey in less than a day. "Why, I bet they'd be so proud of you! You are the apple of your father's eye."
"Yeah, a rotten one." Ash muttered.
"Oh Ash don't get discouraged, it's only your first day. Look at you, you're spreading your wings and soaring like a Spearow." Delia smiled.
"I feel more like a Pidgey whose wings have been clipped." Ash continued to self-deprecate.
His mother looked at her son's glum face and said, "Ash? What's wrong? You're not acting like yourself."
"Mom, this was one of the worst days of my life. The only good thing to happen from it was Pikachu finally gave me a chance." Ash admitted with sadness.
"He did? That's great." Delia smiled, happy to hear that part.
"Yeah but to get that far…" Going on, Ash told his mom everything after they left Pallet up to the thunderstorm.
Once he finished, Delia covered her mouth and gasped in horror, "Oh my word! Sweetie, are you OK?! Anything broken?! Is Pikachu alright too?!" She frantically asks Ash numerous questions as she looks completely concerned.
"I'm fine Mom. A little roughed up and some dirt but nothing serious and Pikachu's being looked at right now." Ash said.
Delia sighed with relief as she grasped her hand close to her heart, "Thank goodness…"
"What do you think Mom? Do you think I have a chance?" Ash asked.
"Honestly Ash, part of me wants to drive down there, pick you up, and bring you home right this second...but I won't. Ash, do you know how many crazy things your father and grandfather did on their journeys? More than I can count, but they never dealt with anything like this on their first day. The fact that you made it through is proof enough that you are right where you need to be. You just need to get your confidence back." Delia assures.
"But what if I do something dumb again and something like this happens again?" Ash asked, unsure of himself.
"Then you'll face it and try to fix things." Delia said with a smile. "Even the best trainers mess up sometimes, Ash. Ones like Gary who get everything handed to them on a silver platter don't know how to handle struggles and real problems. If you ask me, you might have started late but you got a big jump over the other trainers where it counts."
"Mom..." Ash said, stunned.
"Believe in yourself, Ash. Don't ever doubt your abilities. Learn, grow, and become strong. Isn't that what your father always tells you?" Delia asks.
Ash thought back to those conversations with his father and how often his dad told him that if he ever wanted to be a Pokémon Master.
"Now come on. Show that smile. Show me my little boy who dreams of being a Pokemon Master." Delia urged.
Ash couldn't help but smile and chuckle. "How come you always find the right words to say?"
"It comes with the job of being a mother," Delia smiled. "To make sure their child stays happy. And I want you to keep going as a trainer because I know that makes you happy. Prove me wrong."
"Thanks, Mom." Ash said, feeling a little better now. "Well, I just called to check in with you, to let you know I'm OK and got here safe."
"Feel free to call whenever you can. And Ash, don't give up so easily. I believe in you." Delia smiles.
"Love you, Mom." Ash smiled.
"Love you too, Ash." Delia said as they hung up.
Ash felt rejuvenated after that little pep talk from his mother. She was right; one minor setback wouldn't stop him from becoming a Pokémon Master.
That's the power of parenting for you.
Turning to get up, he noticed some stone carvings hanging on the wall nearby.
Walking towards it he saw they were of four Pokémon. "Wait...that Pokémon." Noticing the one in the top right corner, Ash saw a striking resemblance to the one he and Pikachu saw flying over the rainbow.
Before he could continue thinking about it, the front desk's video phone began to ring. Looking around for any staff, Ash saw he was the only one in the lobby.
Walking over, Ash picks up the phone. "Uh…hello?" Ash answers.
"Ash? Is that you?" Prof. Oak's voice said from the other line.
Looking at the screen, Ash saw the back of Prof. Oak.
"Professor Oak? Uh…Professor, were you cooking dinner?" Ash said, looking down at the table of ramen behind him.
"Hm?" Oak turned and realized his mistake. "Oh, silly me! One second!" He changed the perspective to where he was facing Ash entirely. "There, that's better. Your mother recently called me and told me you arrived at Viridian City and you felt a little down, so I thought I'd call in to check on you."
"Down is one word to describe it." Ash muttered. "But I finally got Pikachu to give me a chance."
"You did? Amazing! I couldn't even get it to eat, let alone listen." Prof. Oak said surprised.
"Well after today, we finally managed to bury the hatchet," Ash replied.
