Kanto Gets Loud
Chapter 37: Scratch Cat Fever
Meanwhile, back with Lincoln's group,
If Lincoln and company could be described as one word, it would most certainly be "lost". When taking on the task of tracking down and catching Meowth, as well as retrieving AJ's stolen TRs, Lincoln didn't take into account of how dense the forest was, which led him and his companions to be wander aimlessly through the forest, which was putting Lincoln and Misty in a particularly bad mood, "'Don't worry, we'll get your stuff back'. Didn't you think about our surroundings before taking on this little mission, Lincoln?!" Misty chastised.
"Ok, so maybe I didn't think it all the way through, so sue me! Besides, I was just trying to help out AJ," Lincoln argued back.
"He and his Pokemon know this forest better than we do! Rather than getting us into this mess, you should've let them handle this!" Misty argued.
"Well excuse me for wanting to be nice to the guy!"
"ALRIGHT, that's enough!" Brock yelled, finally having enough and breaking up the fight, "Look, if you two keep fighting, we're never going to find anything!" however, it proved fruitless, as Lincoln and Misty were still arguing. Brock groaned in annoyance, "Pikachu, help me out here, would you?"
"With pleasure," Pikachu replied, as he went over to the bickering pair, and fired off Thunder Shock, electrocuting them both. Both of them fell to the ground, twitching from the shock.
"Ok, we'll behave. Sorry about snapping at you Lincoln," Misty slurred.
"I'm sorry too for getting us into this," Lincoln replied.
"Good, now that that's settled," Pikachu said, as his ears perked up, hearing something in the distance, "Hey, what's that?" he asked, as Lincoln and Misty pulled themselves together.
"What's what?" Lincoln asked.
"I thought I heard something in the distance. Could be that Meowth," Pikachu replied, as he tried to focus in on the sound, "Actually, it sounds like several voices talking to one another. And one of them sounds pretty mad. Could be AJ's Pokemon."
"Any idea what they're saying?"
"Just a moment," Pikachu replied, listening in, "Sounds like they're out here looking for that Meowth as well."
"Well, if they're looking for that Meowth too, then we should join up with them. We can cover more ground if we work together," Lincoln said, as they made their way to AJ's Pokemon.
A little way from where Lincoln and company were,
In a clearing nearby, a small group of Pokemon were experiencing frustration of their own as they continued their own search for the Meowth bandit. One Pokemon in particular, the lone Beedrill of the group, seemed to be the most irritated, "We've been out here for a couple of hours, and we still haven't found hide nor hair of that little shit! Where in Arceus' name could it have gotten to?!" it ranted, eyes glowing red with rage.
"We may know this area pretty well, but that thief might know it better than we do. It may not even be in the area anymore," one of the Rattata replied.
"That can't be right! It has to be here! We saw that damned thing run into the forest!" Beedrill ranted.
"Well, by now it might've moved somewhere else. We might as well try…" a Pidgeotto said, before hearing something, "Hey, do you guys hear something?"
"What is it? Is it that Meowth? About time! I have several hours' worth of frustration I need to vent!" Beedrill proclaimed.
"It's not Meowth. Why would it come back when it know we're looking for it?" another Rattata asked.
"Well, if it's not Meowth, then who is it?" Beedrill crossed it's forelegs. The Rattata then listened closer.
"It's those humans and that Pikachu the chief was talking to earlier today," the Mouse Pokemon replied.
"What could they be doing here?" the lone Butterfree asked.
"Probably looking for something," the Pidgeotto guessed.
"Well, we might as well find out now," a Geodude said, crossing it's arms as the trio and Pikachu arrived, "What is it that you want, outsiders?"
Realizing the Rock Pokemon was talking to them, Lincoln stepped forth, "We came from your trainer's gym. We're hear to lend a hand with tracking down that Meowth. And based on what I heard a few moments ago, you guys have been having some trouble."
"We don't need help from an outsider like yourself. So why don't you just buzz off and let us handle it?" AJ's Beedrill grumbled.
"Right, because you guys have it totally under control right now," Pikachu sarcastically remarked, rolling his eyes, "Look, my trainer talked to your trainer, and your trainer agreed to let us help you out, so just chill out."
"So the chief gave the ok? Well, alright," AJ's Pidgeotto replied.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have some extra help. After all, we couldn't be worse off than we are now," the Geodude remarked. AJ's Beedrill could only glare at his colleagues for a few seconds before turning back to Lincoln.
"Alright, we'll let you guys help out, but I want to make one thing clear; It stole from OUR trainer, so it's OUR duty to take it down."
"And by that, you're saying you want first crack at it?" Lincoln asked.
