Chapter 4: A Sappy Tree Tale
"Human Speech"
"Pokemon Speech"
We join our heroes as they head to Violet City and the site of Ash's next gym battle. The group was heading through what looked like a forest, but the problem was that most of it was either withered away or gone entirely.
"Hey Brock, are we sure that we're in the right forest heading to the next town because I can barely see one," Ash asked Brock, who was holding a map, a little confused as to why that was the case.
"According to the map, we should be in a forest just on the outskirts of Cherrygrove City, but it doesn't look to be the case," Brock exclaimed as he looked up and down the map.
"Maybe you're holding the map upside-down, Brock," Misty says, more nervous given that they're in a forest, and she knows it's crawling with bug-Pokemon.
"You know, Misty. You shouldn't always assume that just because we're in a forest, it's littered with Bug Pokemon," Ash says in a tone not to offend but try to lighten the mood, but it isn't working.
"You know that I have a phobia of bug-types, Ash, and why do we have to go through here anyway, Brock" Misty yelled and asked Brock.
"It's the fastest way to the next town Misty, and after we go past Cherrygrove City, it's a straightforward walk to Violet City. According to what I was told, only two bug-type Pokemon species live here," Brock says as he pulls out the guidebook.
"Well, that doesn't help my problem, Brock. No matter how many there are, I never liked them," Misty says to which both Brock and Ash sigh at this.
"Look, we're almost out of the forest soon. Just be patient, Misty," Ash says, hoping he is right. Little did the group know that a Pokemon was watching them with a massive horn on its head who followed their direction.
"We should be coming to a big tree. Once we're there, we should be halfway to Cherrygrove City," Brock says as the group sighs at this, hoping that he was right, but just as they arrived at the said tree, they came to a startling discovery, none of which Misty was too thrilled about it.
"AHHHHHHHHH" Misty screamed as she saw Pinsir, a hoard of them. Her calls did not affect them, "Gross and scary; please tell me that Pinsir is one of the Pokemon you mentioned, Brock," Misty asked, hiding behind Ash, shivering while still holding Togepi.
"You're correct, miss," a voice called out to the group, which was finished running to the group out of breath after hearing the screaming. "Are you all okay I heard the screaming, thinking that something had happened," The young man looked to be a ranger of sorts.
"Yes, there's something wrong it's those gross awful bug Pokemon there," Misty says in an angered tone, not liking that he wasn't stating the obvious as to why she'd screamed.
"Sorry about that. She has a phobia of bug Pokemon," Ash said, apologizing to the young man. "My name is Ash, and these are my friends Brock and Misty. We were heading through this way to head to the next town before heading to Violet City."
"Ah, I figured as much. My name is Foster; I'm researching and helping to protect the forest of this area of Johto. Don't worry. I understand your fear. Not many humans like bug Pokemon," Foster said as he pointed to the tree. The group noticed horn-based beetle insects in the tree trying to stop the Pinsir. "As you may have noticed lately, the forest isn't in the best shape. Late the Pinsir and the Heracross are at war with each other over the sap of most of the trees," Foster says to which Ash looks up what Herracross is and sees that they're bug/fighting type Pokemon.
"Before these two Pokemon were at peace. As they had two territories devoted to them, half of the forest was for Pinsir. The other half was for Heracross. The two Pokemon only wanted these trees for one reason the sap that's part of the trees," Foster explains as he continues, "But lately, something has happened that made the Pinsir cross into the Heracross territory. They aren't the type to start fights regardless of their fighting type typing."
"We noticed while coming here that most of the forest was lifeless or taken down. Do you think that the Heracross was taking too much of sap?" Misty asked to which Ash interjected.
"I highly doubt that, according to the Pokedex, the amount they suck up isn't enough to leave a tree high and dry, let alone level an entire forest like that. Something must be up,"
"I agreed when I heard the screaming. I thought it was the culprits in the act, but it seems like that wasn't the case," Foster said as he looked down as the group was taken aback by his assumption that they were responsible for the attack on the forest. "But I can tell that you couldn't have done it because, from how Misty reacted, there's no way that you could do the deed nor have a Pokemon that could do that."
Pikachu noticed that someone else was watching the group. "You know that we can see you. Come on out," Pikachu called out to the Pokemon watching the group. Ash and the gang noticed that Pikachu saw something. As the said Pokemon came out, it was a Heracross.
"A Heracross; he must know what's going on. Can you ask Heracross over there if he knows anything or if he would know who's responsible for all this," Ash asked Pikachu, who nodded and jumped off Ash's shoulders and ran over to the Heracross? He wasn't surprised or concerned about Ash and the others. He just worried about his friends and wanted things to return as they were.
"Hi there, don't worry, we're here to help you. Can you tell me who or what is causing all of this? Both the damages and the issue with your friends and the Pinsir?" Pikachu asked in a friendly, convincing tone, to which the Heracross smiled.
