Chapter 6 – The Path To The Pokemon League

"Where are we going?" Ash laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head as he and his friends suddenly stopped right in the middle of an open field.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Vermilion City," Misty reminded him gently. "It's got a luxury cruise ship and I'm dying to see it."

"A luxury cruise ship? That sounds so amazing!" Katie gasped in awe and wonder.

"I've never been on a cruise ship before," Shirley muttered while rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

"I've been on a cruise ship a couple of times when I was younger with Grandma and Grandpa; it was a lot of fun," Rhonda chimed in.

"We won't have time for sight-seeing," Ash insisted while putting on an akimbo.

"I've heard that there's a really great Gym in Vermilion," Brock interjected.

"A Gym? All right! I'm going to win my third badge!" Ash cheered excitedly with anticipation. "Let's go!"

He then turned around and took off as he headed off in the direction of Vermilion City.

"Don't get your hopes up," Misty groaned sadly as she watched Ash leave. "There are a lot of tough trainers around here."

"Ah, bring them on!" Ash scoffed as he kept on running. "I bet none of them has even one Pokemon badge."

TLSTLSTLSTLS

"Pidgeotto, finish it!" Ash commanded as Pidgeotto performed a sharp right turn in the air before charging right at Rattata and knocking it straight into the ground.

"Oh, Rattata!" a boy gasped in horror as he watched his Pokemon lay unconscious on the ground.

"And I win! That's number ten!" Ash exclaimed as he then pumped his fist triumphantly in the air.

"You're a really great Pokemon trainer," the boy said as he shook Ash's hand.

"Well, I guess that I was pretty good there," Ash replied confidentially as he then opened up his vest jacket, showing off his badges.

"Wow, you got badges!"

"Oh, you mean these?" Ash asked.

"You got two?" the boy asked.

"I think getting him those badges was a mistake," Misty grumbled sorely to Brock.

"Uh huh," Brock mumbled.

"I bet you can even beat A.J.," the boy suggested.

"A.J.?" Ash inquired curiously.

"Yeah, he lives over there," the boy explained while pointing right behind him. "A.J. trains savage Pokemon. He built his own Gym. He's never lost a single match."

"He's never lost a single match, eh?" Rhonda raised her eyebrow inquisitively, her interest piqued.

"Well, I guess there's a first time for everything," Shirley quipped with a shrug.

"Until now. He hasn't come against someone like me," Ash declared boldly while wagging his finger at him.

"He's getting a big head," Misty groaned tersely.

"Yeah, but his brain's still the same size," Brock retorted.

"A very small, tiny brain," Rhonda snickered as she and her friends broke out into quiet fits of giggles.

"A very tiny, widdle brain," Luthor jeered in a mocking voice as he also broke out into snickers.

A short time later, Ash and his friends arrived at the Gym that the little boy mentioned as they looked up at the sign looming over them.

"Look at that! This Gym isn't even licensed by the Pokemon League!" Ash exclaimed as he studied the sign curiously.

"Well, that can't be a good sign," Rhonda frowned worriedly.

"Would the badge we get from that Gym even be legitimate?" Katie retorted with a quizzical yet apprehensive gaze.

"Undefeated? Big deal! I can beat him!" Ash declared with a haughty grin.

"98 wins in a row," Misty murmured as she read A.J.'s record out loud before turning to Ash with a knowing glance. "You may have won ten battles, but he's won almost ten times more matches than you have."

"I go for quality, not quantity!" Ash snapped at Misty furiously as he got in her face.

"98 matches is still a lot though," Yuki pointed out empathetically.

"Are you my next victim?" a male voice announced as everyone turned their heads to see a young man approaching them.

He had a green Mohawk on his head and he was also wearing an orange and black outfit.

"You must be the wild Pokemon trainer," Ash declared audaciously.

"Huh! That's my job!" A.J. smirked arrogantly. "But beating chumps like you is my hobby."

"Who are you calling us chumps, you punk?" Luthor snarled while balling up his fists and marching over to A.J.

A.J. then smirked evilly as he then flicked Luthor on the forehead with his finger and Luthor staggered back in a daze as he tried to recover his bearings.

"Ready to lose?" A.J. cackled with a smirk as he turned his head towards the wooden gate, which was now opening.

A few minutes later, the gang was now inside the makeshift compound as they were taking in their brand new surroundings.

"Wow," Ash breathed in awe.

"Now, this is not too shabby at all," Misty quipped.

Just then a Butterfree swooped in and picked up the backpack that A.J. was carrying before flying away with it.

"What's in the bag?" Ash asked.

"The wild Pokemon that I just caught," A.J. explained while turning around to face Ash. "There's a whole bunch more in the tent and then some."

