Chapter 24 : Emolga, the irresistible new member and new problems

"Human speech"

"Pokemon Speech"

Emolga was relaxing in a tree in a nearby forest and bored out of her mind.

"When will they come? They should've left just yesterday, and I know I timed my leaving to catch up with the twerps. Did they get lost like they are usually known for, or did they head in the wrong direction where I am," Emolga said while pouting that she didn't see Ash and the others yet. However, she noticed a pair of young Lilipup coming her way who looked lost. "Perfect, something to do," Emolga said as she flew down to where the young Lilipups were. "Hello, little ones. You look like you are lost?" Emolga is pretending to show concern about them, given that they look very young while playing the nice one.

"Yes, we are returning home to our mom. Who might be worried about us?" the oldest Lilipup of the three told Emolga. "Maybe you can take us to her if you've seen a Herdier?" the oldest said as Emolga shook her head at this.

"Sadly, I haven't seen one lately, however," Emolga said with a smirk as she used attract on the Lilipups. However, it was a much darker-looking Attract than usual. "You can be with a new family, Team Rocket. I'm sure that your mother wants you to be with a trainer than be wild," Emolga snickers at this as the Attract has taken hold of the Lilipups, making them obedient to her.

"Yes, Emolga, we hear and obey and will join?" The Lilipup said in unison as they left for the Team Rocket base. Emolga's arm was beeping just as the young pups left Emolga couldn't take the time to gloat at her newest catch and sighed.

"Agent Emolga reporting," Emolga said, answering the call as there was a video watch on her right arm as Meowth was on the line.

"Is the mission successful? You joined the twerp's team yet, project E," Meowth told Emolga, going by her code name, who shook her head at this.

"What happened? Jessie interrupted, pushing Meowth to the side Emolga sighed at what just happened there, glad she was out here and not there.

"The twerps hadn't shown up, Mistress Jessie? I have taken the liberty to manipulate a pair of Lilipups to our side. To cover our tracks, one of the mons should capture their mother, a Herdier, so that I won't be called out?" Emolga said to Jessie, who sighed at this and nodded to what Emolga said and knew that would indeed blow her cover and the mission.

"Okay. I'll send Buizel out to take care of her but report to us when you are with the twerps. And make it too convincing," Meowth said to Emolga, who snickered at this.

"Oh, I have plans on doing more than convincing Pikachu. Just make sure that nothing comes back to me, okay?" Emolga said to Meowth, who nodded.

"Will do, Emolga; make sure that it's done. Team Rocket out," Jessie said, ending the call. Buizel came out of his container.

"We have two missions for you, Buizel. The first is to bring us a female Herdier, the mother of the Lilipups coming our way under our control." Jessie said to Buizel.

"You got it and the other?" Buizel asked Jessie while bowing to her, which he already figured what it would be but asked anyway.

"The other is to keep an eye on Emolga," Giovanni came on the screen as Buizel bowed directly towards him. "She may be under our control and trained under you. But she's the type to get too attached to those around her. You know her too well to know that," Giovanni said as he petted Persian.

"It will be done. I figured that you don't trust Emolga as much and will be happy to spy on her," Buizel said to his owner Giovanni. Unlike the other Pokemon, Buizel is Giovanni's agent making sure that the take-over of Unova is successful.

We joined our heroes as they arrived in the forest where Emolga was on their Journey to Nimbasa City and Ash's gym battle site.

"Wow, this forest is bigger than I thought it would be," Ash said to Brock while Pikachu and Snivy were on his shoulders, looking around as Snivy was familiar with this area. "Huh? You familiar with the area, Snivy?" Ash asked Snivy, who turned to Ash.

"Not sure, Ash. After Nacrene city, these areas are very unfamiliar territory to me, yet I feel like something familiar is nearby," Snivy said to Ash, who was concerned about Snivy. Ash knew that Snivy was a wild starter for quite some time.

"Snivy must have blocked out a lot of things from her memory after she left her past behind with Amelia. I won't press things with her, but maybe she's met a few Pokemon that has gone missing or released as of late that I'll ask later on?" Ash thought. Ash didn't get to ask her back when he got to know her when he caught Snivy, and things have calmed down with the whole thing with Amelia. Ash turned to Brock. "Why don't we stop and have something to eat so we can think about things later?" Ash told Brock, who nodded at this, seeing that things are pretty tough on Snivy lately.

The group had lunch as Emolga was watching from afar and knew from what she was shown by Team Rocket that they were the group she would be infiltrating the team. Pikachu and Snivy sensed that they were being watched by something or someone and noticed that someone was falling into nearby bushes. Pikachu and Snivy ran over to the Pokemon and saw that it was a Pokemon that looked like Pikachu but was a flying type on the ground.

"That's an Emolga. I've seen one before, Pikachu. Something must've happened?" Snivy told Pikachu, who nodded at this and sighed as this was the fifth version of his species that Pikachu ran into during his Journey in the past.

"Another Pikachu look-alike. This is another one I've run into in other regions," Pikachu said with a sigh, now getting tired of running into others that looked like him as both Snivy and Pikachu ran over to Emogla. Who made herself look like she was weak and wasn't strong. "Hello, you okay? What happened?" Pikachu said to Emolga, who looked at Pikachu and Snivy and pretended to act so surprised that they were so kind to run over to help her.

