Pokémon Anime What If
Johto Arc
Chapter 123: The Slowpoke Well
Hello everyone, this chapter will have the group finally reach Azalea Town and also enter the Slowpoke Well. It's a short chapter and I hope you all enjoy it.
The chapter begins 1 day after the last chapter ended as we see the group exit a place called Union Cave. Once they make it out, they see that it's sunny as Misty speaks.
"Ah finally sunshine." Misty says as Brock speaks.
"We were in that cave for a while so it's nice that we finally made it out." Brock says as Ash speaks.
"True but it did provide some good training for Chikorita, Sneasel, and my new capture Cyndaquil because of the trainers that were in there." Ash says with Misty and Brock nodding as Misty speaks.
"So, Brock what route is this?" Misty asks as Brock pulls out his guidebook and speaks.
"According to the guide this is route 34 pass here is Slowpoke Well and after that is Azalea Town." Brock responds with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"That means we can finally deliver the GS Ball to Kurt, and I can have my gym battle. Come on guys let's go!" Ash says with Misty and Brock nodding as they begin walking forward heading towards Azalea Town. As they're walking, they do walk past Slowpoke Well and when they do Pikachu's ears twitch a little bit, making him think that he heard something but then the sound is gone. The group continued to walk for a few more minutes until they finally reached Azalea Town. When they make it, they look around seeing multiple trees and a few buildings. The group look in amazement as Brock speaks.
"We finally made it." Brock says as Misty speaks.
"I wasn't expecting to see so many trees." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"Okay let's head over to Kurt's house" Ash says as Brock speaks.
"Hold on Ash we should probably stop by at the Pokémon Center first to stock up on supplies and heal our Pokémon. Then after that we can deliver the ball to Kurt." Brock says with Ash nodding as after that the group head towards the nearest Pokémon Center to heal up their Pokémon. When they enter the building Brock immediately tries to ask Nurse Joy on a date, but Misty pulls Brock's ear and Croagunk jabs Brock making him fall on the ground groaning in pain. Ash along with Pikachu and Misty's Togetic chuckle as after that they hand Nurse Joy their Pokémon so that she along with her Blissey can heal them. Once the healing is done Nurse Joy points the group in the direction of Kurt's house which is Northwest of Azalea Town allowing for them to head over there when they leave the center. We now see the group walking on the road and as they're walking, they see multiple people looking for something. They were going to ask what they were looking for but decided to ignore it for the time being. As they continue to walk, they see a wooden house up ahead as Brock speaks.
"That should be it." Brock says making the others smile as they begin to run forward. When they make it to the house Ash speaks.
"So, this is Kurt's house." Ash says as he then knocks on the door. When he does the door opens as a little girl with brown hair appears and speaks.
"Um hello" The girl says as Ash speaks.
"Hi, my name's Ash this is my partner Pikachu along with my friends, Misty, Brock and Togetic. We've been sent by Prof. Oak." Ash says with the little girl nodding as she speaks.
"Oh, you're the trainers that my grandpa was talking about. My name's Maizie and this is Voltorb." Maizie says as something that looks like a Voltorb appears Misty speaks.
"That's a Voltorb?" Misty asks as Brock speaks.
"It looks different from any other Voltorb I've seen." Brock says as Ash takes out his Pokedex to scan the mon.
"Voltorb Hisuian Form an Electric/Grass type. An enigmatic Pokémon that happens to bear a resemblance to a Poké Ball. When excited, it discharges the electric current it has stored in its belly, then lets out a great, uproarious laugh." The Pokedex says as Pikachu along with Togetic greet the mon with it greeting them back as Brock speaks.
"So, that's Voltorb's Hisuian Form." Brock says as Maizie speaks.
"Yep, my grandpa told me that people in the Hisuian Region based their Pokeball's on Hisuian Voltorb just like we do with Kantonian Voltorb." Maizie says with the group nodding as Misty speaks.
"Speaking of your grandpa we'd like to meet him as we need to give him something." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"Yeah, would you be able to go get him for us?" Ash asks as Maizie gets a sad look on her face and speaks.
"I would but I can't as I don't know where he is, and he's been gone for 3 days." Maizie says surprising the 3 kids as Brock speaks.
"Why's he been gone for that long?" Brock asks as Maizie speaks.
"On your way here, you noticed people looking for something right?" Maizie asks with the group nodding as Maizie continues.
"The thing that they've been looking for are Slowpoke." Maizie says making the group confused as Misty speaks.
"Slowpoke? Why Slowpoke?" Misty asks as Maizie speaks.
"My grandpa told me that long ago there was a big drought in Azalea Town that lasted for days. Then one day a Slowpoke appeared causing it to rain which saved a lot of people and made them appreciate the Slowpoke. So, they created Slowpoke well in honor of the Slowpoke for helping us during that time." Maizie says with the group nodding as Brock speaks.
"So that's why the people are looking for Slowpoke." Brock says as Maizie speaks.
"Yes, as usually you'd see multiple Slowpoke walking around but over the last few weeks, we've noticed that more and more Slowpoke's have been disappearing making a lot of people worried. Wanting to know what's going on my grandpa decided to head over to Slowpoke Well to see why the Slowpoke have been disappearing and hasn't been back since." Maizie says with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"Hey Maizie, didn't you try to contact the authorities about your grandpa's disappearance?" Ash asks as Maizie speaks.
"I tried but recently we've been getting news of multiple Team Rocket sightings, so they've been busy searching for them with the Azalea Gym Leader helping them. And my grandpa told me to not go outside as it's too dangerous." Maizie responds with the group nodding as Misty speaks.