"You're damn right I am! So, are we in agreement?"
"As long as I can catch it afterwards, then yes. Now then, do you guys have any leads whatsoever? Even the most seemingly insignificant detail could prove vital," Lincoln asked.
"Afraid not. The thing probably knows this area better than we do, so we're just as stuck as you three," a Ratatta replied.
"Hmm, in that case, do you know of anywhere that could be used for a hiding spot?" Lincoln asked.
"Now that you mention it, we never once considered that," the Geodude replied.
"For all the good it does us. Like I said, that Meowth probably knows the area better than we do," a Ratatta pointed out.
"Well, I do have a suggestion we could do. Of course, since you guys aren't my Pokemon, you don't have to follow it," Lincoln replied.
"Well, if it'll help catch that little shit, then we'll hear you out about it. What do you got for us?" AJ's Beedrill asked.
"Well, how about all the fliers can search from above? We can have a much easier time tracking down that Meowth from a higher altitude," Lincoln explained. AJ's Pokemon all facepalmed.
"Why didn't WE think to do that!?" AJ's Beedrill yelled.
"Because you were throwing a tantrum like a Mankey, so you couldn't come up with any ideas," AJ's Geodude jabbed, causing the Mankey of the group to glare at the Rock Pokemon.
"Hey, I take offense to that!"
"Alright, a Primeape then."
"Better."
"And to help out, I have three Pokemon on hand that can help out. Come on out you three!" Lincoln said, tossing up three of his Pokeballs, releasing Pidgeotto, Kirlia, and Riolu, "Alright guys, we're trying to find a Meowth that's been causing some trouble for these guys' trainer. It stole a bunch of his TRs, which look like discs. I need you guys to help look around for it," Lincoln said.
"No problem. I can find anything in the sky," Lincoln's Pidgeotto boasted, as she flew off.
"And how would like the two of us to help, Lincoln?" Kirlia asked.
"I need you and Riolu to try and sense where Meowth is, what with your ability to sense emotions and feelings, and Riolu's ability to sense auras," Lincoln replied.
"You can count on us, Mr. Lincoln!" Riolu chipperly exclaimed, rushing off into the forest.
"I could ride in your backpack like we did before, Lincoln. I can let you know when I sense something," Kirlia said.
"Great idea," Lincoln replied, unzipping his bag, allowing Kirlia to crawl inside, "Comfy?"
"Y-yes," Kirlia blushed, being so close to her trainer.
"Alright, everyone who can fly, get going! If you find anything, come back and tell us!" AJ's Beedrill ordered. AJ's Butterfree and Pidgeotto took to the sky, as Geodude pointed at the Poison Bee Pokemon.
"In case you forgotten, you can fly too," he pointed out.
"I know that! I'm making sure everyone understands what to do, alright!?" AJ's Beedrill yelled, before taking off.
"What's his deal?" Lincoln asked, as the land group began to walk around.
"Oh, he's always like that. He is a good guy, I'll tell you that much, but he kind of has a bit of a short fuse. Not to mention he's always ready to prove his worth to the chief, which is why he wants first crack at that Meowth," one of the Ratatta replied.
"Really?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah, he's pretty jealous of that Sandshrew being the Chief's favorite, so Beedrill wants to show up Sandshrew so that he can take his place the boss' 'right-hand-mon', as he calls it, which I find to be really stupid. True, the chief does work with Sandshrew the most, but he likes all of us equally. If he didn't, he wouldn't be training us the way he does," AJ's Geodude explained.
"Well, I have to give it to him, he is ambitious," Lincoln commented. Just then, Kirlia perked up.
"Lincoln, I'm sensing mischievous emotions nearby," Kirlia informed.
"That's great! Where is it?" Lincoln asked. Kirlia then tried to focus in on what she was sensing.
"It feels like it's… underground?" Kirlia replied, sounding confused. Just then, Lincoln's Pidgeotto and Riolu came back.
"Mr. Lincoln, we found something called the 'Underground Path', and I could sense Meowth's aura!" Riolu informed.
"Well, that's quite convenient. Where is it?" Lincoln asked.
"A little way that way," Riolu replied, pointing down a path.
"Wonderful! Pidgeotto, could you round up AJ's Pokemon in the sky and tell them about this development? We'll head on over to the Underground Path," Lincoln asked his own Flying Pokemon.
"I'm all over it!" Pidgeotto replied, taking flight again.
"Alright Riolu, lead the way," Lincoln requested, as the Emanation Pokemon led the group down the path.
Meanwhile, back at AJ's Gym,
To say that AJ was impressed by how well Red and Saur were battling would be the understatement of the century. In fact, he was having the time of his life battling against Red, "I have to admit, you're really making me work for my 100th win, kid. I haven't had a battle like this in a long time," AJ commended.