"I'll admit Ash, I had my doubts that you could handle Pikachu but when Gary bet me you wouldn't catch a single Pokemon by the time you reached Viridian, I'd eat my own hat!" Prof. Oak declared, making Ash burst into laughter.
"Oh man, I wish Gary was into cowboy hats!" Ash continued laughing.
"Oh, so you DID catch something?!" Prof. Oak leaned closer to the screen with curiosity.
"Technically yes. I caught a Spearow." Ash said.
"Ha, ha! Fantastic, Ash!" The old Professor cheered with delight. "And a mighty catch as well! Spearow are very aggressive and hard to train, but if you could get Pikachu to listen to you, then I have no doubts you can raise it properly."
"Assuming it sticks around with me." Ash muttered under his breath.
"Oh, by the way Ash," Prof. Oak said, getting his attention, "While I have you on the line, could you please relay a note to Nurse Joy?"
"Uh, sure. What is it, Professor?" Ash asks.
"Tell her to call me when she finishes looking at the Pokémon I sent her." Prof. Oak informed him.
"You've sent some Pokémon here?" the boy asked.
"Yes, I send the Pokémon from my lab there so they can have their checkups and make sure all of them are in good condition." Prof. Oak explained.
Ash nodded and said, "OK. I'll be sure to tell her once she's finished looking at Pikachu and Spearow."
"Excellent! Thank you, Ash. Well, I better go." Prof. Oak said, about to hang up.
"Oh, wait a minute Professor!" Ash said, stopping him. "There's something I gotta tell you. It's about a Pokémon I saw earlier today."
"Really? What is it?" Prof. Oak asked, interested to listen to what Ash had to say.
"Well, just after the storm cleared up, I thought I saw this giant bird Pokémon flying through the sky. It was gold and sparkly and it flew right over the rainbow!"
"Really? I've never heard of such a Pokémon." Prof. Oak stated with interest.
"I tried looking it up but not even the PokéDex knew what it was. It kinda...looked like that." Ash said pointing to the carving above Prof. Oak's screen.
Gazing at the mural, Prof. Oak placed a hand underneath his chin, "Hmm, are you positive that's what it looked like? I've only read a description of such a Pokémon in books and even they never got a good look at it." Prof. Oak said.
"I'm sure, Professor." Ash said with a nod.
"If it was that Pokémon then you are quite fortunate. Trainers have gone their whole lives and have never seen so much as a glance," Prof. Oak informed him.
"Wow! So do you have any idea of what it could be?" Ash asks.
"Ash, I do believe you might have seen a Legendary Pokémon." Prof. Oak declared, leaving him speechless.
"A-a Legendary Pokémon?!" Ash stuttered in disbelief. "No way!"
"They are some of the rarest Pokémon to ever exist. Some of the greatest stories are said to have come from them. Not even I know their full capabilities." Prof. Oak continued.
Ash couldn't believe his eyes and ears. He had just witnessed seeing a Legendary Pokémon for the very first time in his life.
"I hope to hear from you again Ash. Sounds like you're on the right track." Prof. Oak assured.
"Thanks, Professor." Ash nodded, before noticing smoke behind him. "Uh, I think something's burning up behind you."
Prof. Oak turned around and gasped. "Oh no!" he exclaimed. "My ramen's overcooking! I have to go, Ash!" He said, ending the call as the screen went blank.
"Oh man, this day is starting to turn around." Ash chuckled. However, that happy moment was suddenly interrupted by the opening of the front door.
"I found you!" A loud familiar voice yelled.
Startled, Ash turned around to see the girl from the river holding the charred remains of her bike.
"Oh…uh, hey…" Ash gulped with a nervous and awkward stare. "You uh…found your bike."
"Or what's left of it!" She shouted, grinding her teeth.
"Please let me explain! I'm telling you I didn't do it on purpose! There was a thunderstorm and lighting and then–" Ash started.
"I don't want to hear your excuses! I want to hear what you plan to do about this!" She interrupted him. Yup. She was definitely pissed about this.
"Listen, I'm sorry. I really am, but if you would just calm down we can figure something out." Ash suggested.
"What is there to figure out other than you paying me ba-?!" The girl continued her rant until the weight of her ruined bike caused her to fall to the ground.
"Ow!" she exclaimed, letting go of what used to be her bike to rub the back of her head as she sat up.
"Here, let me help." Ash said, trying to help her up.
"I don't need your help! You're gonna pay for what you did to my bike!" She said, smacking his hand away.