"Yeah, just about a few days ago, a big machine just appeared in the forest and attacked the trees on the Pinsir's side. According to what one of the Pinsir told me, they think we have something to do with that as it wasn't just taking sap. Anyone who dares to challenge they have captured that thing," The Heracross says, a bit worried about both his friends and the Pinsir, which surprised Pikachu.
"Was it three people and a talking Pokemon that the Humans could understand?" Pikachu asked, and Heracross nodded at this.
"Yeah, that's them. You've met them before?" Herracross asked Pikachu, who wasn't too happy to hear that Team Rocket was involved.
"Yeah, I've had run in's with them. They aren't to be trusted. They're called Team Rocket. They lie, cheat, and steal Pokemon regardless of where they are. They had just arrived here in Johto briefly before we did. Ugh, can we have one day without them seriously," Pikachu explains, which angers the Heracross as they weren't to be trusted? Ash noticed Heracross's expression and knew who was behind all of this.
"From the looks of Heracross and what Pikachu was explaining, it has to be Team Rocket who was behind the entire thing," Ash explained to the group, who were not surprised, aside from Foster, of course. Who had no idea who they were?
"Who is Team Rocket? They don't sound like they are from around here in Johto?" Foster says, confused and angered by the fact that such a group could do this damage. Ash explains who they're and what they're known for stealing and capturing rare Pokemon. "I see that's bad, especially with that track record."
Ash sent out Pidgeot and Charizard, who noticed the forest area and how it was desolated and barren. "Team Rocket is behind this and is attacking the Pinsir and causing trouble between them and another bug Pokemon named Heracross. We need you two to find where they're at before the forest is destroyed or, worse, they capture them," Ash explained to the two flying-type Pokemon, who nodded and took off.
Meanwhile, nearby Team Rocket took all of the sap out of another tree further into the forest area as many Pinsir was trying to fight back to no avail. The machine that Team Rocket was using was too overpowering for the Pinsir, as Team Rocket sent out Pokeballs to the ones who were knocked out and captured for Team Rocket.
"Ahhahahaha, these Pinsir are pathetic and weak for Team Rocket, but a capture is a capture," Jessie laughed as this was easy-pickings for them.
"I wished they were the other bug-Pokemon of the forest, but once we are done here. We'll head to the other side of the forest for the other Pokemon," Meowth says, not happy that so far they're catching Pinsir, which is known back in Kanto. Johto is known for Pokemon that aren't from Kanto, even though Johto has some Kanto Pokemon living there.
Little did they know it, Pidgeot and Charizard watched as Pidgeot got her feathers ruffled in anger, as the two flew back to where Ash and the others were. Charizard noticed how ticked off Pidgeot was about this.
"I know how you feel, Pidgeot, but we can't do anything unless ordered by.' Charizard tried to calm Pidgeot but was interrupted by her.
"DON'T tempt me, Charizard. I'm fully aware of the rules of being a human-trained Pokemon," Pidgeot lashed out at the Fire-flying Pokemon.
"You don't know of all the stuff I went through back when I was the leader of the flock, my evolutionary line," Pidgeot says with a hurt tone. "The Fearow flock's countless attacks, random trainers and poachers who try to take the youngest members of the flock when they don't want to be captured, especially at a young age. I had to put myself and my leadership on the line to protect them, and what Team Rocket is doing is just as worse," Pidgeot says with a tear in her eye.
Charizard understands what she is going through and runs a claw on her cheek. "Thanks, Charizard, but I must get that off my chest. Hopefully, when this Journey ends, I can change things and maybe leave the forest area and go to Professor Oaks' lab."
Charizard would ask her why she was so adamant about that last part but let it go knowing that what he would say might get another lashing at him. He likes her and all that, but he's never seen her this made, especially in her days as a Pidgeotto back when she was on the team. Was she a leader of her flock that changed her that much, or was there more to her than that? The two finally arrived at where Ash and the others were and agreed to show them Team Rocket as the group followed.
Team Rocket has finally finished the forest area where they're at. "That was easy, and the rest of the Pinsir ran off good. We have enough for the boss," James says as the machine is finally loaded with a lot of sap.
"Now, to the other side of the forest," Jessie says. But just as the Trio was about to turn around with the machine. They noticed Ash and the gang were heading their way. "Oh no, the twerps are coming our way. Why do they have to be involved in our business?"
"Stop right there, Team Rocket. Why are you doing this? Don't you know what you are doing is destroying the forest?" Misty says as Team Rocket laughs at what Misty said.
"That's the plan, Twerps, to lure out the said Pokemon so we can catch them," Meowth says, proud of himself. "We're aware of the forest and the peace between these Pokemon, and yet that means nothing to Team Rocket all Pokemon that oppose us will join, whether they like it or not."