"Hey, can I see them after the match?" Ash inquired with a curious and longing look on his face.

"If you want," A.J. replied curtly as he climbed up the little steps and headed for the entrance leading into the tent.

He then stopped and turned around to face Ash and his friends.

"So which Pokemon are you gonna choose for my 99th win?"

"99th?" Ash gulped nervously for a moment as his hesitation soon quickly turned into that of determined resolve.

A short time later, the gang was finally inside the tent as A.J. and Ash were now facing each other on the Pokemon stage.

"I'm afraid that you're going to have to change your sign after this match," Ash replied with a determined yet cocky smirk on his face. "You'll be formerly undefeated."

"You may think that you're hot stuff, kid, but you're not playing in the little Pokemon League anymore," A.J. retorted snidely while cracking out a whip, startling Ash.

"What the hell?" Rhonda exclaimed as she and her friends looked on with astonished and baffled looks on their faces.

"After I win 100 matches in a row, I'll start competing for badges," A.J. continued, gripping the whip in his hand.

"That means he's only two wins away," Brock mused.

"And he'll be extra psyched to win," Misty added.

"98 wins and you still don't have a badge? That's tough luck, A.J.," Ash practically snickered in utter disbelief as he then opened up his vest and showed off his badges.

"I have ten wins and I've won two Pokemon badges."

"Did you buy those badges or steal them? Either that or you competed in some loser Gyms," A.J. scoffed disdainfully, not fully buying Ash's story. "Where were they, Failure City or Wimpsville?"

"This joker thinks he's so funny," Luthor scowled in indignation and annoyance with his eyes narrowing darkly. "I can't wait to give him a knuckle sandwich!"

Misty and Brock also seethed at A.J.'s words as they were both filled with rage and fury.

"What do you mean, Loser Gyms?" Misty demanded indignantly.

"Hey, Ash! Pulverize this guy!" Brock exclaimed furiously.

Ash then started to laugh and chuckle nervously, feeling that he was way in over his head.

"Let's get started, then. Sandshrew, go!" Ash yelled as he then tossed out his Poke Ball, summoning Sandshrew.

"A Sandshrew, huh? This should be interesting," Ash mused.

"Let's be careful, Ash," Brock admonished him sternly.

"Remember, Sandshrew is a Ground Type, so Pikachu's electricity is no good against it," Misty reminded him.

"A Ground Type, eh?" Luthor smirked widely with a conniving gleam in his eyes as an idea soon came to him. "Hey, Katie; let's say we battle together and take down this punk!"

"Luthor, are you sure about that?" Katie frowned worriedly.

"Yeah; if we use our Pokemon together, there's no way that we can't win! We'd be unstoppable!" Luthor beamed confidentially at her.

"Okay… if you say so…" Katie's eyes flitted hesitantly as she and Luthor then joined Ash before they took out their Poke Balls.

"Bubba, go!" Luthor yelled as he summoned Bubba.

"Waldo, go!" Katie hollered as she also summoned Waldo.

"Squirtle!" Waldo babbled.

"Bulbasaur!" Bubba grunted.

"I know exactly what I'm doing. I don't need your help," Ash shot back irately.

Ash then tilted his head back as he then threw his Poke Ball into the air.

"Pidgeotto, I choose you!" he yelled.

A while light then emerged from the Poke Ball as Pidgeotto soon appeared in the air, shrieking shrilly.

"Sandshrew, go!" A.J. ordered while cracking his whip on the ground, prompting Sandshrew to charge at Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, dive at it!" Ash yelled.

Pidgeotto then dove straight for Sandshrew as it was about to attack it while Sandshrew was dashing straight for its opponent.

"Ash is lucky. The flying Pokemon should have the advantage here," Brock quipped.

A.J. then cracked the whip again as Sandshrew curled up into a ball and then spun wildly into the air.

"Too bad that Sandshrew can't fly," Ash smirked.

But then to his surprise and dismay Sandshrew hurtled straight at Pidgeotto and crashed straight into it, knocking it away.

"What the hell?!" Yuki sputtered in shock and disbelief.

"How is that even possible?!" Shirley balked with an incredulous expression of her own.

"Pidgeotto!" Ash cried in a mortified voice as Pidgeotto crumpled to the ground.

"Finish it!" A.J. ordered as he cracked his whip again and Sandshrew lunged right for Pidgeotto again.

"Uh oh, Pidgeotto, return!" Ash yelped as he then summoned Pidgeotto back into his Poke Ball.

He then tossed another Poke Ball into the air again.

"Butterfree, I choose you!" he yelled as he then summoned Butterfree.

"You can do it! Flying versus ground should be no problem!" Ash exclaimed determinedly.

"That's what you think, kid. Now watch and weep," A.J. smirked defiantly.