"Well, that does make sense as Team Rocket are very dangerous people." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"In that case how about we go search for Maizie's grandpa." Ash suggests with Misty and Brock agreeing with him as Maizie speaks.
"Really?" Maizie asks as Ash speaks.
"Yeah, we've dealt with Team Rocket multiple times so if they've captured your grandpa, we'll make sure to save him along with the Slowpoke." Ash says making Maizie happy as she speaks.
"Thank you!" Maizie says happily while having a smile on her face with her Voltorb smiling too as Brock speaks.
"Seeing as Kurt was heading to Slowpoke Well; we can check there first." Brock says with Ash and Misty agreeing with him as Misty looks at Maizie and speaks.
"We'll be back soon with your grandpa and the Slowpoke Maizie." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"Yeah, so keep holding down the fort." Ash says with Maizie nodding as after that the group begin to run heading in the direction of Slowpoke Well with Maizie along with her Voltorb wishing them good luck. A few minutes later we come over to the group as they've made it back to the well Ash speaks.
"Here it is." Ash says as Misty speaks.
"Do you guys think that Kurt is actually down there?" Misty asks as Brock speaks.
"It's possible as I've heard that people do sometimes get stuck in a well." Brock says with the group nodding as a few seconds later Pikachu, along with Togetic hear something and look down at the well as Ash speaks.
"What is it Pikachu, Togetic?" Ash asks as the 2 mons point down at the well stating that they've heard something. Ash, Misty and Brock then begin to listen closely and when they do they hear someone groaning in pain as Misty speaks.
"That's someone's voice" Misty says as Brock speaks.
"It could be Kurt, and it sounded like he was groaning in pain." Brock says as Ash speaks.
"Let's go check." Ash says with the two trainers, nodding as they begin using the ladder and go down into the well. A few seconds later they've made it down to the bottom of the well as Misty speaks.
"Do you guys see anyone?" Misty asks with Ash and Brock looking but don't see anyone. They then hear the sound of someone groaning in pain making them look as Ash speaks.
"Let's go!" Ash says with the group nodding as they begin to run forward. A few seconds later they've made it to the source of where the sound came from and see an old man lying on his back. The old man looks at the group as Ash speaks.
"Excuse me sir are you, Kurt?" Ash asks as the man looks at them and speaks.
"Yes, I am and who are you 3?" Kurt asks as the group introduce themselves and that they met with Maizie who told them that Kurt was here with the old man nodding as he looks at them and speaks.
"I'm happy to see that you kids finally made it to Azalea Town and I'm happy that someone finally came looking for me. I was beginning to give up." Kurt says as when he goes to stand up, he groans in pain as Misty speaks.
"What happened to you?" Misty asks as Brock helps the man stand up Kurt speaks.
"Well, you see 3 days ago I came to Slowpoke Well to look for the Slowpoke as we haven't seen them around town recently. As I was walking through the cave, I saw Team Rocket who captured all of the Slowpoke in town and were cutting off their tails." Kurt says surprising the group as Brock speaks.
"Why their tails?" Brock asks as Kurt speaks.
"My guess is that they're selling them somewhere to get money." Kurt says with the group nodding as Kurt continues to speak.
"After I saw how they were treating the Slowpoke I brought out my Kantonian Electrode along with my Hisuian Electrode and confronted them. We were making easy work of the grunts and when we were about to free the Slowpoke a man named Proton appeared and defeated my two Electrode's easily with his Crobat and Garganacl." Kurt says with the group nodding as Kurt continues to speak.
"After my Electrodes were defeated, I started to make a run for it so that I could alert everyone outside. But as I was climbing the ladder one of Proton's Pokémon fired an attack near me causing me to fall on my back leaving me immobile. Thankfully I landed in a spot where Proton along with the other grunts couldn't find me and once they left, I quietly kept groaning in pain hoping that someone from above the well could hear me." Kurt says with the group nodding as Brock speaks.
"So, that explains why you were down here for 3 days and how you hurt your back." Brock says with Kurt nodding as Misty speaks.
"I can't believe that Team Rocket would go out of their way to hurt Slowpoke by cutting off their tails." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"Me neither we need to help them." Ash says as Kurt speaks.
"Are you kids sure? These people are very dangerous, and I don't want any of you to get hurt." Kurt says as Ash looks at him and speaks.
"Don't worry we've dealt with Team Rocket before in the past so we know how dangerous they can be, and we'll be careful." Ash says with Misty and Brock agreeing with him. Kurt looks at them, nods and begins to speak.
"Okay I'll believe in you kids stay safe and help the Slowpoke." Kurt says with the group nodding as Brock gently puts Kurt down as he along with the others begin heading deeper into the cave to go help the Slowpoke. We now zoom deeper into the cave and see Proton along with multiple rocket grunts. There are a few grunts who are on look out, there are grunts that are cutting off Slowpoke tails and putting the tails in the bags while the Slowpokes are put in cages. We then see Proton who's sitting in a chair watching his grunts work while having a smile on his face. We now cut over to the group who have made it to the area and are hiding behind a big rock. The group look and see the grunts working as Misty speaks.
"Looks like we've made it." Misty says as Brock speaks.
"Yeah, and there are a bunch of grunts." Brock says as over with Ash he looks over at where Proton is sitting and next to him are a bunch of Slowpoke in cages with a lot of them having their tails cut off. Ash along with the group have angry looks on their faces as Misty speaks.
"How horrible." Misty says as Ash speaks.
"We need to save them." Ash says as Brock speaks.
"But how do we get close so that those 2 guards don't notice us?" Brock asks as when they're trying to think Misty thinks of something and speaks.