"Thanks, and battling you proves that you deserve that record of yours," Red replied, grinning at how much fun he was having, "But like all good things, your winning streak has to come to an end."
"That's what you think!" AJ retorted, turning to his trusted partner, "Alright Sandshrew, the time has finally come to use 'that' move!"
"'That move'? You're really letting me use it?" AJ's Sandshrew asked. AJ simply nodded. His Sandshrew looked ecstatic, "Alright! It's been so long since I've used that move!"
Both Red and Saur eyed their opponents carefully, "Saur, be careful! It sounds like they have something planned! Be ready for anything!" Red warned.
"Got it. Any ideas on how we should counter?"
As if understanding what Saur was saying, Red nodded and whispered, "I do have a plan, but I need you to execute it at just the right time. We can't afford to have whatever they're planning hit us."
"Alright Sandshrew, time to take out that overgrown garden weed! Use Fissure!" AJ ordered with a crack of his whip. Sandshrew then leapt high into the air before diving back down with an orangish aura surrounding it's tiny paws.
"Aw crap, that's one of the One-Hit-KO moves!" Saur exclaimed, sounding like he definitely did NOT want to be on the receiving end of that particular move.
"Just stay calm Saur, and wait for my signal!" Red called out, keeping a close eye on Sandshrew as it got closer. When it was close enough, Red grinned, "Alright, now use Flash!" In an instant, the bulb on Saur's back released a powerful light, blinding the Mouse Pokemon. This caused the Fissure attack to fail, "Now we can lock it down! Use Stun Spore!" Saur then fired a cloud of yellow powder at Sandshrew, causing its body to stiffen up.
"Gah! What is this stuff?! Get it off me!"
"The hell?! What did your Ivysaur do to Sandshrew?!" AJ yelled.
"Stun Spore- A move that inflicts paralysis on the opponent to keep them from moving, which works perfectly for us," Red replied. AJ felt himself sweating.
"I think I might be in trouble."
Meanwhile, back with Lincoln's group,
The trio soon found themselves at what appeared to be a building in the middle of nowhere, "What's this place?" Lincoln asked.
"This is the entrance to one of two Underground Paths. This one connects Cerulean City to Vermillion City," Brock explained.
"But why not just go straight through Saffron City? The entrance is right over there," Lincoln asked, pointing to a gate that said "You are now entering Saffron City".
"Remember what we told you about that lockdown Saffron City was under? Yeah, Saffron City is prone to getting locked down, so people use the Underground Paths whenever that happens," Misty replied, as they entered the building. Inside, they saw a flight of stairs leading downward into a dark tunnel.
"And you both are certain you sense Meowth in there?" Lincoln asked Kirlia and Riolu.
"There's no mistaking that there's mischievous intent down there," Kirlia replied.
"Yep, that's right! I can sense its aura for sure!" Riolu added.
"Well, let's head down and look around," Lincoln commented, letting Kirlia out of his bag, as they all descended the stairs, "Is it usually this dark down here?" he asked, trying to see the path before him.
"Not too sure. It's been quite sometime since I've been here," Misty replied, just as she stepped on something, causing her to loose her balance. Upon noticing this, Lincoln moves to catch her, only for her to fall on top of him, putting them both in a rather… compromising position.
"Oh man, this is too rich!" Pikachu snickered, as the two in question were blushing furiously at their predicament. Riolu was more focused on the tunnel ahead, while Kirlia was fuming in jealousy.
'Why can't I get into a situation like that?! Maybe if I evolve into a Gardevoir, just like Mommy,' she pouted, just as Pidgeotto and the rest of AJ's Pokemon arrived. They were all snickering at the sight before them, except for AJ's Beedrill.
"If you two have time to loaf around, you have time to search for Meowth!"
"Alright, alright, we're moving!" Lincoln retorted, as he and Misty got back up. As they did, Lincoln saw what had caused Misty to trip. It was a Pokeball that was unlike the others he's seen. The upper half was a bluish color with two red vertical line, "Is this… some kind of Pokeball?" he wondered, retrieving it.
"Yeah, that's a Great Ball. It has a slightly better chance of catching a Pokemon that a regular Pokeball," Misty replied.
"Though it's not the strongest Pokeball that's available to the public. I'd say that honor goes to the Ultra Ball. That being said, I have heard rumors that the Silph Co. is attempting to make a Pokeball with a 100% capture rate," Brock commented.
"Well, this one doesn't look like it's been used. You want it, Misty? After all, you kind of found it first," Lincoln asked, only for Misty to shake her head.