"Go, Stun Spore!" Ash ordered.

Then as Butterfree unleashed its Stun Spore attack, A.J. crackled his whip again and Sandshrew dug straight into the ground before disappearing from sight. Butterfree then suddenly stopped and looked around in confusion as it noticed that its opponent was gone.

"That Sandshrew is well-trained," Brock observed.

"He controls it with a crack of the whip like a lion tamer," Misty murmured quizzically.

It was then that Sandshrew launched right out of the ground as it aimed straight for Butterfree.

Ash then shuddered in terror as he soon realized that Butterfree was in serious trouble.

Then within moments Sandshrew pounced right onto Butterfree as it then tackled it straight onto the ground, pinning it firmly on its chest.

"Butterfree!" Ash yelled.

"It's not so free anymore," A.J. smirked contemptuously while still gripping his whip tightly.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was clinging tightly to the ground as Ash struggled to pull it away by tugging hard on his tail.

"Come on, Pikachu. You've got to help your friends," Ash groaned as he kept on trying to yank Pikachu off the ground, only to be zapped by Pikachu's electric attack.

Ash then yelled out in pain as he collapsed onto the ground while seizing and twitching uncontrollably with agonizing moans.

Meanwhile, as the gang was contemplating their loss, Team Rocket was busy spying on them with a pair of binoculars while concealing themselves inside a tree.

"That Sandshrew is very tempting," said Jessie.

"We should grab it," James suggested.

"Hmmm… looks fat. You two should carry it," Meowth mused as he scanned Sandshrew with his binoculars closely.

"The outfit that trainer is wearing is positively hideous," Misty commented with a disgusted tone in her voice.

"That shirt looks like it's from a century or two ago," James countered. "He'd fit right in perfectly at a museum."

"At least he doesn't look like he's trick-or-treating like you do," Meowth retorted snidely, prompting James to give him a dirty look.

James then smacked Meowth down from behind, prompting Meowth to tumble down from their hiding place and land right on his head with the binoculars also falling right into his mouth.

TLSTLSTLSTLS

"And that makes victory number 99," A.J. declared in a triumphant voice.

"There's got to be a way to beat him; otherwise none of us would ever stand a chance against him," Katie groaned in a frustrated and anxious voice.

"Yeah, but how? Sandshrew basically follows his every command! There's no way we can compete with that!" Luthor protested angrily.

"Calm down, you guys; I'm sure there's a way somehow. No one is truly that unbeatable," Shirley reassured them calmly with a gentle smile.

"It's not fair; I'm the one with the badges," Ash wailed bitterly.

He then rushed over to A.J. and grabbed him by the arm desperately.

"How about two out of three?" he begged.

"Stop whining, kid. Nobody wants to compete against a crybaby," A.J. scowled as he then roughly pulled his arm away from Ash in disgust.

"Hey, there's something fishy here," Ash growled suspiciously. "I didn't have any problems winning until I battled in your ring. How do I know that this whole match wasn't rigged? That's it; you cheated! How else could Sandshrew defeat Butterfree? Flying Pokemon always have the advantage over Ground Pokemon!"

"Chill out," A.J. pulled away tersely as he started to see that Ash was really getting riled up.

"What do you say that we go replay the match someplace else, huh?" Ash demanded as he grabbed A.J.'s arm firmly.

"Ash doesn't know when to quit, does he?" Misty sighed.

"That A.J. sure is strong. I don't get it. How is he so good?" Brock mused curiously.

"One more chance," Ash pleaded.

"Come back when you grow up," A.J. scoffed in disgust as he then turned around and stormed back into his tent with Sandshrew.

"Hmmm… it's not fair," Ash groaned deeply, his shoulders sagging.

"Looks like you'll have to rethink the way you train," Brock suggested.

"What do you mean?" Ask asked.

"You call that last match a fight?" A.J. cackled sardonically from inside the tent as everyone turned around towards the sound of his voice.

"It's time for some serious training," A.J. declared.

"And I suppose he's the one that's going to provide it to us," Rhonda retorted sarcastically with an eye roll and her arms crossed. "Joy."

Ash and Pikachu then peeked into the tent and were surprised at what they saw. Many of the Pokemon were involved in some sort of training exercise, with a Butterfree sparring with a Beedrill, a Rattata jumping through a burning hoop, and a Sandshrew somersaulting into a pool from a diving board.

The Sandshrew then leaped out of the pool as it landed on the ground while spinning in a curled ball-like form.

"Get back in the water!" A.J. barked as he cracked on his whip and Sandshrew quickly scrambled back onto the diving board before diving right back into the water as commanded.

"Knock it off!" Ash yelled as he lunged at A.J. and tackled him right into the pool.