"I have an idea." Misty says as she pulls out two Pokeball's and sends out Slowking and Psyduck. The two mons look at her as she speaks.
"Psyduck, Slowking I need you two to distract the guards while we go save the Slowpoke." Misty says with the two-mons nodding as they begin walking to where the guards are. When they make it the two guards look at them as one of them speaks.
"A Psyduck and a Slowking?" One of the guards says as the other one speaks.
"The Psyduck doesn't matter but that Slowking could easily be a good prize." The grunt says with the other one nodding as when they go to capture the two mons Psyduck along with Slowking use Psychic on them and send the two men flying causing them to crash into a few other grunts. This alerts Proton along with the other grunts as Proton speaks.
"Capture them!" Proton calls with his grunts nodding as they send out multiple Zubat and Golbat that go to attack Psyduck and Slowking, but the two mons easily defeat them with Psychic then begin to run away as Proton speaks.
"After them!" Proton exclaims with some of his grunts nodding as they begin running after the two mons. Once they're gone, we see the group making their way towards the Slowpoke making sure that they aren't seen. As they continue to walk Ash accidentally kicks a pebble that creates a sound that causes the grunts to look over at them as one of them speaks.
"Intruders!" The grunts yell as they all throw Pokeball's forward sending out Zubat, Golbat, Koffing, Grimer and Alolan Grimer. The mons go to attack the group as Brock speaks.
"Well sneaking up didn't work." Brock says as Misty looks at Ash and speaks.
"Ash you and Pikachu go save the Slowpoke. Brock and I can take care of the grunts." Misty says with Brock agreeing with her. Ash along with Pikachu look at them and nod as Ash speaks.
"Right. Come on Pikachu!" Ash says with the yellow mouse nodding as they begin running forward heading towards the Slowpoke. A few of the grunts Pokémon go to attack them as Misty speaks.
"Togetic use Air Slash!" Misty calls. Togetic quickly shoots out multiple slashes of wind at the mons and easily knocks them away. When that happens, the grunts look over at Brock and Misty as Misty speaks.
"You're facing us!" Misty says as she along with Brock pull out their Pokeball's and speak.
"Come out!" The two trainers say as they throw their Pokeball's high in the air sending out their Pokémon. Misty sends out her Vaporeon, Quaquaval, Primarina and Palafin (not in his hero form). Brock sends out his Bastiodon, Kangaskhan, Croagunk, Kantonian Vulpix, Arctozolt, and Sandslash. Togetic stands next to Misty's Pokémon and stares at the grunts Pokémon who all charge forward as Misty and Brock speak.
"Go!" The two trainers say with their Pokémon nodding as they charge forward and begin battling the grunts Pokémon. Over with Proton he has an annoyed look on his face as he then sees Ash along with Pikachu make it to the Slowpoke. Ash looks at the mons and speaks.
"Don't worry Slowpoke we'll get you out of here." Ash says with Pikachu nodding as just when they're about to free them Proton speaks.
"Use Sludge Bomb!" Proton says as suddenly multiple bombs of sludge head for Ash and Pikachu. The two of them see the attack coming as Ash speaks.
"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash calls. Pikachu nods as he fires out a large electric bolt that makes contact with the poison bombs creating an explosion. When the smoke clears it shows Proton along with his Crobat looking at Ash and Pikachu as he speaks.
"So, you brats are in the Johto region after all." Proton says as Ash speaks.
"That's right and we're going to defeat you and free the Slowpoke!" Ash states with Pikachu agreeing with him, making Proton smirk as he speaks.
"You defeat me? I wonder about that." Proton says as he pulls out 4 Pokeball's and throws them high in the air sending out his Pokémon. The mons that appear consist of a Kantonian Weezing, Kantonian Muk, Alolan Muk, and a Garganacl. Crobat flies next to them and looks at Ash and Pikachu with the two of them looking back as Ash speaks.
"So, those are his Pokémon they seem strong, but we'll take them down." Ash says as he takes off his backpack, puts it on the ground then pulls out 7 Pokeball's and speaks.
"Everyone come out!" Ash says as he throws the 7 balls in the air sending out his shiny Noctowl, Feraligatr, Heracross, Scyther, Chikorita, Hisuian Sneasel, and Cyndaquil. The 7 mons stand next to Pikachu and look at Proton's Pokémon with the mons looking at them as Proton looks at Ash's Pokémon and speaks.
"Compared to mine your Pokémon look weak in comparison." Proton says while having a confident look on his face as Ash speaks.
"You won't be saying that once we beat you!" Ash states with his Pokémon agreeing with him as Proton speaks.
"Like you could beat me. Now. Attack!" Proton says with his Pokémon nodding as his two Muk's fire out multiple Sludge Bombs that head for Ash's Pokémon. Ash calls for a command.
"Pikachu use Thunderbolt and Feraligatr use Hydro Pump!" Ash calls with the two-mons nodding as they both fire their attacks that connect with the Sludge Bombs creating an explosion. Out of the smoke appears Weezing who fires out a Heat Wave that heads for Scyther and Chikorita as Ash speaks.
"Noctowl use Psychic to get rid of it and Cyndaquil use Flamethrower!" Ash calls. Noctowl's eyes glow and sends out a wave of psychic energy that connects with the Heat Wave easily destroying it. Cyndaquil heats up the flames on his back and fires out a stream of fire from his mouth that goes to hit Weezing. Weezing manages to narrowly avoid the attack as Garganacl appears and fires out multiple sharp stones that head for Cyndaquil as Ash speaks.