Just hearing this made Pidgeot even angrier, to the point her feathers almost resembled Moltres cause of how wild and unjust the Pokemon that lived here had gone through. "SHUT YOUR TRAP, YOU STUPID CAT AND YOUR STUPID CLOWNS OF A GROUP OF YOURS," Pidgeot screamed at the group, to which Meowth translated only to anger the group cause of it.
"Hey, who are you calling clowns?" Jessie yelled as Pidgeot, Charizard, and the entire group pointed right at the Trio. This made Jessie, James, and Meowth even more, ticked off than they already were.
As the robot turned in their direction and started to attack the group. The two flying Pokemon stand firm in front of the group. You can see Pidgeot was done with their nonsense.
"Charizard Flamethrower, Pidgeot Whirlwind now," Ash commanded the two Pokemon, and they combined their attacks to hit the machine but only did a scratch. This made Team Rocket laugh, which made Pidgeot growl at this though Ash remained calm. "Don't worry, Pidgeot, this is just beginning."
This calmed Pidgeot down, and nodded as Team Rocket was about to attack again. "Aim for the scratch of the robot. Use wing attack, Pidgeot," Ash commanded to which she slashed the scratch on the machine, which also let out most of the sap covering the machine.
This was the Pinsir's chance to eat it all off while the machine covered it. This was making the machine go off balance and distracting Team Rocket. "Get off, you stupid bugs," Jessie said in frustration. But the machine wasn't working as if the sap was seeping into the device's mechanical parts, not the storage for the sap.
As the machine was utterly sticky and no longer operational. This was what Ash was hoping for. "Now, let's try this again. Use Flamethrower and Whirlwind to send them off," Ash commands Pidgeot and Charizard. Who launched said moves at Team Rocket, blasting the Trio off; however, they still had the spoken Pinsir and Heracross.
"We won, but at what cost? They took the two Bug-Pokemon who knows what they'll do to them," Pidgeot says with a sigh of anger. Ash noticed this. He knew Pidgeot was upset but understood what she said, minus not having a translator.
"Don't worry; we'll get even with them, Pidgeot. Right now, there's nothing we can do is hope for the best for the Bug-Pokemon of this forest to be in peace again," Charizard said while placing his claw on Pidgeot's wing, which made Pidgeot sighs and nodded at this and smiles.
"Agreed, Charizard. Let's hope this is the last they get away with this," Pidgeot says as she has anger in her eyes but is calming down by Charizards words. Charizard feels like this is just the beginning but hopes she's right that this is the last that Team Rocket gets away with taking Pokemon for themselves.
The group returned to the enormous tree and noticed that the Pinsir was no longer there, but the Heracross was as it should be. "Seems like everything was back to normal again, minus what happened to the forest," Foster said with little happiness, though he knew that nothing he could say could help the situation.
"I feel you, Foster. It's going to take some time before the forest can recover fully after all, that, but at least the Pokemon are back to the way they were before all this, minus missing a few members of their swarm," Ash said to which Foster nodded in agreement. Still, before he could say something, the Heracross from before that helped them came over to the group. "Thanks again, Heracross. You helped greatly in explaining to us what had happened," Ash says to the young Bug/Fighting-type.
He nods and looks like he is about to ask Ash something.
"Can I join you? I owe you this much for everything, even if it's sudden," Heracross was gesturing in a way to show what he wanted. This caught Ash off guard as he wasn't planning on capturing one of the Heracross as a form of respect, but this was sudden.
As Pikachu was curious, "Why do you want to join my trainer's team, given what happened? If you don't me asking?" Pikachu asked Heracross, who looked down and smiled at this question.
"The reason is after seeing what happened and how strong the rest of the team is? I feel like that is where I want to be with a competent trainer to get stronger," Heracross held his claws in a pleading way. "Please, can I join your team? I promise I won't be a problem and can learn more from you."
This made both Pikachu and Ash nod at this. "Okay, you can join the Team, Heracross, but if I'm not up to your standards or you want to leave the team, just let me know," Ash said to Heracross, to which Heracross nodded in agreement at this. Ash pulled out a Pokeball and tossed it at Heracross, to which it sucked it up in the ball, and without a struggle, the ball dings without hassle. Ash picked up the ball and added it to his pocket.
The group left the area and waved goodbye to Foster and the other Heracross.
With our heroes' help, the forest returned to normal in terms of peacefulness, but what is Team Rocket planning with the Pokemon that they were taken from the forest, and what are their plans for them? As the Journey continues.
Stay tuned
Done, my god, did this chapter takes longer than expected? Is it that the rewriting of the first four chapters is officially done? We can finally continue where I left off in Chapter 10. For those reading this now, see you guys next chapter with a new capture or captures in chapter 5.