Misty and Brock gasped in shock as both boys emerged from the water with A.J. now scowling at Ash.

"Now what do you want, a swimming match?"

"You're hurting Sandshrew," Ash retorted in an accusatory voice.

"Mind your own business," A.J. sneered curtly. "I don't need any amateurs teaching me how to train Pokemon."

"You call that training?" Ash growled irascibly but then he turned around to see a device that Sandshrew was wearing.

"What's that? It looks like a straitjacket."

"That's no straitjacket; it's a strength intensifier," A.J. replied as he then climbed out of the pool and pulled himself up into a sitting position.

"A what now?" Katie balked in surprise and astonishment.

"Who invented that thing?" Brock asked.

"I did," A.J. answered with a confident grin. "It's my own secret weapon for unleashing a Pokemon's powers."

He then turned back to face Sandshrew with a snarl.

"Sandshrew, back in the pool!" he barked fiercely.

Sandshrew trilled softly before racing back to the diving board.

"But Sandshrews are weakened by water," Ash protested.

"I know that," A.J. snapped.

"You'll hurt it!" Ash yelled indignantly.

"Sandshrew, dive!" A.J. ordered, choosing to ignore Ash.

Ash and his friends then looked up to see Sandshrew take a massive swan dive from the board as it then plummeted straight into the pool.

"Nice dive," Misty commented.

Sandshrew then shot out of the water again as it then landed on the ground while still spinning rapidly in a ball.

"Good work," A.J. complimented his Pokemon.

"The water doesn't weaken your Sandshrew?" Brock inquired incredulously.

"You're looking at the only Sandshrew in the world that's strong enough to withstand water," A.J. declared proudly as he then turned to face Sandshrew again.

"Sandshrew, pick up your pacing!"

Sandshrew then curled up into a ball again as it was then being pushed and rolled over by three Rattatas.

"Hey, wait; I thought you said pacing, not passing," Ash shot back.

Misty and Brock then groaned loudly at what Ash just said.

"What the hell is he saying? Does he seriously have diarrhea in his ear or something?" Rhonda scoffed disdainfully.

Pikachu then chirped as he picked up a purple pillow in his paw.

"Huh, I said padding," Ash replied but then he realized his mistake as he then started yelling at Pikachu.

"I mean, I said pacing!"

Pikachu then slunk away in embarrassment and shame while covering the pillow on his head.

Ash then turned his attention back to A.J.

"Why are you so tough on Sandshrew?"

"I have to be tough, but I ask no more of Sandshrew than I do of myself, the very best," A.J. explained calmly.

"But you aren't nearly as tough on any of your other Pokemon," Ash pointed out.

"That's because Sandshrew is the first Pokemon I ever caught. I will never forget that moment," A.J. replied with a smile as he started to recall his fondest memories of his time with Sandshrew. "We promised to do whatever it took to become the greatest Pokemon and trainer of all time. Nothing would stop us from reaching our dream, no matter how difficult our path. Enduring fierce storms, and raging winds, we've sacrificed everything to achieve our dream. And it was worth it; we're an unbeatable team."

"What you're doing is wrong," Ash growled fiercely. "A great trainer should make friends with his Pokemon."

"Why should I listen to you?" A.J. snapped at Ash irately.

"Hey, Brock; don't you have anything to say about this?" Ash demanded to Brock.

"I do. Your Pokemon are all in great shape," Brock declared with an approving smile while looking right at A.J. "What kind of Pokemon food do you give them?"

"Excuse me?" Rhonda retorted with an incredulous and astonished eyebrow, not believing her own ears.

Ash groaned in utter dismay.

"My own recipe. Come on, I'll show you," A.J. replied with an eager smile as he went over to show the gang what he had in store.

A.J. then opened up his own refrigerator as he displayed a whole assortment of jugs containing all kinds of Pokemon food.

"Wow, that actually looks impressive," Shirley marveled in awe.

"To get the results that I want, I have to carefully monitor the Pokemon diets. Of course, the recipe is secret," A.J. explained.

"Oh yeah, of course," Brock nodded in agreement. "You know, I mix my own food too."

Meanwhile, Pikachu was watching Sandshrew exercise with dumbbells as he then noticed another smaller dumbbell sitting in front of him. He then grabbed the dumbbell and attempted to lift it up while straining with a lot of effort. However, the heavy weight of the dumbbell soon proved too much for Pikachu to handle and he then fell backwards on the ground with the dumbbell pressing down on his neck.

As this was going on, Jessie and James were hiding out behind the tent as they were getting ready to enact their latest scheme.

"Insulated gloves?" Jessie asked.

"Check," James nodded.

"Big rubber ball?" Jessie continued.