"Chikorita use Razor Leaf and Feraligatr use Hydro Pump!" Ash calls. Chikorita along with Feraligatr fire their attacks that easily destroy the sharp stones and head for Garganacl. Garganacl manages to dodge the attacks as it then sees Heracross along with Sneasel appear in front of it as Ash speaks.
"Heracross use Focus Punch and Sneasel use Rock Smash!" Ash calls with the two-mons nodding. Heracross's left fist glows blue while Sneasel's right claws glow red and go to hit Garganacl. Garganacl quickly brings up its arms and blocks the attacks. Once it does it can feel Heracross and Sneasel trying to break through its defenses, but the mon isn't budging. Crobat then appears above Garganacl and fires out multiple slashes of wind at Heracross and Sneasel as Ash speaks.
"Heracross, Sneasel dodge and Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash calls. Heracross along with Sneasel quickly jump back and avoid the slashes of wind. Pikachu then fires out an electric bolt that heads for Crobat, but the mon easily evades. Once it does Scyther appears in front of it and has his scythes ready as Ash speaks.
"Scyther use Night Slash!" Ash calls. Scyther covers both of his scythes in dark energy and goes to hit Crobat. Crobat manages to easily dodge then shoots forward hitting Scyther hard in the stomach with Acrobatics causing super effective damage. Crobat then fires out a point-blank Sludge Bomb that connects with Scyther creating an explosion and sends him flying. Scyther crash lands next to Ash's backpack causing it to open up as Ash speaks.
"Scyther!" Ash calls in worry as over with the mantis he's lying on his stomach groaning in pain. Proton then speaks.
"Well, that's one down." Proton says while having a smile on his face as Ash speaks.
"You'll pay for that!" Ash says with his Pokémon agreeing with him. Proton smirks as after that they continue their battle. Over with Scyther we see him groaning in pain as he then opens his eyes and sees his trainer along with his teammates continuing to battle. Scyther wants to continue too but the attacks that Crobat hit him with did a lot of damage, but Scyther doesn't want to give up. When Scyther begins trying to stand up he looks over towards his right and sees the Black Augurite that Ash found back on Murcott Island. Scyther feels that if he touches the item, he'll gain a lot more strength. Scyther didn't feel like touching the item before, but now he feels as though it's time for him to do it. Scyther crawls over to the item, touches it with his right scythe and begins to glow. Over with Ash and Proton they continue their battle but then come to a stop when they see a shiny bright white. Proton speaks.
"What's that?" Proton questions making Ash look as he sees Scyther touching the Black Augurite and glowing then speaks.
"Scyther?" Ash says as over with Scyther he continues to glow more and more until the Black Augurite disappears. Scyther then begins to change his skin becomes brown, his scythes become axes, and he grows a foot and 11 inches taller. When the light of evolution goes away, what was once a Scyther now stands a Kleavor. The mon has a serious look on his face while Ash along with everyone else have surprised looks on their faces. Over with Brock, Misty and their Pokémon they have surprised looks too as Misty speaks.
"Ash's Scyther evolved?" Misty says as Brock speaks.
"He did but I've never seen a Pokémon like that before." Brock says as over with Ash he pulls out his Pokedex and begins to scan the mon.
"Kleavor the Axe Pokémon, the evolution of Scyther and a Bug/Rock Type. This Pokémon is a rough, crude, and violent sort. It swings around its large, heavy stone axes to finish off its prey. If one should chance upon this Pokémon in the wilds, one's only recourse is to flee." The Pokedex says as Ash along with his Pokémon look at Kleavor with the mon still looking at them as Ash speaks.
"So, he evolved into a Kleavor." Ash says while still having a surprised look on his face as over with Proton he quickly recovers from his shock and speaks.
"Attack him now!" Proton says with his Pokémon nodding as they all shoot forward going to attack Ash. Ash turns around and sees Proton's Pokémon coming for him. Just when the mons are about to hit him Kleavor shoots forward at a fast speed and swings out his axes easily blowing the 5 mons away pushing them back a few feet away. Proton has a surprised look on his face as over with Ash he looks at Kleavor with the mon looking back at him. Ash looks at Kleavor's eyes, smiles and speaks.
"Looks like you're still you after evolving." Ash says with Kleavor nodding making Ash smile as he speaks.
"Okay guys let's do this!" Ash says with his Pokémon nodding as they get into battle stances and look at Proton's Pokémon as he speaks.
"Don't get cocky just because one of your Pokémon evolved! Attack!" Proton calls with his Pokémon nodding as his Muk's fire out a combined Fire Blast that heads for Ash's Pokémon as Ash speaks.
"Feraligatr use Hydro Pump and Noctowl use Psychic and Pikachu use Thunderbolt!" Ash calls. Feraligatr fires out a large stream of water out of his mouth that collides with the Fire Blast creating an explosion. Noctowl fires out psychic waves that connect with the Kantonian Muk while Pikachu fires out a Thunderbolt that connects with the Alolan Muk. The two mons cry out in pain then lay on the ground knocked out. Proton has a surprised look on his face but then quickly recomposes himself as his Weezing fires out multiple Sludge Bombs that head for Chikorita Ash speaks.
"Sneasel counter with your Sludge Bomb! Chikorita use Sweet Scent and Vine Whip!" Ash calls. Sneasel quickly fires out multiple bombs of sludge from her mouth that connect with Weezing's creating an explosion. Chikorita then sends out a sweet aroma that connects with Weezing making it float in place allowing for Chikorita to shoot out two vines and wrap around Weezing. Ash then looks over at Cyndaquil and calls for his next command.