"Nah, you keep it. Think of it my way of thanking you for catching me."
"Suit yourself. Now, where is that Meowth hiding?" Lincoln wondered, looking around, eventually setting his sights on a pile of junk. On top of it was their quarry, "Look! There it is!"
"Good eye, kiddo. Now we just need to deal with it, get the TRs back, and go home," AJ's Geodude commented. The voice of the Rock Pokemon caused Meowth to awaken with a yawn.
"Oh? Found me already, have you? You probably should've just let me lose you guys. After all, you're in MY territory now," the Meowth said in a threatening tone, not looking too pleased at the sight of the intruders.
"Too bad. We're not leaving out of here without AJ's TRs, so cough them up!" Lincoln demanded.
"That's right, you no good thief!" AJ's Beedrill buzzed furiously.
"'TRs'?" the Meowth tapped her chin in a thoughtful manner, "Oh, you must mean those disc things your trainer had lying around! Yeah, I'm not giving them up. They were shiny, and anything shiny, as far as I'm concerned, are fair game."
"Whether they were shiny or not doesn't matter. We're taking them back, taking you down, and I'm going to catch you!" Lincoln proclaimed. Meowth's expression then turned more menacing than before.
"You think you can catch me? As if I would ever allow that to happen."
"Riolu, can I count on you for this one?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course, you can, Mr. Lincoln! I'm always ready to prove my worth to you! Yep, I sure am!" Riolu excitedly exclaimed, only for AJ's Beedrill to intervene.
"Hold it there, junior, I already called first dibs on taking on that little shit, and I'm going to take it!" he stated irritably. Riolu became quite annoyed.
"Aw, fine!" Riolu grumbled, going back to his trainer. Lincoln then took out his Pokedex to scan Meowth.
"This Female Meowth is Level 22, and knows the moves Taunt, Fake out, Feint Attack, Fury Swipes, Theif, and the Egg Move Covet," Dexter explained.
"Quite a few moves I haven't heard of before," Lincoln commented, as he looked at the stand off between Beedrill and Meowth, both of whom looked ready to rumble.
"I'm only going to say this once; Get out of MY territory, and don't ever bother me again!" Meowth threatened.
"And I'm only going to say this once myself; Return what you stole from my trainer, and never come near our gym again!" Beedrill retorted.
"I'll keep coming back if there are shiny things that I want."
"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Meowth smirked at Beedrill's proclamation.
"I can certainly arrange that myself," she said.
"Enough talk! Sludge Bo…" Beedrill's arm stingers began glowing purple as a ball of dark purple venom began to form at each tip, only for a Potion bottle to hit him in the face, canceling the attack, "What the…!? Did you just throw a Potion bottle at me?!"
"It's called a 'Fling' attack for a reason?" Meowth replied condescendingly. Lincoln became intrigued by the technique Meowth had just mentioned.
"Dexter, give me information on the move 'Fling'," Lincoln requested.
"Certainly: Fling, a Physical Dark Type move in which the user throws it's held item at the opponent. The move's additional affect depend on what item is flung. However, the Meowth species is unable to learn Fling, meaning that this Meowth should not be able to use it."
"What is that thing talking about? Fling is just a move where you throw stuff. It's not that hard to understand," Meowth commented, as she threw another Potion bottle at Beedrill.
"OW! Damnit, quit throwing shit at me!"
"You want me to stop, then get out and stay out!" Meowth demanded, throwing a Water Stone at Beedrill, hitting it on it's side. Misty took a moment to retrieve the Water Stone.
"Nice! Now I can evolve Poliwhirl!" Misty said, looking over the stone, only for her expression to turn sour, "Damn, it's been used already."
"Hey, hands off MY treasure!" Meowth then charged at Misty, brandishing her claws. She would've slashed at Misty, if not for the fact that Riolu intervened.
"I won't let you hurt Misty!" Riolu said, smacking Meowth away.
"Nice one junior! I'll take it from here," Beedrill said, as he held out his stingers in front of his face, and began spinning around, until he looked like a drill, "Here we go! Drill Run!"
"Whoa, I should into teaching my Beedrill that move," Lincoln commented. However, his impressed look towards Drill Run didn't last long, as Meowth retrieved a ball made of iron from the pile of junk.
"I tried of messing around with you. I have a Riolu to teach some manners to," Meowth commented, as she hurled the Iron Ball at Beedrill, canceling out Drill Run, and sending Beedrill slamming into the wall, "There, that should keep you out of the way."
Geodude went to check on Beedrill, "He's out, kid. If you want a crack at that Meowth, now's the time!"
"On it! Ready Riolu?" Lincoln asked.