"Check, check, check-a-rooni," Mewoth replied as he rolled the ball over to the duo.

"Team Rocket will do what it has to do…" Jessie announced.

"To snatch that little Pikachu…" James replied with a diabolical smirk.

However his expression soon dropped as he and Jessie found themselves at a loss.

"Maybe we should go back to our old motto," he said. "This one doesn't feel right."

"Hey, how about a theme-Meowth song?" Meowth proposed as he hopped onto the big rubber ball. "And I can even do a little dance solo. Everyone loves me-ooh-thic."

"A song's no good," Jessie frowned while James rubbed his chin in deep thought and Meowth was busy dancing and frolicking around on the rubber ball.

"A dance won't work," James said.

"Here's a line you'll like," Jessie declared as she turned to face Meowth.

"And what's that?" James asked curiously.

"How about choreography killed the cat?" Jessie suggested.

TLSTLSTLSTLS

Sometime later, the bell rang and A.J. turned around to face his Pokemon.

"Okay, you wimps get a 15 minute break."

Rhonda and her friends then looked around as they noticed that all of A.J.'s Pokemon appeared to be totally exhausted and worn out.

"Hey!" Ash barked angrily at A.J.

"Now what do you want?" A.J. exhaled sharply in annoyance.

"Your Pokemon are totally wiped out," Ash argued.

"Is 15 minutes really going to be enough for them to recover?" Rhonda asked with great concern in her voice.

"You better believe it," A.J. growled sternly. "In this Gym, we live by the rule, 'No pain, no gain', but judging by your stuffed Pikachu over there, you don't follow any rules."

"It's not a stuffed Pikachu; take it back!" Ash shot back angrily as he then lunged right at A.J. while swinging a fist right at him.

"Hey, did you hear me? I said take it back!"

The two boys then let out a sharp cry as they both tumbled and fell right into the water.

"Don't, Ash!" Misty cried as she and Brock rushed over to the pool and watched Ash and A.J. wrestle and fight with each other in the water.

"You don't win badges for being buddy, buddy with a Pokemon!" A.J. snarled.

"Knock it off, you two!" Brock rebuked them sharply.

"Isn't there a rule against splashing in the pool?" Misty groaned loudly while face-palming herself.

Meanwhile, as the others were preoccupied with Ash and A.J.'s bickering, Pikachu was eyeing the strength intensifier device curiously. But then just as he touched it, the device snapped and latched onto his body tightly. Pikachu then struggled to break free from the device as he then fell onto his head and turned upside down, prompting Sandshrew to laugh at him. Sandshrew then rolled up into a ball upside down in order to imitate Pikachu.

Meanwhile, Jessie, James and Meowth were in the rubber ball as they were trying to get inside the tent and look for Pikachu.

"I'm getting dizzy," Meowth whined.

"Stop complaining; look for Pikachu," James scolded.

"Roll over there," Jessie instructed as the rubber ball then rolled over to where Sandshrew and Pikachu were.

"What's that?" James asked as he and his comrades peeked into a small black hole and noticed Sandshrew sitting there.

"Could it be Pikachu?" Jessie asked in a hopeful voice.

"Yeah, that's it; now hurry!" Meowth urged. "All that rolling made me nauseous."

Team Rocket then scooped up Sandshrew in a burlap sack as it disappeared into the rubber ball.

"Got it," said James.

Jessie and James then thrust their legs out of the rubber ball as they began to creep their way out of the tent without being noticed.

"Let's go," Jessie hissed urgently.

"Hurry! I feel sick!" Meowth whined.

"Watch where you're going!" James snapped as Team Rocket quickly dashed out of the tent.

"This way!" Jessie shot back.

"Hey, take it easy; ah… my leg fell asleep!" Meowth griped as Jessie and James soon disposed of the ruined rubber ball.

"I wish your mouth would," James growled snidely at Meowth as Team Rocket then whisked away out of the gym compound.

TLSTLSTLSTLS

Meanwhile, A.J. and Ash were now out of the water as they were gasping and panting heavily while trying to catch their breath.

"Why do you keep hanging around here?" A.J. demanded. "There must be other trainers that you can bother."

"Yeah, right," Ash scoffed.

Just then the bell rang loudly.

"Time's up. Back to work, all of you!" A.J. ordered as he got up to his feet.

After looking around for a few moments, he then noticed that Sandshrew was gone.

"Hey, where's Sandshrew?"

He then walked over to where Pikachu was, causing him to be even more baffled and puzzled.

"Hey, that's weird; what's your Pikachu doing?"

"Ah, Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed in horror as he then rushed over to Pikachu and tried to free him, but to no avail.

"Ugh, it's no use," he groaned.

"Here, give it to me," A.J. offered.