"Now Cyndaquil use Flame Wheel!" Ash calls. Cyndaquil becomes a wheel of fire, shoots upward and connects with Weezing causing damage to the mon. Cyndaquil then comes out of the wheel of fire and has his mouth covered in fire as Ash speaks.
"Use Flamethrower!" Ash calls. Cyndaquil lets out a loud "Quil!" and fires out a big stream of fire that connects with Weezing and pushes it down on the ground creating an explosion. Cyndaquil lands back on the ground and looks forward as when the smoke disappears it shows that Weezing is knocked out. Ash along with Chikorita, Sneasel and Cyndaquil have smiles on their faces as Proton speaks.
"Garganacl use Stone Edge!" Proton calls with the mon nodding as when it goes to use the move Ash speaks.
"Heracross use Focus Punch!" Ash calls. Heracross suddenly appears in front of Garganacl and punches it hard across the face with his left fist causing super effective damage. Garganacl groans in pain as Ash speaks.
"Now Feraligatr use Hydro Pump!" Ash calls. Feraligatr fires out a large stream of water that connects with Garganacl and pushes it into a wall. Garganacl then falls on its stomach and is knocked out. Proton has an angry look on his face and speaks.
"Crobat blow them away with Hurricane!" Proton calls with Crobat nodding as it roars summoning a large Hurricane that heads for Ash's Pokémon. Ash is about to give Pikachu and Noctowl a command but stops as he sees Kleavor step forward. Ash looks at the mon and speaks.
"Okay Kleavor use Night Slash!" Ash calls. Kleavor nods as he jumps forward, covers his axes in dark energy and swings them out easily cutting the Hurricane in two. Proton has a surprised look on his face and speaks.
"Crobat use Acrobatics!" "Kleavor block!" Both trainers' call. Crobat shoots forward at a fast speed going to hit Kleavor who isn't worried and brings up his arms. Kleavor blocks Crobat's attack and as the mon is trying to push Kleavor back Kleavor isn't moving an inch. Kleavor then swings out his arms sending Crobat flying back as it spins out of control Ash speaks.
"Great job Kleavor now it's time to show off your new move! Use Stone Axe!" Ash calls. Kleavor nods as he raises up his stone axes his body glows in a dark orange. Kleavor then slams his stone axes on the ground creating a cluster of jagged dark purple stones that shoot out multiple splinters at Crobat. Crobat can't dodge in time as the splinters make contact with it creating an explosion. Out of the explosion appears Crobat who falls on the ground and is knocked out. Proton has a surprised look on his face as Ash smiles and speaks.
"We Won!" Ash along with his Pokémon let out a loud cheer in victory. Over with Proton he has a surprised look on his face with his grunts having surprised looks too. Misty along with Brock have smiles on their faces as Misty speaks.
"It's our turn." Misty says with Brock nodding as they look at their opponents Misty speaks.
"Use Hydro Pump and Togetic use Moon Blast!" Misty calls with her Pokémon nodding as they all fire their attacks and easily defeat a lot of the grunts Pokémon. Brock then speaks.
"Sandslash use Stone Edge, Bastiodon Flash Cannon, Kangaskhan Hydro Pump, Vulpix Flamethrower, Arctozolt Thunder and Croagunk use Sludge Bomb!" Brock calls with his Pokémon nodding as they all fire their attacks and defeat their opponents too. The grunts are surprised that they lost while Misty, Brock and their Pokémon cheer. Over with Proton he's returned his Pokémon back to their Pokeball's and can't believe that he lost. A couple seconds later he along with everyone begin to hear police sirens as suddenly Officer Jenny along with multiple police officers appear. Jenny speaks.
"Team Rocket you're hereby under arrest!" Jenny says surprising Proton along with the grunts as Proton speaks.
"How did they know that we were here?!" Proton says in anger as Kurt along with Misty's Psyduck and Slowking appear as Kurt speaks.
"Thanks to these two defeating the rest of the grunts that came after them and getting me back to the surface I was able to contact Officer Jenny." Kurt says making the group happy and making Proton annoyed as Jenny speaks.
"Okay men let's get them!" Jenny says with the Officer's nodding as they charge forward and begin apprehending multiple rocket grunts who begin trying to run away but are easily caught. Over with Proton he has an angry look on his face as Ash speaks.
"It's over for you Proton give up!" Ash says with his Pokémon, agreeing with him and making Proton look at him as he speaks.
"Give up? You think that I'm going to let myself be captured here?" Proton says as he pulls out a button and begins to speak.
"Once I press this button this entire cave will come crumbling down thanks to all of the dynamite we placed here." Proton says surprising Ash as he speaks.
"Wait are you serious?!" Ash asks with Proton nodding as he speaks.
"Oh, I'm very serious." Proton says as he presses the button. When he does the dynamite, they placed around the cave begins to explode causing the cave to shake and crumble as Jenny speaks.
"Everyone fall back!" Jenny says with her officers nodding as they begin to run away heading out of the cave. The ceiling of the cave begins to fall too but Slowking along with Psyduck quickly use their psychic powers to keep it at bay. Misty along with Brock quickly return their Pokémon (other than Togetic, Psyduck and Slowking) back to their Pokeball's and begin running too. Over with Ash and his Pokémon they've freed the Slowpokes and they're about to run as well but Ash notices Proton running away and speaks.
"Wait come back here!" Ash says making Proton look at him as he speaks.
"If you plan on chasing me then you have a death wish" Proton says as he continues to run Ash is about to go after him but stops as a piece of the caves ceiling almost hits him. Ash was able to dodge in time and sees that Proton has gotten away as Misty speaks.