"Listen! My Pikachu is in the ER! And until I know for sure he's okay, I can't do anything about your bike!" Ash snapped as the girl gasped, remembering why he needed her bike so badly.
Her anger was replaced with concern and asked him, "I-Is it that serious?"
"I think so, and all I can do is just wait." Ash frowned. The orange-haired girl got the message and realized now wasn't the good time to get snappy at him for what he was going through.
Thankfully, the tension in the room was lightened by Nurse Joy walking out of a door. "Nurse Joy, how's Pikachu doing?" Ash asked, concerned.
"Pikachu's condition is improving. It's a good thing you got it here when you did. But I wanted you to know your Spearow is completely healed." Nurse Joy said, holding out a Poké Ball for him.
"Oh thank you," Ash said, relieved, taking the ball. "It didn't give you any trouble, did it?"
"He was a little jumpy at first but once Chansey got to work, Spearow calmed down." Nurse Joy reassured him.
"Well, that's good to hear." Ash said, looking at the Poké Ball. At least Spearow was patient enough to allow Nurse Joy to help nurse him back to health. "Where's Pikachu, now?"
"Would you like to see him?" Nurse Joy gestured.
"Yeah. I wanna see how he's doing." Ash affirmed.
The nurse nodded before turning around and saying, "Chansey, could you bring our patient to the looby?"
It took a few seconds, but eventually the door opened, Chansey coming through it as it was wheeling Pikachu on the stretcher, revealing most of his wounds had healed but he was still worn out.
"If things go as planned, Pikachu should be good as new by morning." Nurse Joy states.
'Pikachu…' Ash thought as he gently placed his hand on Pikachu's right cheek. "You hear that, buddy? You're gonna be just fine." He quietly smiled, relieved to learn Pikachu would be well.
Seeing the happy look on his face, the orange-haired girl was happy that Pikachu was okay. After seeing the worry and fear he had earlier, it was nice to know it wasn't for nothing.
'Maybe I was a little too harsh on the guy…' she thought to herself, thinking about dialing back her anger on him. She looked at Ash and said, "Hey, I'm glad your Pikachu is gonna be OK."
"Thanks, um..." Pausing, Ash realized he didn't even know her name.
"It's Misty. Misty Waterflower." She introduced herself.
"My name's Ash Ketchum. I kinda wish we could have met on better terms."
"We can settle this later–" Misty assured when suddenly a siren went off, alarming everyone in the lobby.
"Huh? What's going on?" Misty asked.
Outside, Officer Jenny was driving through the air.
"Attention, please! We have detected Pokémon Thieves in this area! If you have a Pokémon in your possession, proceed with caution and try to stay indoors!" Officer Jenny warns.
No sooner than Officer Jenny had finished her message, the glass in the skylight smashed open as two Poké Balls dropped through it and landed on the ground. Both Poké Balls snapped open, unleashing a purple rattlesnake-like Pokémon with yellow and a yellow tail along with a purple cloud-like Pokémon with a skull and crossbones on the front of its body.
"Koffing!!" The cloud-like Pokémon emitted a large amount of greenish smoke that filled the air, making Ash, Misty, and Nurse Joy cover their mouths, trying not to breathe in the smoke.
"What's going on here?!" Misty coughed.
"I don't know!" Ash said before seeing a couple of figures through the smoke. "What are…who are they?"
"Don't be frightened, little boy." A female voice said.
"Allow us to introduce ourselves." A male voice said as the smoke parts revealed a woman with long red hair and a man with short blue hair. Both were wearing matching white uniforms with big R's on their chests.
"To protect the world from devastation!" The woman said.
"To unite all peoples within our nation!" The man said.
"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
"To extend our reach to the stars above!"
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!"
"Surrender now, or prepare to fight!"
Leaping in, a white cat Pokemon joined them. "Meowth! That's right!" It said, revealing it could talk.
"Uh…what was that?" Ash questioned, confused. "You guys in some kind of improv group or something?"
"Did that Meowth just talk?" Misty asked.
"You two are focusing on the wrong issues." Jessie mocked.
"What issue? You haven't explained anything." Ash pointed out.
"We're here for the Pokémon." James clarified.
A scowl appeared on Ash's face upon hearing their plans of wanting to steal the Pokémon. He stepped in front of the stretcher that held his partner. "You're not getting Pikachu, or any of our Pokémon!" Ash said.
"Pikachu? Don't worry, little boy. We're not interested in your little electric rat or any of your other weaklings," Jessie scoffed.