"Huh?" Ash quipped as A.J. then gently snaps the device open with his finger, causing Pikachu to completely uncurl himself.

"Pikachu!" Ash breathed a sigh of relief as Pikachu then landed on the ground and shook his head.

"Pikachu, you're okay!" he exclaimed as he grabbed Pikachu and embraced him.

"Pikachu, have you seen Sandshrew?" A.J. asked.

Pikachu shook his head.

"You haven't?" A.J. implored, his voice trembling with even more concern and worry.

He then got up and started calling out for Sandshrew.

"Sandshrew? Sandshrew, where are you?"

"Where could Sandshrew be?" Katie frowned.

"Maybe somebody kidnapped him," Rhonda suggested.

"Maybe it ran away," Ash suggested.

"What are you talking about?" A.J. growled irascibly with narrowed eyes.

"The way you treat your Pokemon, I'm surprised they all haven't run away," Ash retorted with a mocking smirk.

"Sandshrew and I have been together for a long time," A.J. insisted stubbornly.

"Yeah, I know, but when Sandshrew saw how well Pikachu and I get along, it thought, I deserve better," Ash shot back arrogantly. "I'll find a trainer who treats me like Ash treats Pikachu?"

"Sandshrew would not break the promise we made, not after all we've been through, not just before our 100th victory!" A.J. screamed loudly in Ash's ear, making him and Pikachu both cringe in agony.

A.J. then turned to face his Pokemon.

"Now move it. Go find Sandshrew," he ordered as his Pokemon dispersed in search of Sandshrew.

Meanwhile, Jessie, James and Meowth were in the forest with James carrying a bag containing Sandshrew.

"Those clowns will never catch up with us," Jessie vowed as she and the others stopped to catch their breath.

"I'm exhausted; you take the bag now," James groaned.

"But a real gentleman always carries the bag," Jessie gazed at him with a coy, beguiling smile.

"Is that so?" James growled brusquely as he shoved the bag right in front of her face. "Well, as you know, I'm no gentleman."

Then just as soon as Jessie grabbed the bag and was about to take it from him, the bag suddenly opened up as Sandshrew jumped right out of the bag.

Jessie and James let out terrified screams as Sandshrew knocked right into Meowth's face. Then as Sandshrew flew right into the air with petrified and hysterical cries, Meowth somehow got a hold of its tail with his teeth as Sandshrew dove straight for the ground and burrowed its way deep inside.

Meanwhile, Ash was now arguing his case as he was trying to prove that he was a much better trainer than A.J.

"You've all had enough of A.J. and the way he pushes you around, haven't you? Well, you don't have to put up with it anymore, because now you can come with me."

He then raised his hand up in the air with a bright, enthusiastic smile.

"Anyone who's coming with me, raise your hand!"

However, none of the Pokemon seemed to pay him any mind as they just went about their business.

"Just raise your hand. Get them up there," Ash insisted as his friends gave him questioning and puzzled looks.

"Ash is making a fool of himself again," Misty said.

"Mm," Brock nodded.

"You see what happens when you try to start a mutiny in my Gym?" A.J. growled furiously at Ash. "My Pokemon are all loyal."

"So then where's Sandshrew?" Ash retorted with a taunting smirk.

Just then somebody burst right out of the ground as Meowth knocked Ash away and Sandshrew landed right into A.J.'s arms.

"Sandshrew! There you are!" Yuki exclaimed. "Where have you been?"

"Sandshrew," A.J. whimpered as he collapsed onto his knees while hugging Sandshrew tightly with all of the other Pokemon surrounding them.

"A.J. and all his Pokemon sure are happy that Sandshrew is back," Misty beamed in relief.

Ash then got up to his feet while groaning softly and rubbing his jaw sorely. He then looked over at A.J. questioningly as he continued to watch A.J. hug Sandshrew lovingly.

"How could they possibly pick him over me?"

"A.J. is tough, but as you can see, he cares deeply for his Pokemon," Brock explained.

Ash then continued to stare at A.J. quizzically as Sandshrew was licking his trainer's face lovingly.

Meanwhile, Pikachu was tugging on the golden jewel on Meowth's head before he turned around and started to gesture towards the unconscious cat-like Pokemon.

"Pika, pi, chu!"

"What is it?" Ash asked curiously and then he was shocked upon laying eyes on Meowth.

"Meowth!"

"So then it must've been Team Rocket that kidnapped Sandshrew," Brock surmised.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Luthor scoffed with narrowed eyes.

"That definitely explains a lot," Rhonda quipped.

Ash then walked over to Meowth and then lifted him up by the tail.

"Wake up!" he demanded.

"Meowth," Meowth mumbled softly as he then came to.