"Ash hurry!" Misty exclaims with Ash nodding as he quickly returns his Pokémon (other than Pikachu) back to their Pokeball's and begins heading out of the cave too allowing for Psyduck and Slowking to stop using Psychic as Misty quickly returns them back to their Pokeball's. When that happens the cave fully collapses but the group along with the Slowpoke, Kurt, Jenny and her officers have made it out safely. They're all panting heavily as Jenny speaks.
"Is everyone alright?!" Jenny asks with everyone nodding making Jenny happy as she looks at the capture grunts that her officers captured and speaks.
"Okay men let's take them into custody." Jenny says with her men nodding as they begin taking the grunts to prison. Jenny then thanks the group for their help in stopping Team Rocket/rescuing the Slowpoke and leaves too. Once Jenny's gone Misty speaks.
"I'm happy that we made it out alive." Misty says as Brock speaks.
"Yeah, I was worried for a second there." Brock says as over with Ash he's angry that Proton got away as Misty looks at him and speaks.
"Ash are you okay?" Misty asks as Ash speaks.
"Yeah, I'm fine it's just that I'm mad that Proton managed to get away." Ash says as Brock speaks.
"I know how you feel Ash I felt the same when Petrel got away, but our main goal was to stop Team Rocket and save the Slowpoke and we accomplished both of them." Brock says with Ash nodding as he speaks.
"Yeah, you're right Brock and I guess I can't be too mad as my Scyther evolved into a Kleavor." Ash says while looking at Kleavor's Pokeball with Misty and Brock nodding. Kurt then walks over to the group and speaks.
"Hey once you kids finish healing your Pokémon at the Pokémon Center come to my house." Kurt says with the group nodding as they all go their separate ways and the Slowpoke head back to Azalea town. 20 minutes later, once the group was done healing up their Pokémon at the center they begin making their way back over to Kurt's house. When they make it, they knock on the door as Kurt along with his granddaughter Maizie appear welcoming the group inside. Once they're inside the group are sitting at a table and are looking at Kurt along with Maizie as Maizie speaks.
"Thank you for not only saving my grandpa but also the Slowpoke as well." Maizie says as Kurt speaks.
"I want to say thank you too and is there any way I can repay you?" Kurt asks as Ash speaks.
"Nah it's fine we're just happy to help." Ash says with Misty and Brock agreeing with him with Kurt nodding as he speaks.
"I understand also if I'm remembering right Prof. Oak said that you had a Pokeball for me to look at?" Kurt asks with the group nodding as Ash pulls out the GS Ball and gives it to Kurt. Once he does, Kurt begins to look at the ball curiously as Brock speaks.
"What do you think Kurt?" Brock asks as Misty speaks.
"Ever since we saw it, we've been dying to know what it is." Misty says with Ash agreeing with her as over with Kurt he continues to look at the ball and speaks.
"This ball it's…." Kurt says making the group look at him curiously as a few seconds later Kurt speaks.
"Some strange Pokeball." Kurt says causing the group to comedically fall as Ash speaks.
"Let me guess you're also going to say that it's round." Ash says as Misty speaks.
"Or yellow." Misty says while having an unamused look on her face as Kurt speaks.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you kids but I'm sure that once I've looked at it more closely, I should be able to figure it out." Kurt says as Maizie speaks.
"My grandpa's right guys because if anyone can do it it's my grandpa." Maizie says with the group nodding and telling Kurt thank you. Ash then says that he wants to contact Prof. Oak with Kurt saying that he can use his house phone. After that the group then head towards the phone. When they make it, we see Pikachu along with Togetic happily running around playing with each other while Ash, Misty and Brock are at the video phone. Ash dials the number and after 3 rings Prof. Oak appears on the screen, looks at the group and speaks.
"Oh, hello Ash, Misty and Brock." Oak says with the group greeting him back. In the background we see Daisy along with Ash's Clefable and Dragonite taking care of the Pokémon egg that Ash got from Prof. Elm while Tracey's feeding a Nidoran Male and Female. The 4 of them look over at the screen and say hello to the group with the group saying hello back. Once that's done, Oak looks at the group and speaks.
"So, why are you calling today?" Oak asks as Ash speaks.
"We're calling to let you know that we finally made it to Kurt's house in Azalea Town." Ash says making Oak happy as he speaks.
"Ah so you finally made it did you give the GS Ball to Kurt?" Oak asks as Misty speaks.
"We gave it to him as soon as we got here." Misty answers as Brock speaks.
"And when we did Kurt said that he's never seen a Pokeball like it before either." Brock says with Oak nodding as Ash speaks.
"But he did promise that he'll continue to look at it though." Ash says as Oak speaks.
"Thank you and please let me know the minute you know anything new." Oak says with the group nodding as suddenly Ash's Muk appears and begins trying to hug Oak, but he tells him that he'll be off soon and come play later with Muk nodding. Oak then looks at the group and speaks.
"Anyway, I'm happy that it's in capable hands even if Kurt didn't know immediately." Oak says with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"By the way Prof. Oak why do you think so highly of Kurt?" Ash asks as Oak speaks.
"Oh, right I've never told you. The reason I think highly of him is that he's a legendary craftsman who's skilled at making Pokeball's from Apricorns." Oak answers making Ash curious as he speaks.
"Apricorns what are those?" Ash asks as Oak speaks.
"You should be able to see some in the trees at Kurt's house." Oak responds as Misty looks out the window that shows Kurt's backyard, sees a tree and speaks.
"Hey Ash, I think he means this tree over here." Misty says making Ash along with Brock look as they see the tree too Oak speaks.