"Whenever you are, Mr. Lincoln!" Riolu replied, taking his place. Meowth still had a look of contempt on her face.
"My, my, such a little brat you are. It's high time to teach you a lesson on staying out of other people's business."
"Yeah? Well, I'm going to teach you not to steal from others!"
"Impudent little runt," Meowth snarled, as she began racing towards Riolu at high speeds.
"Riolu, quick, use Thunder Punch!" Lincoln instructed.
"On it!" Riolu replied, as his fist became enveloped in electricity. However, Meowth got in the first move, clapping her paws together, causing a shockwave.
"Too bad for you that my Fake Out keeps you from using any moves right…" she was cut off with a Thunder Punch across the face, "What the…?! You must have Inner Focus," she glared.
"'Inner Focus'?" Lincoln wondered.
"Information: Inner Focus: An ability that prevents the Pokemon from Flinching. It also blocks the effects of the ability Intimidate," Dexter explained.
"Well, I can't exactly take any chances if you have moves that can power you up or hinder me. Now, what would be a good one to use?"
"What are you talking about?" Lincoln asked, as he and Riolu eyed her warily.
"My move, Taunt. I need a good insult in order to use it properly," Meowth replied, before being hit with inspiration, "Ah, got one!" she then flipped the double bird at Riolu, "Hey, ya mutt! You're so puny, you look like you're the runt of your litter!"
"There's no way that's an actual move. Riolu, lets…" Lincoln then noticed Riolu clenching it's paws tightly in anger, "Wait, how is that even working?!"
"Don't bother trying to figure out how moves work. They just do. Anyhow, you can forget any non-attacking moves now," Meowth replied.
"I can beat you without powering up with another move," Riolu growled.
"Really? Then show me that you've got the bite to back up your bark."
"I'd be happy to," Riolu replied, as he fired off Vacuum Wave, which sent Meowth crashing into the wall.
"Oof, ok, maybe you do have some strength behind you," she commented, as she rummaged through her pile, fishing out a Potion bottle, and spraying herself with it.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Lincoln exclaimed.
"All's fair in love and war, especially Pokemon battles," Meowth retorted, as she flung the empty Potion bottle at Riolu, who smacked it away, "Not bad, squirt. But lets see you deal with this!" she said, as she began hurling several items at Riolu, who was doing everything in his power to smack them away.
"Hey, why don't you quit throwing things and fight fair and square?!" Pikachu yelled.
"'Fight fair'? First of all, you're on MY turf, so anything I want to do goes. Secondly, even if we weren't in my territory, why would I fight fairly, especially when this way is so easy?" Meowth asked.
"Tsk, figures she was that kind of Pokemon. In that case, if we can't get in close, then Riolu, use Vacuum Wave!" Lincoln instructed. Riolu then fired off Vacuum Wave again, which was able to knock Meowth away from her pile, "Great! Now, use Metal Claw!" Riolu's paws became more metallic, as his charged at Meowth.
"No way am I letting you win! Take my Fury Swipes!" Meowth yelled, as she began to slash away at Riolu, while dodging Metal Claw.
"Mr. Lincoln! Would it be alright if I used Counter?" Riolu asked, trying to endure Fury Swipes.
"If you think it'll work, then go for it!" Lincoln replied. Riolu then became enveloped in an orange aura, just as another Fury Swipe flurry made contact. Riolu then delivered a powerful punch to Meowth's gut, sending her into the wall, completely dazed, "Alright, now it's my turn!" Lincoln then took the Great Ball he acquired earlier, and hurled it at the Meowth, encapsulating it. The ball rocked once, twice, and after the third time, it clicked shut, "That's that. You guys won't have any more trouble with this Meowth again," he said to AJ's Pokemon.
"Hallelujah!" AJ's Geodude cheered.
"Do you wish to send any Pokemon back to the Professor's Lab to make room for your newly caught Meowth? I hope not," Dexter asked, muttering the last part.
"Not right at the moment. Go ahead and send Meowth back," Lincoln replied.
"Oh thank god," Dexter replied, as the Great Ball vanished.
"We've managed to loot through the Meowth's pile. All of the chief's TRs are present and accounted for," the lead Ratatta said, as he and some of his cohorts were holding several of the discs Meowth had stolen.
"So, those TR things," Lincoln began.
"They're what you would call 'older models' of TMs. They break after just one use. The only exception to them are HMs, or Hidden Machines. I don't know too much about those, however," Brock explained.
"Though some TRs were never made into TMs. I hear they cost a fortune these days," Misty replied.
"I see. Well, should we take a look around in that Meowth's pile? There could be some valuable loot we could use," Lincoln suggested.