"That's right, we want all the powerful Pokémon you have here." James said.
"You're wasting your time. This is a center for weak and injured Pokémon." Nurse Joy pointed out.
"Which makes it so much easier to steal them all," Jessie explained like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
James nodded and said, "The Pokémon Centers are known for housing Pokémon, big or small. And THAT'S what Team Rocket wants."
Ash was angered when they were called weak. "You're REALLY starting to bug me…" He snarled.
"Isn't that cute?" Jessie mocked.
"What are you gonna do about it, boy?" James followed suit.
"Meowth! Why don't we squash him like a bug?!" Meowth suggested. At their owner's command, Ekans and Koffing lunged at Ash, Misty, and Nurse Joy.
Misty yelled, "Run!" They all ran in the opposite direction to avoid getting trampled. Ash grabbed Pikachu's stretcher and pushed it as be ran just as Team Rocket's Pokémon crashed into the videophone at the front desk, tearing the wiring apart and sending sparks flying.
They swiftly retreated to a backroom, shutting the door behind them as the two purple Pokémon began destroying the reception area.
"We should be safe in here," Nurse Joy said, catching her breath along with the kids. They were all inside of a room that was filled with shelves with Poké Balls sitting on them.
Just as they started to catch their breath, the entire room went black, startling them.
"The lights!" Misty gasped.
"They must have cut the power! But don't worry, we have our backup source." Nurse Joy smiled as the power went on, revealing their backup generator was powered by several Pikachu.
"Aw, how cute, look at all of the Pikachu!" Misty said as she and Ash stared in awe.
As they ran along a treadmill, sparks emitted from the Pikachu and into a device.
"Pikachus can store a lot of power in their cheeks and depending on how strong they are, the more powerful their attacks can be." Nurse Joy explained as the computer turned on.
Typing furiously, she began an emergency call to transport all the Poké Ball's to safety.
[INITIATING EMERGENCY POKÉ BALL TRANSFER SEQUENCE!]
"This is the Viridian City Pokémon Center, we have an emergency! The Center is being attacked by thieves! Transporting Poké Balls to the nearest Pokémon Center!"
["This is the Pewter City Pokémon Center. Downloader Activated. Ready to receive Poké Balls."]
Around the room, mechanical claws were removing the Poké Balls from the shelves and loading them onto a transporter device.
Worried about the Pokémon and Pikachu, Ash realized he would need to help face Team Rocket and right now he only had one way to do that.
Taking out his Poké Ball, the young Pallet trainer opened it, releasing Spearow.
"Spear?" Spearow said looking around to see he was still in the Pokémon Center.
"Spearow," Ash called out, getting his attention. "I need your help right now."
"Spear?" Raising an eyebrow, Spearow wondered why he should.
"Listen, I know you don't like me and I'm not asking you to, but Nurse Joy fixed you up and she didn't even ask for so much as a thank you. She and all these Pokémon are in danger. Please…help me this once and I promise I'll release you when this is over." Ash vowed.
Eyes widening, Spearow did not expect this. Ash, the brat who separated him from his flock, was asking him for help. Not for himself, but for the sake of others?
"Wait," Misty said from the sidelines. "Isn't that one of the Spearow from the flock? You just caught it and now you're already thinking about releasing it?"
"I only caught him so he could be strong enough to go back to his flock. It was my fault he was separated in the first place. Figured I owe him that much. If he doesn't want to stay with me, I'm not going to force him." Ash said.
That honestly surprised Misty, who hadn't expected such an answer from a rookie like him.
"While I'm happy that you and Spearow are reconciling, do you kids think you could please help me with the process?" Nurse Joy inquired, still typing away.
"What do you need us to do?" Ash asked as he, Misty, and Spearow quickly approached her as she then gave them their objective.
"The mechanical claws can only grab as many Poké Balls one at a time, so grab as many as you can and fill them into the transporter." She instructed. Nodding in agreement Ash and Misty grabbed as many Poké Balls as they could carry while Spearow picked up two in his claws.
"These wouldn't happen to be the same Poké Balls Prof. Oak sent earlier, would they?" Ash asked, filling up the balls into the transporter.
"Prof. Oak? Some of these belong to previous trainers who got their PokéDex from him." Nurse Joy clarified.
'So these Poké Balls must belong to other trainers from Pallet Town like me…' Ash thought to himself. That just gave him an even bigger reason to want to protect them from those thieves!