However, he soon flew into a terrified panic as he then slashed Ash in the face in order to get him to let him go.

Ash then let out a sharp cry of pain as he held his face gingerly, whimpering and crying softly. Meowth then vaulted over to the other side as he started to look around.

"Hey, where am I? What's going on here?"

The heroes then advanced towards him menacingly as Meowth began to panic and fret while finding himself backed into a corner.

"How am I going to get out of this mess?" Meowth muttered to himself.

"Prepare for trouble."

"Make that double."

Ash and his friends then turned around to see Jessie and James standing in the doorway of the tent with James holding a rose.

"Ugh, Team Rocket," Ash groaned, not exactly happy to see them.

"Use the old motto," Meowth instructed them.

"To protect the world from devastation…" Jessie announced.

"To unite all peoples within our nation…" James declared.

"To denounce the evils of truth and love…" Jessie and James continued together. "To extend our reach to the stars above…"

"Jessie," Jessie smiled.

"James…" James smirked.

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light…"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight…"

"Meowth! That's right!" Meowth yowled as he rejoined his teammates.

"That felt great. We don't need a theme song," Jessie wept.

"It's a classic," James sniffled.

"So these are the creeps that kidnapped my Sandshrew?" A.J. growled with a scowl.

"The one and the same," Rhonda nodded.

"Mm, that was an unfortunate mix-up," Jessie confessed while wagging her finger.

"We have no interest in your second rate Sandshrew," James countered.

"Second rate?" A.J. gawked in horror and disbelief.

"The only Pokemon that we want is Pikachu," Jessie replied.

"You can keep all of those other wimps," James added.

"Wimps, are they?" A.J. scowled as his face contorted into cold fury.

"That's it! Huh?" Ash yelled with his fist clenched, only for him to notice A.J.'s enraged expression as A.J. blocked him with his arm.

"I'll take care of this," he vowed solemnly. "No one insults my Pokemon and gets away with it. Let's step outside."

"All right, Katie; let's go beat their asses!" Luthor cheered as he and Katie summoned their Starter Pokemon.

"Go, Bubba!"

"Waldo, I choose you!"

"Kid, are you really sure about that?" A.J. inquired with an apprehensive eyebrow. "I mean, you don't really need to try to help me; I can handle this on my own."

"Oh, don't sweat it, my man," Luthor replied with a confident smirk as he looked over at Team Rocket while punching a fist into his hand. "As far as I'm concerned, I owe these clowns another can of ass-whooping."

"Yeah," Rhonda nodded as she then took out her Poke Ball.

"Blaze, go!"

Blaze then emerged from the ball as he flashed out his tail.

"Charmander!"

TLSTLSTLSTLS

A short time later, Ash and his friends were now standing outside of the tent as A.J., Rhonda, Katie and Luthor were now facing off against Team Rocket. A.J. then cracked out his whip before holding it tightly in his hand, maintaining his glare in Team Rocket's direction.

"Team Rocket has insulted our Gym! We'll answer them with our 100th win."

"100th…" Ash stammered in disbelief as A.J. then glanced over his shoulder with a smile.

"That's right. As Sandshrew and I vowed."

"Good luck," Ash replied with a determined face.

"Your small talk will cost you big time!" Jessie cackled evilly as she then tossed out her Poke Ball.

"Ekans, go!"

"Your turn, Koffing!" James yelled as he also threw out his Poke Ball.

Ekans and Koffing then emerged from their Poke Balls.

"Sandshrew, go!" A.J. ordered as Sandshrew then rushed right at its enemies with Koffing and Ekans both lunging at it.

Sandshrew both managed to dodge both Pokemon and then jumped into the air before curling up into a little ball.

"Ekans, bind it now!" Jessie ordered.

Ekans then wrapped itself around Sandshrew and attempted to crush and squeeze it with its might; however, Sandshrew managed to pop out of its grip, causing Ekans to have its body all twisted and tied up. Sandshrew then landed right on its body, causing Ekans to hiss out in pain and agony.

"It's so strong," Ash marveled in awe.

"Good work!" Misty cheered.

"Excellent!" Brock yelled.

"Koffing, Sludge Attack!" James commanded.

Koffing then belched out a black burst of sludge at Sandshrew, only for Sandshrew to deflect it with its spinning body.

"Meowth, don't just stand there," James groaned as Meowth jumped into the fray.

Meowth then started to chase Sandshrew around while laughing gaily as Sandshrew was rolling around on the ground like a ball.

"Stop pussyfooting around!" Jessie shrieked shrilly, her face burning with rage.

"Just biting my time," Meowth purred as he then tried to bite into Sandshrew, only to have his teeth shattered and cracked.

"Ah! The moment of tooth!"