"Eh, I'm good," Brock replied.
"It all looks like a bunch of junk to me. But you're more than free to rummage around if you want. We're going to head back to AJ's Gym," Misty added.
"You guys go on ahead as well. I'll stay here to make sure the kid gets back. Besides, taking some of that little shit's stuff will serve as payback for all the crap she's put us through," AJ's Beedrill commented with a vindictive look.
"I'll let the chief know you'll be a little late," Butterfree commented.
"Please do so. Now then, lets see what we got here," Beedrill said, as he and Lincoln became to rummage through the pile, "Lets see, junk… junk… junk… oh, a TM for Return! And is that an unused Hyper Potion?!"
"Hey now, don't go hogging all the good stuff!" Lincoln exclaimed, as he and Pikachu went in to search the pile, while Brock and Misty began to walk away.
"Think they'll find anything good in that pile?" Misty asked.
"Who knows? But right now, all I want to do is get back to the gym. I'm tired and hungry with all the running we've been doing," Brock replied, as the two of them, along with AJ's Pokemon, went to leave the tunnel.
Sometime later,
Spending half an hour looking through Meowth's pile was definitely worth it for Lincoln, Pikachu, and AJ's Beedrill, as they had managed to acquire a plethora of handy items, even though they had to really hustle to catch up with the others. Fortunately for them, it didn't take too long for them to catch up, as the others were only about a mile or two away from the gym, "So, how'd your little treasure hunt go?" Misty asked, only getting a sly look from Lincoln, "You found something good, didn't you?"
"Maybe. Maybe not," Lincoln replied evasively.
"You must have found something good, otherwise, you would never have that look on your face. So, spill the beans," Misty demanded.
"Not a whole lot of stuff. Just some unused Pokeballs, some potions, including something called a 'Full Restore', a couple of TMs and TRs, and some rocks that look like evolution stones," Lincoln explained.
Misty's eyes lit up at the mention of evolution stones, "Evolution stones? Any Water Stones by chance?"
"Afraid not," Lincoln replied.
"Damn. Oh well. So, what were they?" Misty asked.
"I had Dexter scan them. They were all unused. Two of them were Leaf Stones, one was a Sun Stone, another was a Fire Stone, and the last one was a Shiny Stone. Too bad none of the Pokemon I have so far are compatible with them," Lincoln replied.
"Still, it's not a bad haul. That good luck of yours must be working wonders for you if you managed to find stuff like that," Brock replied.
"True," Lincoln replied, as the Gym came into view, "There's the gym. I wonder how AJ managed in his battle with Red."
"By the looks of it, not too good. Look," Brock said, pointing to the sign. The Win/Loss counter now read 99/1, and the word "Undefeated" was crossed out in red paint. AJ's Pokemon couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"I-I can't believe it. The Chief finally lost?!" Butterfree exclaimed.
"Never thought I'd live to see the day," Geodude commented.
"I knew it! I knew that little dirtball couldn't handle whatever that cap wearing kid could throw at him! Now the chief's record is shot!" AJ's Beedrill buzzed irritably. Near the sign, they saw AJ sitting on a stump, with his Sandshrew close by.
"Hey AJ," Lincoln greeted, causing the older boy to look up.
"Oh, hey guys. How'd it go?" AJ asked.
"Pretty good. Not only did we get your TRs back, but you'll never have to worry about that Meowth again," Lincoln replied, as Butterfree gave AJ a bag containing to the stolen TRs.
"Oh, thank Arceus. At least I have these back. You have no idea how much this means to me," AJ said, giving the three trainers, and his Pokemon a grateful smile and nod.
"No problem. So, it looks like Red was able to break your streak," Lincoln observed.
"Yeah. That guy was probably the toughest of the toughest trainers I've battle against. But don't get me wrong, it was a great battle and all, but…,"
"You're upset that you couldn't reach your goal of winning 100 battles in a row, right?" Lincoln asked.
"Yeah. But the fact that I got my TRs back and that I don't have to worry about that Meowth anymore is a plus. Here, I want the three of you to take these," AJ said, holding out three TRs, each a different color – green, blue, and brown, "And don't worry about giving them back. I have plenty of each. Consider them my thanks for the trouble you went through.
"Wow, thanks AJ," Lincoln said, accepting the green TR. He then looked at the name on it, "'Grass Knot'?"
"Works wonders if you're against a really heavy Pokemon like Onix or Snorlax. Grass Knot does more damage to a Pokemon if it weighs a lot," AJ replied.
"I think my species is compatible with Grass Knot. You can teach it to me, and we won't ever have to worry about Ground Types," Pikachu said.