"As you'll see Apricorns have the ability to give Pokeball's special qualities that make them unique from regular Pokeball's." Oak says with the group nodding as Misty remembers when she along with Ash, Brock, and Leaf went to the Safari Zone and got some Lure Balls.
"So, like a Lure Ball which helps make catching water type Pokémon easier?" Misty asks as Oak speaks.
"Exactly." Oak says with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"Well in that case I'm going to ask Kurt if he can give me some Pokeball's made from Apricorns. Come on Pikachu." Ash says with the yellow mouse nodding as they begin running over to where Kurt is. Misty along with Brock tell Oak thank you, end the call and begin running after Ash. As Ash is running down the hall, he sees Kurt working on something in a room and speaks.
"Hey Kurt!" Ash says and when he's getting closer Maizie along with her Hisuian Voltorb appear in front of the boy causing him to stop as she speaks.
"Hey, keep it down my grandpa's working." Maizie says with Ash saying sorry as Misty along with Brock appear. The group then look forward and see Kurt creating Pokeball's as Misty speaks.
"He's really hard at work." Misty says with Maizie nodding as she speaks.
"Yeah, creating Pokeball's from Apricorns is a lot of work and needs total concentration." Maizie says with the group nodding as they then see Kurt cool the ball off with some water Maizie speaks.
"That water that grandpa is using is from the Slowpoke Well. Even though most of the cave has been destroyed he's still able to get water from it." Maizie says with the group nodding as when Kurt's done, he wipes some sweat off his head then looks over at the group, smiles and speaks.
"Hello kids seeing as I was in the well for the past 3 days I've gotten behind on my work. Sorry if I was ignoring you." Kurt says with the group saying that it's fine as Brock speaks.
"Have you been able to find any information on the GS Ball yet?" Brock asks as Kurt speaks.
"Unfortunately, no as this Pokeball is both primitive/advanced and I feel a tremendous power inside it that's forcing it closed meaning that I have no idea how to open it yet." Kurt says with the group nodding as Kurt continues to speak.
"So, I was thinking that if you kids don't mind if I can keep the GS Ball with me?" Kurt asks with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"Sure, we're fine with that." Ash says as Misty speaks.
"Honestly it's kind of a relief that we're not going to have it with us anymore." Misty says as Brock speaks.
"And please make sure to contact Prof. Oak if you find anything new with it." Brock says with Kurt, nodding as he speaks.
"You have my word. If I finally figure out the secrets to the GS Ball, I'll contact Prof. Oak as soon as possible." Kurt says making the group happy as Kurt continues to speak.
"Also seeing as you're here I can assume that you didn't just want to ask about the GS Ball, right?" Kurt asks with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"Oh, right I was wondering if you could give us some Pokeball's made from Apricorns." Ash says with Kurt nodding as he speaks.
"Sure, I don't mind." Kurt says as he grabs 3 Fast Ball's from the shelf and hands one to Ash, Misty and Brock. The 3 kids look at the balls as Maizie speaks.
"Those are called Fast Balls and they're able to catch very speedy Pokémon." Maizie says with the group nodding as Misty speaks.
"Are you sure that it's okay to give them to us?" Misty asks as Kurt speaks.
"Yes, I am think of it as a thank you for saving me along with the Slowpoke." Kurt says with the group nodding as Maizie speaks.
"Also, Fast Ball's aren't the only Pokeball's we can make with Apricorns, we can make Heavy Balls, Friend Balls, Love Balls, Level Balls, Moon Balls, and Love Balls too." Maizie says with the group nodding as Ash speaks.
"Cool if we grab the Apricorns from your tree out back will you be able to make those Pokeball's?" Ash asks as Kurt speaks.
"The tree in the backyard only consists of White Apricorns meaning that they'll only create Fast Balls. If you want more Apricorns you can head to the mountains behind my house where you'll be able to find them. And once you find and bring the Apricorns back to me I'll make sure to create the Pokeball's for you." Kurt says making the group happy with Mazie saying that she along with her Voltorb will be their guide. After that the group then leave the house and begin heading to the Mountains looking for Apricorns.
When they make it to the mountains Maizie begins to explain to the group the different color of Apricorns and what Pokeball's they create. She also warns them about Pokémon protecting the Apricorn trees too, meaning that they need to be careful and not to pick out the Apricorns that aren't ripe yet. As the group begin to look, they find one tree that's filled with green Apricorns to make Friend Balls. After Ash grabs two of them and Brock getting 2 as well. Suddenly multiple Beedrill appear and begin chasing after the group causing them to run away. After that they come to another tree that consists of blue Apricorns where Misty grabs two of them. A few minutes later they come to a tree that has Black Apricorns which are used to create Heavy Balls and capture heavy Pokémon. Ash along with Brock manage to grab one and when they do a Pineco accidently falls on top of Brock's head and explodes in his face leaving Brock along with the mon covered in dust.
After Brock nurses the mon back to health he asks Pineco if he wants to come with him as Brock says that he's always wanted to catch a Pineco. Pineco agrees and Brock uses his new Fast Ball to catch it. The ball shakes 3 times then dings confirming the capture. Brock along with the others have smiles on their faces as the ball then disappears heading for the Pewter City Gym. Once that was done the group head back down the mountain and make it back to Kurt's house who was waiting for them outside. Once they make it the group hand Kurt the Apricorns as he looks at them and speaks.
"Wow you 3 certainly managed to get a lot and I'll make sure to have your Pokeball's ready sometime tomorrow." Kurt says with the group nodding as Kurt looks at Ash and speaks.