However, just as they brought the Poké Balls over to the transporter, Koffing burst through the wall and rammed against the shelves, knocking several Poké Balls onto the floor.
"Oh no, they've found us!" Nurse Joy panicked before noticing Ekans slithering in and heading towards the Poké Balls. "Grab the Poké Balls, quick!"
Bending down, Ash grabbed a few.
"Ekans!" Hissing, Ekans lunged at him.
"Ash, look out!" Misty yelled when Spearow swooped in and jabbed Ekans with a Peck attack. The blow sent Ekans flying and into the nearby wall. "Spearow!" Spearow squawked with a glare directly toward Ekans.
"Spearow?" Ash said in shock. Spearow just saved his life.
"Spear." Glancing at him, Spearow called a temporary truce to help Nurse Joy.
He was right about one thing earlier. Spearow owed Nurse Joy for healing his injuries despite his behavior earlier.
"What do we have here? Someone's feeling brave." Jessie mocked.
"You think that little bird can stop us?" James asked condescendingly.
"Trust me. I know firsthand how tough Spearow is." Ash glared. Spearow puffed out its chest, flaunting its pride with a flourish of its feathery plumage.
"Get the Poké Balls to Nurse Joy." Ash whispered to Misty.
"Are you sure you can take these guys on your own?" Misty whispered back.
"Unless you have any Pokémon I pretty much have to." Ash countered but Misty just smirked.
"Did you really think I didn't?" Misty asked, taking out a Poké Ball. He now had some backup to help him out.
"Misty calls, Staryu!" Throwing a Poké Ball ball into the air, a brown star-shaped Pokémon with a round jewel in its center appeared.
The Starfish Pokémon spun in place while in midair before landing right beside Spearow.
"Oooh~! I bet if we ripped that jewel out of that Pokémon, we could sell it for a fortune!" Jessie said, eyeing Staryu with interest.
"Too bad you'll never get the chance to." Misty glared with disgust. "Ash, I'll take one you take the other."
"Works for me." Ash nodded.
Jessie's Ekans recovered from the sudden sneak attack and was hissing furiously at Ash's Spearow. Meanwhile, James's Koffing was hovering beside its partner, squared up against Misty's Staryu. This was gonna be an evenly matched Double Battle!
"Ekans, attack!" Jessie said as Ekans lunged at Spearow.
"Spearow dodge, and use Peck!" Ash said as Spearow flew up avoiding Ekans' attack before diving down with a gleaming beak.
"Bad move, twerp! Wait for it to get in close and then wrap it up, Ekans!!" Jessie ordered. Wrapping its tail, Ekans squeezed tight, trapping Spearow.
"Spear!" Spearow cringed.
"Spearow, use Fury Attack!" Ash said as Spearow jabbed his beak down on Ekans making it howl in pain. Pecking Ekans multiple times, Spearow kept it up until it was forced to release him.
'You know, it's kinda nice when it's not me being pecked.' Ash muttered to himself, glancing at Spearow, pissing Jessie off. Spearow felt Ekans' body loosening grip and took that advantage to quickly fly out of its grasp.
"How's that for a bad move?!" Ash smirked.
"Why, you little twerp…" Jessie growls. "Ekans, don't let it get away! Poison Sting!"
Ekans rattled its head before opening its large mouth, firing a rapid barrage of poisonous barbs in the air like a machine gun aiming to shoot the airborne Pokemon down.
"Spearow, dodge it!" Ash said as Spearow flew around dodging the attack but the needles flew to the shelves near Nurse Joy making them collapse. Startled, she ducked her head.
"Be careful, we need to keep Nurse Joy away from the fighting!" Misty reminded him.
"Sorry," Ash cringed.
"That should be the least of your concerns, little lady!" James said, ready to attack. "Koffing, Sludge attack!"
"Koffing!" Flying in Koffing spits toxic sludge at Staryu.
"Staryu spin and use Water Gun!" Spinning like a shuriken, Staryu fires a stream of water hitting Koffing in the face.
"Koffing, spinning Tackle!" James said. Koffing started spinning like a top to reflect the water.
"You call that a spinning tackle?! Show them how it's done, Staryu!" Misty said as Staryu spun quickly towards Koffing.
Both the Water-type and the Poison-type collided with each other in mid-air, knocking the other back.
"Koffing, Smokescreen!" From the holes in its body, Koffing released a black gas surrounding Staryu making it unable to see them. The smoke also filled up the entire room, affecting Ash and Spearow's battle with Ekans.