"Sounds like a plan. But lets focus on working on Iron Tail before I go teaching you any new moves," Lincoln replied, before turning back to AJ, "Can TRs be used on the Move Tutor device?"
"Of course. There's a slot meant for the older models. Just insert the TR, and it'll do the rest," AJ replied.
"Awesome," Lincoln replied, turning to his travelling companions, "So, what moves did you guys get?"
"I got Scald, a Water Type move that's able to inflict burn status," Misty replied.
"As for me, I got Bulldoze. Might work best with Onix, that way, I can deal with speedier opponents," Brock replied.
"By the way AJ, you wouldn't happen to have rooms for guests spending the night, do you?" Lincoln asked.
"Of course, I do. Even if I didn't, I'd find a way to squeeze you in. From what Red told me before he left, those Team Rocket goons have been skulking about the area lately. More notably around Vermillion City, He actually asked me to warn you guys about it," AJ replied.
"Team Rocket… we haven't seen or heard about them for over a week," Lincoln commented.
"They do have a tendency to show up when they aren't wanted," Misty replied.
"That's what I hear. Well, we should go ahead and settle in for the night," AJ said, as they all entered the tent.
'So, Team Rocket's hanging out in Vermillion City? Just great… of all the places they had to be causing trouble, it had to be where I'm going to win my next badge,' Lincoln thought to himself.
High in the skies,
"Why didn't we think of doing this before?" Jessie exclaimed, as she and her cohorts were flying towards Vermillion City.
"I haven't the foggiest idea, but if that white haired brat is going for Gym Badges, then Vermillion City is his next stop, seeing as how Saffron City is still on lockdown. Don't know why he went to Cerulean Cape though," Meowth replied.
"Anticipating his every move, then cutting him off at the pass… a sound strategy if I ever heard one," James commented.
"That's why I'm the brains of this whole operation," Meowth commented, only to get two fists to the top of his head.
"The only thing you are is an annoyance! How long before we reach Vermillion City?" Jessie asked James.
"If we keep up this pace, we should be there in the morning," James replied, as they continued on their path.
Lincoln:
Pikachu
Level: 26
Gender: Male
Ability: Static
Nature: Mild
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Thundershock, Quick Attack, Electro Ball, Protect, Thunder Punch, Iron Tail, Volt Tail (Hybrid Move), Thunder Wave
Charmeleon
Nickname: Inferna
Level: 19
Gender: Female
Ability: Blaze
Nature: Naïve
Pokeball: Level Ball
Moves: Ember, Metal Claw (Egg Move), Smokescreen, Growl, Protect, Thunder Punch
Kirlia (Shiny)
Level: 24
Gender: Female
Ability: Synchronize
Nature: Timid
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Growl, Teleport, Confusion, Disarming Voice, Double Team, Misty Terrain (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch, Psybeam
Poliwag
Level: 20
Gender: Male
Ability: Water Absorb
Nature: Jolly
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Water Gun, Water Sport, Hypnosis, Protect, Water Pulse
Pidgeotto
Level: 24
Gender: Female
Ability: Tangled Feet
Nature: Rash
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Gust, Whirlwind, Quick Attack, Sand Attack, Tackle, Steel Wing, Twister, Protect
Riolu
Level: 20
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Quirky
Pokeball: Luxury Ball
Moves: Quick Attack, Counter, Metal Claw, Endure, Vacuum Wave (Egg Move), Protect, Thunder Punch
Bulbasaur (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 19
Nickname: Aizami
Gender: Male
Ability: Overgrow
Nature: Serious
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Tackle, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Vine Whip, Protect
Squirtle (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Nickname: Raphael
Level: 15
Gender: Male
Ability: Rain Dish
Nature: Rash
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Rapid Spin, Bite, Water Gun, Aqua Jet (Egg Move)
Sandshrew: (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Nickname: Andrea
Level: 23
Gender: Female
Ability: Sand Veil
Nature: Calm
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Poison Sting, Defense Curl, Rapid Spin, Fury Cutter, Magnitude, Metal Claw (Egg Move)
Goomy (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 26
Gender: Female
Ability: Hydration
Nature: Calm
Pokeball: Nest Ball
Moves: Tackle, Bubble, Absorb, Bide, Protect, Poison Tail (Egg Move)
Fearow (At Professor Oak's)
Level: 25
Gender: Female
Ability: Sniper
Nature: Calm