"Oh, thank you. I was training and trying to get stronger, but I don't have a trainer, and I wanted to get stronger," Emolga explained to Pikachu and Snivy. Snivy is skeptical and aware that Emolga is usually self-absorbed and spoiled. Pikachu was concerned.

"I'll get Ash and explain what is going on," Snivy said to Emolga as Snivy turned around and whispered to Pikachu. "Be careful, Pikachu. Emolga is known to be very spoiled and would deceive those around them," Snivy said. Pikachu nodded at this as Snivy ran off to where Ash was.

On the other hand, Pikachu was at his distance but not far enough to attract him not to hit him. Emolga smirked at this.

"Pikachu, can you come to me and explain your trainer?" Emolga asked Pikachu, who kept what Snivy said to himself and was a little closer to him. As Pikachu was close enough, Emolga used Attract on him, hitting and affecting him. "Tell me, Pikachu, how cute do I look?" Emolga is posing to make Attract pretty strong enough in his eyes as Pikachu was drooling at this sight.

"Pretty cute, Emol," Pikachu knew what was going on would ruin his relationship with Snivy and tried to fight it as Emolga noticed that Snivy was walking towards them. Emolga kissed Pikachu on his mouth, transferring some of her dark ball energy into him, and snapped him out of it before he could respond. Snivy, not knowing that Emolga used attract on Pikachu, was heartbroken as Pikachu just kissed someone that wasn't her.

"Pikachu, how dare you! You couldn't keep yourself away from her, and now you are cheating on me with her? I warned you, and you didn't listen," Snivy said, hurt at this.

"Huh? Snivy, that's not true. It was Attract. It couldn't have been my doing," Pikachu said. First, Snivy was skeptical at this, but she's been hurt by many things, so it's hard to trust something right now. Right now, Snivy was seeing red, and her relationship with Pikachu was ruined because of Emolga. Snivy was going to use a Vine whip on Emolga but was interrupted by Ash.

"Now, now, Snivy. I think whatever happened must be a mistake, and right now, we can't just point fingers," Ash said to Snivy. Ash could tell something was off with what happened, but he couldn't turn down a necessary Pokemon. "I checked the list of Pokemon that was missing Emolga was up there for abandoned, but her trainer was wiped from the list," Ash said as Snivy sighed at this and nodded.

"Just as long as she doesn't join your team, Ash, she already ticked me off to the point that I'm becoming a fire type in anger," Snivy said to Ash as this took aback Emolga. Misty, on the other hand, was interested in Emolga.

"I'll take you, Emolga. I'm a gym leader, and we are known to be strong," Misty said as Emolga was surprised by this. This wasn't the plan. She hoped to join Ash's team and make his team more like what she was now but sighed and nodded at this Misty is known to be pretty intense, according to what Team Rocket told her.

"As long as you don't cause any more trouble with Pikachu and Snivy, listen to me and give me a chance to help you. I'll be happy to make you just as strong. Deal?" Misty asked Emolga. Emolga knows that this is the only way she'll be able to be with this group, then she'll have to accept.

"Deal..., miss?" Emolga said, pretending not to know Misty's name. Ash translated this Emolga was surprised by this as she wasn't told that Ash had a translator that would make things even more challenging for her mission.

"Misty is her name, a gym leader from Kanto. That is all I will give you. You have to ask her for more information, Emolga," Snivy said, crossing her arms as she wanted nothing more time with this Pokemon as Emolga had already made her more skeptical than ever, turning to Pikachu as Misty had finished capturing Emolga.

"As for you, Pikachu. Our relationship is on thin ice, Attract or not. I warned you, and you didn't listen, and now you betrayed my trust. Now I'm skeptical if you really left Lopunny or not right now. Leave me alone," Snivy said as she walked towards camp, ready to leave this forest. Ash sighed at this and walked over to Snivy, who noticed Ash as the rest of the group also headed back to camp.

"I know what you'll ask me, Ash and the answer is no. I am not planning on leaving the team because of this, and you didn't do anything. You were one of the main reasons I decided to join your team after the battle against Amelia, and now the other reason has betrayed my trust," Snivy said as she ate her lunch, wanting to be left alone by Pikachu but was willing to talk to Ash.

"I know Snivy, and like you, I am skeptical about Emolga. But right now, we all have to get along, but I'll make an exception with you, Snivy," Ash said to Snivy, who smiled at this.

Emolga, on the other hand, was now just as mad as Snivy. Emolga was very close to being caught, and what she added to Pikachu wasn't strong enough to convert him to not only love her but to join Team Rocket...yet.

The day was coming to a close as the group set up camp.

With a new team member, things are getting bad for Pikachu and Snivy as Emolga has successfully joined the team, just not how she expected. The Journey continues.

Stay tuned.

Done, I fixed a few things, and while this chapter is shorter than the original one, there were a few things that I could've changed. For starters, Team Rocket monitoring Pikachu's changing is a stretch, and while this arc with Emolga will be short, she will have more of a role later on in this story, especially after the Battle Club arc. The Litwick episode is next. Catch you guys next time.