"Blaze, finish him off, now!" Rhonda roared while pointing her finger at Meowth. "Blaze, use Fire Fang!"

Blaze then charged right at Meowth and bit him hard on the arm with his mouth burning with hot flames, causing Meowth to yelp out in pain with his eyes watering rapidly.

"MEOOOOOOOWTH!"

"Now jump into the air and knock him down!" Rhonda continued.

Blaze then somersaulted straight into the air, still holding on to Meowth by the arm. He then spun Meowth around in the air once more before letting him go and knocking him away with a single drop kick from behind. Meowth then hollered and screamed at the top of his lungs as he plummeted straight into the ground with his arms flailing before landing face first with a loud thud.

Meowth then scrambled to his feet and quickly brushed the dirt and rocks off his face while spitting out even more debris out of his mouth.

"Ugh! Talk about a rough landing!" he sputtered while brushing off his fur.

"Finish it! Sandshrew, use Fissure Strike!" A.J. ordered while cracking his whip.

Sandshrew then jumped into the air while unleashing an electric shockwave before diving down and spinning rapidly in midair.

"Go, Sandshrew! Drill into the ground until it splits!" A.J. commanded while bracing himself for Sandshrew's attack.

Sandshrew then landed on the ground with a single paw while standing upside down. After what seemed like an eternity, the ground began to shake and rock violently as the ground cracked open and a massive fissure emerged. The heroes then quickly jumped back from the forming cracks in order to avoid falling in as Team Rocket soon lost their balance and fell into the fissure.

Then as soon as the violent shaking came to an end, Meowth pulled himself onto the ground, looking quite disheveled and out of sorts.

"That's it! I forfeit the match!" Meowth screamed as he soon ran for his life, with Ekans and Koffing following after him.

"Come back here!" Jessie yelled as she and James also raced after Meowth and their Pokemon.

"Meowth, where are you going?" James hollered.

"To write us a theme song!" Meowth yelled back.

"Not that again! Ugh!" Jessie groaned.

"We did it, Sandshrew! We finally reached victory number 100!" A.J. cheered triumphantly as the scoreboard then rapidly changed from "99" to "100".

"Wow, you finally did it. You finally accomplished what you set out to do," Rhonda declared empathetically. "Impressive."

"Today, all our sacrifices and hard work have finally paid off!" A.J. wept openly as he and Sandshrew hugged each other. "Now we can start winning our badges."

TLSTLSTLSTLS

With A.J.'s mission finally accomplished, A.J. was now finally ready to leave his Gym and set off on his own Pokemon journey.

"When I return here, I'm gonna be the number one Pokemon master," A.J. informed everybody.

"Why don't you come along with us?" Ash suggested.

"Thanks, but Sandshrew and I have our own path that we must follow," A.J. replied as he then held out a hand.

Ash then stared at A.J.'s hand for a moment before he shook it.

"Someday we'll meet again at the big Pokemon League competition," Ash vowed while looking right at A.J.

"Okay, but next time, you better be in shape, because I only want to beat expert trainers," A.J. replied with a smile.

"That's a deal," Ash agreed.

"So long!" A.J. waved goodbye as he and Sandshrew walked away.

"Wow, A.J. really wiped the floor with Team Rocket and then some!" Katie exclaimed as she watched A.J. with great admiration and respect in her eyes.

"Yeah; I just wish that we actually got a chance to get a few extra hits in before they ran off like the sissy cowards that they were," Luthor sighed deeply while folding his arms across his chest.

"He's tough, but pretty cool," Misty replied.

"Yeah, looks like you found another rival," Brock remarked.

"A.J., I'm not going to lose next time!" Ash yelled as he continued to watch A.J. and Sandshrew walk away in the opposite direction. "I'll train hard to become the greatest Pokemon master in the world, following my own path."

It was then that Rhonda noticed that Blaze appeared to be contorting and writhing in pain with his body clenched up tightly.

"Blaze, are you okay, buddy?" she frowned worriedly. "Do you need to rest in your Poke Ball for a little bit?"

Just as she said this, Blaze disappeared into a bright blast of white light as his silhouette began changing and morphing rapidly. Then just as soon as the light appeared, it quickly dissipated, revealing Blaze in a brand new form.

"Holy shit! Blaze actually evolved!" Rhonda stammered in astonishment and disbelief, shaking in anticipation and excitement.

She then took out a Pokedex and opened it up as she examined it.

"Charmeleon, the evolved form of Charmander…"

"Congratulations, buddy. You finally evolved! You did it!" Rhonda cheered as she rushed over to Blaze and hugged him tightly.

"Wow, that just took a turn," Ash muttered as he, Misty, Brock and Pikachu all stared at Rhonda and Blaze with their jaws completely agape.