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Arieal Ace, Pursuit, Mirror Move, Leer, Fury Attack, Steel Wing
Beedriil (Shiny) (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 20
Gender: Male
Ability: Shield Dust
Nature: Lax
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Poison Sting, String Shot, Bug Bite, Harden, U-Turn, Protect
Zubat (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 21
Gender: Male
Ability: Inner Focus
Nature: Quirky
Pokeball: Friend Ball
Moves: Absorb, Bite, Wing Attack, Astonish, Supersonic, Giga Drain (Egg Move), Protect
Cleffa (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 12
Gender: Male
Ability: Cute Charm
Nature: Jolly
Pokeball: Moon Ball
Moves: Metronome (Egg Move), Pound, Sing Encore, Charm
Clefairy (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 17
Gender: Female
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Calm
Pokeball: Moon Ball
Moves: Metronome, Double Slap, Defense Curl, Sing, Encore, Disarming Voice
Clefable (Shiny)(At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 25
Gender: Female
Ability: Magic Guard
Nature: Graceful
Pokeball: Moon Ball
Moves: (Known so far): Metronome, Double Slap, Follow Me, Minimize, Disarming Voice
Steenee (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Nickname: Queeny
Level: 23
Gender: Female
Ability: Leaf Guard
Nature: Calm
Pokeball: Friend Ball
Moves: Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf, Rapid Spin, Splash, Play Nice, Grass Whistle (Egg Move)
Trapinch (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Nickname: Spirit
Level: 27
Gender: Male
Ability: Arena Trap
Nature: Lax
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Bite, Bide, Mud Slap, Dig, Sand Tomb, Rock Slide, Focus Energy (Egg Move)
Meowth (Galar Form) (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 24
Gender: Male
Ability: Tough Claws
Nature: Wild
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Scratch, Hone Claws, Pay Day, Metal Claw, Taunt, Night Slash (Egg Move)
Meowth (Alola Form)(At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 18
Gender: Male
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Bold
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Scratch, Fury Swipes, Screech, Bite, Fake Out, Hypnosis (Egg Move)
Meowth (At Professor Oak's Lab)
Level: 22
Gender: Female
Ability: Pickup
Nature: Naughty
Pokeball: Great Ball
Moves: Taunt, Fake Out, Fury Swipes, Feint Attack, Fling(?), Theif, Covet (Egg Move)
Misty
Starmie
Level: 21
Gender: None
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Careful
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves (currently known): Water Gun, Rapid Spin, Water Pulse
Poliwhirl
Level: 28
Gender: Male
Ability: Damp
Nature: Bold
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Water Pulse, Mega Punch, Water Gun,
Gyarados (At the Cerulean Gym)
Level: 22
Gender: Male
Ability: Intimidate
Nature: Rash
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Dragon Dance, Twister, Ice Fang, Aqua Tail
Buizel
Level: 22
Gender: Male
Ability: Swift Swim
Nature: Careful
Pokeball: Net Ball
Moves: Water Pulse, Water Gun, Quick Attack, Water Sport, Growl, Sonic Boom
Skrelp
Level: 24
Gender: Female
Ability: Poison Point
Nature: Hardy
Pokeball: Lure Ball
Moves: Water Pulse, Bubble, Acid, Camouflage, Smokescreen, Tail Whip, Toxic Spikes (Egg Move)
Dewpider
Level: 23
Gender Male
Ability: Water Absorb (Hidden Ability)
Nature: Lazy
Pokeball: Dive Ball
Moves: Icy Wind, Bubblebeam, Protect Bug Bite, Spider Web, Water Sport
Squirtle
Level: 18
Gender: Male
Ability: Torrent
Nature: Bold
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Tackle, Withdraw, Bite, Rapid Spin, Water Gun, Mirror Coat (Egg Move)
Krabby (At Cerulean Gym)
Level: 16
Gender: Male
Ability: Hyper Cutter
Nature: Lax
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Water Gun, Leer, Harden, Metal Claw, Mud Shot, Protect, Ancient Power (Egg Move)
Brock:
Main Party:
Geodude
Level: 19
Gender: Male
Ability: Sturdy
Nature: Hardy
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Defense Curl, Rollout, Tackle, Rock Polish, Rock Tomb
Onix:
Level: 22
Gender: Male
Ability: Rock Head
Nature: Graceful
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Bind, Tackle, Rock Tomb, Dragon Breath, Stealth Rock, Head Smash (Egg Move)
Bronzor
Gender: N/A
Level: 27
Ability: Heatproof
Nature: Hardy
Pokeball: Dusk Ball
Moves: Tackle, Confusion, Psywave, Iron Defense, Hypnosis, Feint Attack
Budew
Gender: Female
Level: 22
Ability: Natural Cure
Nature: Docile
Pokeball: Pokeball
Moves: Absorb, Growth, Worry Seed, Water Sport, Mega Drain, Stun Spore, Extrasensory (Egg Move)