"Oh come on!" Ash said, covering his mouth.
"Thanks for the cover, James." Jessie grins. "Ekans, now's your chance! Poison Sting!"
Using the smoke as a cover, Ekans fires the poisonous needles pelting Spearow.
"Spear!!" Spearow cried out in pain.
"Koffing, use Sludge again! " With an opening present, Koffing spits the toxic sludge hitting Staryu straight in the chest.
"Hya!" Staryu cringed in pain.
"Staryu!" Misty gasped.
"Spearow, hang in there!" Ash yelled.
"Oh man, this is too rich." Meowth commented as Team Rocket laughed at them struggling.
"They can't do anything but let us hit them." James mocked.
"Seems to me this is going to be an easy win chalked up for Team Rocket," Jessie smirked.
"Don't get cocky! This match isn't over yet. Spearow, flap your wings, and blow the smoke away!" Ash said as Spearow flapped his wings creating a wind to blow the smoke away revealing both Pokémon.
"Gotcha! Staryu, Swift!" Misty said as Staryu released a barrage of shooting stars that pelted both poison types.
"Now, Fury Attack!" Spearow dove at Ekans and Koffing and began to tap their heads with numerous Peck attacks while scratching their faces with his talons, making them cry out.
"Hey, knock it off!" Jessie snaps.
"Why don't you make us?!" Misty counters.
"Yeah, you have your own version of teamwork and we have ours, so I don't see the problem!" Ash mocks.
While Team Rocket was annoyed, Nurse Joy got the last of the Poké Balls transported away.
"Yes! Got them all." Nurse Joy said relieved.
["EMERGENCY POKÉ BALL TRANSFER SEQUENCE SUCCESSFUL!"] The computer beeped, confirming Nurse Joy's words.
"NO! Our big score!" Team Rocket screamed in horror.
"Uh oh, sounds like you're too late." Misty smirked, her turn to do the mockery.
"There's not a single Pokémon left for you to steal," Ash stated.
The three thieves stewed with rage as they looked at the little brats that foiled their plans, "You little twerps are going to pay for this!" Jessie snapped.
"If we can't have the center's Pokémon, then we'll just take all of yours instead!" James yelled as they pointed to their Pokémon to attack them.
"That Pikachu is coming with us!" Meowth said, lunging at the stretcher. Acting quickly, Ash yanks it out of the way just in time.
"Spearow!" Spearow dove in and tackled Meowth in the gut, knocking the wind out of the cat.
"Thanks, Spearow." Ash smiled with gratitude.
"Spear?" Spearow paused. He didn't expect Ash of all people to praise him, but for some reason, he didn't hate it.
Poor Meowth got launched into a fallen shelf rack, and as he struggled to get up, he groaned in agony, muttering, "I'm gonna turn that featherbrain into chicken fricassee…"
"Koffing!" Ganging up on Staryu, Koffing rammed into it, allowing Ekans to wrap around it.
"Staryu!" Misty gasped.
"Spearow, help out!" Ash said as Spearow flew in to save Staryu from Ekans' clutches.
"Koffing, Sludge attack!"
As Spearow flew in to help, Koffing spit some sludge right in Spearow's eyes, blinding him.
"Spear!" Cringing, Spearow tried to wipe the sludge away with his wing but was struggling.
"Ekans!" Ekans constructed its body around Staryu, making it difficult for the latter to struggle.
"We got them now!" James grinned.
"James, get the cage!" Jessie ordered.
"Meowth! Now this is what I call payback!" Meowth laughed as he peered over Spearow with hunger in his eyes. "And speaking of payback…"
Cringing in fear, Ash had no idea what to do or how to save them until he heard a "Pi!", which was followed by a chorus of Pikachu cries.
"Huh?" the Pallet boy turned to where the noise came from to see a group of Pikachu charging towards his Pikachu's stretcher before dogpiling on top of him.
"PiiikaaCHUUUUUU!" All of them shouted, supercharging Pikachu by sending all their electricity towards his cheeks.
As Pikachu's eyes fluttered open, he felt his energy surge back, revitalizing his body and restoring his strength. Pikachu let out a triumphant, "Pika! Pika-Chuuuuu!!!!!" Before firing a powerful ThunderShock directly at Meowth, taking the talking cat by surprise.