"Also, Ash I heard that the Azalea Gym Leader will be back at the gym tomorrow too." Kurt says making Ash excited stating that he needs to do some last minute training for the battle tomorrow. After that the group then leave Kurt's house and head back to the Pokémon Center. When they make it, Brock calls his family asking them to send Pineco along with Stantler over while he sends Croagunk along with Kangaskhan back. His family agrees and sends the 2 mons to him while Brock sends Croagunk and Kangaskhan over. Once Brock was done, Ash contacts Prof. Oak asking him to switch out his Pokémon for his upcoming gym battle as he heard from Brock that it's a bug type gym. Ash also tells Oak that his Scyther evolved into a Pokémon called Kleavor which made Oak excited asking Ash that he should send it over to him once he's done with his gym battle with Ash saying that he will.
A few minutes later Ash gets the mons that he's going to use for his Gym Battle, tells Prof. Oak thank you and turns off the video phone. After that we see the group behind the Pokémon Center as the sun is now setting Ash pulls out 6 Pokeball's and speaks.
"Everyone come out!" Ash says as he throws the 6 Pokeball's high in the air sending out the 6 mons that he's going to use for the gym battle and speaks.
"Okay guys our Gym Battle is tomorrow so for the rest of the day we're going to do some last-minute training so that we're ready." Ash says with the 6-mons nodding as Ash speaks.
"Okay let's start!" Ash says with the 6-mons nodding as he calls for his commands allowing for the 6 mons to begin battling with each other while Ash has a smile on his face. We now cut away from Ash and come over to Team Rocket headquarters and head into Arianna's office. Arianna, along with Matori see The Mask Marauder, Domino and Proton standing in front of them as Arianna speaks.
"So, what happened?" Arianna asks while looking at the Marauder as he speaks.
"Well, when I was about to finish collecting the Cyndaquil in the forest I encountered those brats you told me to get rid of and when I was about to defeat them Red Ketchum's son's Pignite evolved into an Emboar and defeated my Tyranitar and freed the Cyndaquil." The Marauder says with Arianna nodding as Proton looks at the Marauder and speaks.
"If you hadn't lost to those brats, they wouldn't have had ruined my operation of cutting off the Slowpoke tails in the Slowpoke Well and making money." Proton says as the Marauder looks at him and speaks.
"True but at least I wasn't defeated easily unlike you." The Marauder says making Proton angry as they each pull out a Pokeball Matori speaks.
"Settle down." Matori says with the 2 men nodding as they apologize. Arianna then looks at Domino and speaks.
"So, Domino what happened to your encounter with the "Red Avenger"?" Arianna asks as Domino speaks.
"Honestly he's a lot more skilled than I thought as he was able to not only figure out my true intentions but also dodge my attacks." Domino says with Arianna nodding as she speaks.
"I see…" Arianna says as Proton speaks.
"What do you want us to do about those kids going forward mam?" Proton asks as Arianna looks at them and speaks.
"Going forward we'll ignore Red Ketchum's son along with his little friends as every time we try to get rid of them, they keep winning making it harder for our operations, so we'll continue doing our business in secret. But if you do happen to come across them you have my permission to attack them but make sure you finish your objective." Arianna says with the Marauder and Proton nodding as Arianna looks at Proton and speaks.
"Also, Proton thanks to you we made more than enough money from selling the Slowpoke Tails so that mission was a success." Arianna says with Proton nodding as Domino speaks.
"What about the "Red Avenger"? Unlike those kids he's dead set on destroying our organization as a whole." Domino asks as Arianna speaks.
"For him I want you to secretly follow him and get information on the type of Pokémon he uses. Also, if you see him getting close to one of our operations make sure to contact the grunts working there ahead of time so that they can escape." Arianna says with Domino nodding as after that she along with Proton and the Marauder leave the room. Once they're gone Arianna has an angry look on her face, slams her left fist on the table and speaks.
"Those brats along with the Red Avenger I'll make sure they perish." Arianna says with Matori agreeing with her. After that we now skip to 1 day later and come back over to Azalea Town with Ash, Misty and Brock who are now in front of the Azalea Gym. Earlier that day they got the Pokeball's that Kurt created for them consisting of 2 Friend Balls for Ash and 2 Friend Balls for Brock. Misty got 2 Lure Balls while Ash and Brock each got a Heavy Ball. The 3 kids told Kurt thank you and left as they began heading for the Azalea Gym. We now come back to the group who are staring at the gym door Ash speaks.
"Okay let's go" Ash says with the group nodding as Ash opens the door allowing for him along with the others to head inside as the chapter comes to an end.
Thank you for reading if you've made it this far. A lot of things happened in this chapter the group finally made it to Azalea Town, Ash's Scyther evolved into a Kleavor, they saved the Slowpoke, gave Kurt the GS Ball, got Pokeball's that are made from Apricorns, Brock captured a Pineco, and it seems like going forward Team Rocket is going to leave the group alone.
Tell me, were you guys surprised that Ash's Scyther evolved this chapter? I felt as though it was the right time to do it as Scyther was already strong but going forward the opponents he'll face later on will be stronger too, so he needed to use the Black Augurite to evolve. Now that Kurt has the GS Ball you guys don't need to worry about me forgetting about it as I already have an idea on how I'm going to incorporate it but that's later on in the arc.
Next chapter will come out next week and will mainly focus on Ash's battle with Bugsy. Tell me what 6 Pokémon you guys think Ash is going to use in the gym battle and I hope you all look forward to it.
Next Time chapter 124: Azalea Gym Battle! Ash vs Bugsy!
See you all next time!