"MEEEEEOOOOOOOOOUCH!!!" Meowth let out a blood-curdling shriek as he suffered from the brutal electrical attack that left his fur charred and blackened, with hairs standing on end.
"Whoa, where did that come from?" Misty asked in surprise while Ash smiled. She didn't know what he was smiling about until he followed his eyes to see part of the generator's glass casing to be wide open, Nurse Joy standing beside it with her typical smile, albeit with a palpable sense of confidence.
"Way to go, Nurse Joy!" Misty complimented the nurse while Ash nodded, sharing her gratitude before turning back to his starter Pokémon.
"Alright, Pikachu!" Ash grins.
"Come on Meowth! This is embarrassing!" Jessie said.
Meowth hacked up a lungful of smoke, saying, "I'm pretty sure I've blown through eight of my nine lives..."
"Quick, Pikachu! Help Staryu!" Leaping off the stretcher, Pikachu rammed head first into Ekans, knocking it off Staryu and into Koffing, making them tangle into a mess.
"PikaPika?" Pikachu said, asking if they were alright.
"Hya." Staryu nods.
"Spear?" Spearow said as Pikachu used his tail to wipe away the sludge.
"Spear...Spearow." Pausing, Spearow nodded his head in thanks.
"Pika Pikachu." Pikachu smiled, thanking Spearow for the help.
Even if they did get off on the wrong foot at first, now was as good a time as any for them to put their differences aside.
"Let's finish this! Pikachu!" Ash said as Pikachu ordered the other Pikachu to his side cornering Team Rocket.
"Uh, Jessie we can take them right?" James asked nervously.
"Yeah totally, they're just a bunch of ordinary rats." Jessie gulped, equally scared.
Ash grinned and said, "They're not just some 'ordinary rats', but a bunch of super-charged rats that just got a massive power boost!"
As sparks resonated from each one they began to light up the entire room.
"Take cover!" Nurse Joy yelled as she and Misty ducked.
"Have a taste of 10 Million Volts of payback! THUNDERSHOCK!" Ash yelled as all the Pikachu released a powerful electric blast that could rival a lightning bolt.
The electric wave hurtled towards the group of thieves and struck them, sending shockwaves through their bodies from head to toe as they shrieked in agony. The pain proved too intense for James' Koffing, which released a pained cry as it expelled a cloud of gas that mingled with the sparks flying from its body.
As the light grew brighter, Misty yanked Ash out of the way and the attack resulted in a powerful explosion.
From down the street, Officer Jenny came to a stop when she noticed smoke coming from the Pokémon Center.
"What in the name of Nancy?!" She exclaimed in shock before turning her motorcycle around and quickly drove in the direction of the Pokémon Center.
Upon arrival, she saw Team Rocket was gone, but a giant hole through the side of the building remained.
"What the heck happened?" Officer Jenny asked, shocked.
Inside, everyone emerged from hiding to see the damage they caused.
"You might have gone a little overboard with that one." Misty said.
Ash winced at the mess he'd made and turned to Nurse Joy with a sheepish smile, "Sorry about that Nurse Joy…"
"Please, don't worry about it. The Center can be rebuilt, and thanks to the two of you all the Pokémon are safe and sound." Nurse Joy assured them, grateful.
"We were happy to help." Ash smiled as Pikachu climbed onto his shoulder.
"Pika Pika." Pikachu nodded his head in thanks.
"Just glad you're OK now, buddy," Ash smiled in relief, gently stroking Pikachu's cheeks with his hand, which made the little mouse squeak in delight.
Looking at them, Spearow had very mixed emotions. Part of him wanted to go back to the forest, but stopping Team Rocket and saving those Pokémon felt good. Did he really want to leave this?
"Well, in any case, I should probably fill Jenny in on everything that happened tonight, and I'm sure you kids could use some rest after the day you both had." Nurse Joy advised Ash and Misty.
"I got no complaints about that," Misty said as she recalled Staryu back into its ball.
"That would be great. I don't suppose you have anything to eat?" Ash offers.
"Of course." Nurse Joy said happily.
"The center's facilities are free for all trainers to use." She informs them.
"Are you sure you don't need any more help?" Misty asks.
"I'm positive. You two go relax." Nurse Joy urged, leaving them alone.
"Listen Misty. I am sorry about your bike. I didn't mean for it to get destroyed." Ash apologized one more time.
"PikaPika." Pikachu also apologized on his behalf.
"I don't know how much it costs to repair but how much did the bike itself cost?" Ash asks.
"It wasn't cheap. It was originally a birthday present." Misty said, making Ash cringe. "Ugh, how am I gonna get through the Viridian Forest now?"
"Well, what if we helped you get through it as my way of saying sorry?" Ash offers.
"You'd do that?" Misty asked, surprised by the offer.
"Of course we will, right Pikachu?" Ash asks, glancing at his starter.
Pikachu responded with a nod and smile, "Pikachu!"
Misty was surprised by this. Instead of trying to weasel out of it, he was trying to make things right between them. "Well...if you put it that way, I guess I don't mind."
Ash and Pikachu were both glad to hear that. "Perfect, we'll leave in the morning," Ash said.
"Sounds good to me. In the meantime, I need some rest. You better not try to run off." Misty said walking away.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Ash assured as Misty disappeared from view.
Once she was gone, Ash sighed with relief and slumped his back on a wall. Pikachu quickly jumped off of his shoulder and landed next to Spearow. "Am I glad that's over…"
"Pikachu…" Pikachu agreed with his own sigh as Ash looked toward the exit.
"Well Spearow, a deal's a deal. I got you healed up, now you can head back to the forest." Ash said, gesturing to the door.
However, instead of making a run for it, Spearow stood in place with a conflicted look on his face.
"What's wrong? I thought you would be excited to leave." Ash assumed.
Pikachu decided to speak with Spearow. Pokémon to Pokémon. "Pi-iPikachu?"
"Spear," Spearow said, the tone of his voice suggesting he was confessing something.
"Pika, Pikachu?" Pikachu was surprised by his apparent confession and asked if he meant it. Spearow nodded, saying he did.
"Spear. Spear?" Spearow asked something to Pikachu.
Pikachu hummed and turned to Ash to convey some news. "PiPikachuPikapi," Pikachu said, gesturing to Spearow and then back at Ash. Although Ash didn't understand the Pokémon language, he thought he had a grasp of what Pikachu was trying to tell him.
"Does Spearow...want to stay with me?" Ash asked as Pikachu held up a sign with an 'O' to confirm that he was correct.
"Spear!" Spearow smiled, flying onto his right shoulder to confirm it.
Ash smiled at the news and said, "Alright, if that's what you want, then welcome to the team!" He stood up and proudly proclaimed, "I just caught my first Pokémon, a Spearow!" He cheered doing a peace sign.
"Pi Pikachu!" Pikachu cheers.
"Spear!" Spearow smiles.
As Ash was celebrating a successful night, a group of bumbling crooks were hovering over the night sky, mulling over their recent defeat. They were hanging on a rope as their balloon basket was destroyed in the explosion and their uniforms and hair were tattered and all frazzled.
"How humiliating is this? Us, Team Rocket, losing to a bunch of children?" James groans.
"That's not the most humiliating part. The most is a cat losing to a mouse," Jessie snarks, looking up at Meowth.
"Zip it!" Meowth hissed. "That was no ordinary Pikachu!"
"It's certainly very powerful…it'd be the perfect prize!" James declares.
"Let's catch it! The Boss will be pleased when we get that twerp's rodent to him." Jessie suggests.
"Perhaps we will." Meowth said, confirming a personal mission for this trio of misfits.
Just then, a hole appeared in the Meowth balloon, sending Team Rocket on a hilarious and terrifying joyride, screaming and clinging to the rope as they soared into the night sky, becoming a tiny dot with a star twinkling at their departure. "LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKETS BLASTING OFF!!"
To be continued…
Ash's Pokemon
Pikachu
Gender: Male
Ability: Unknown
Spearow
Gender: Male
Ability: unknown
Hope you all enjoyed the next chapter. Now onto some of the reviews.
tmnt101107: I promise you, I am going to do my absoulte best to stay committed to this stoy.
pokemonking0924: Actually, it's Red's clothes that he wore in the first Gen 1 games. RBGY. Picture Ash's debut outfit, but red
GuardianDemonsWriter: Yeah, I know. My Beta's caught onto it.
MerlockVonBaron: That was a glitch because of the site. It should be fixed by now.
Zeaka Tep: Back again,huh? Aww, I never knew you cared! And still have that shitty attitude, do you? It's so cute that you think this affects me. I'm not quitting anytime soon, buddy. So you can go ahead and harrass somebody else, alright? I'm gonna keep writing and writing many stories, and there's not a single thing you can do to stop me, sucker.