Chapter 5: New Beginnings
"Nikki, time to get up!" In the upstairs bedroom of a modest two-story house a young girl slowly awakened from sleep. She emerged from her bed moments later in her light blue pajamas and made her way to her bedroom window. She pushed it open, looking over her hometown of Pinegrove Town while breathing in the ocean scent. Her name was Nikita Lyons, or Nikki as her friends and family knew her.
"What a beautiful morning," she sighed as she watched some Wingull and Pelipper fly overhead.
"Nikki, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes!"
"Okay, Mom!" There were many things Nikki looked forward to, and a nice warm breakfast was one of them. She got out of bed and brushed her shoulder length black hair, straightening out her bed hair. She then changed out of her pajamas and into a white t-shirt, blue vest and blue shorts. She then pulled on a pair of white ankle socks and slipped into her pink slippers before heading downstairs to join her mother for breakfast. When she got downstairs she saw her mother Trish in the kitchen. She had just finished setting the table, her Delcatty already eating her bowl of Pokémon food.
"Morning, Mom. Morning, Delcatty," she greeted.
"(Good morning, Nikki,)" Delcatty happily replied.
"Good morning, Nikki," Trish said. "I hope you're in the mood for pancakes."
"Yeah!" Nikki cheered. The young girl could barely contain her excitement as her mother handed her a plate with a large stack of pancakes.
"Eat up," she said.
"You don't have to tell me twice," Nikki joked. As Nikki began eating her pancakes a special report came across the television. A young red-haired woman in a white lab coat was standing next to a table with three Poké Balls.
"Look. It's Professor Redwood," Trish pointed out.
"Good morning, Legenda! This is Professor Lydia Redwood letting all aspiring trainers and coordinators know that they can come to my lab near Pinegrove Town to receive a starter Pokémon. The earlier you come the better your chances of getting the perfect partner, so don't wait."
"You know Nikki, maybe you should think about starting your own journey," Trish suggested.
"I can't do that. Who'll help you run the daycare?" Nikki asked. Trish sighed. This was the same thing Nikki said every time she mentioned anything about Nikki starting her own journey.
"Now Nikki, you know I can run the daycare on my own. After all I do have some knowledge when it comes to raising Pokémon." In her younger days Trish was an accomplished Pokémon coordinator, even winning the Ribbon Cup on one occasion. Those days, though, were behind her. Now she ran a Pokémon daycare in Pinegrove City. Nikki helped out all the time, which lead her to believe she was needed at home and couldn't leave on her own journey.
"And besides you're 15 years old. Everyone else your age have already begun their journeys," Trish continued.
"But Mom…"
"Don't worry about me, Nikki. I'll be fine. I do have Delcatty and my other Pokémon here to help me if I need it," she said. "So please, go out and experience your own journey."
"Are you sure about this, Mom?" Nikki asked. She wanted to start her own journey like her friends had, but she didn't want to just leave her mother to run the daycare on her own.
"I'm sure, sweetie," Trish assured. Nikki was so overjoyed that she jumped out of her chair and hugged her mother tightly.
"Thanks, Mom!" she said.
"You're welcome," Trish laughed. "Now, you should hurry to Professor Redwood's so you can get the very best Pokémon."
"Way ahead of you, Mom!" Trish said. She quickly kicked off her slippers before lacing up her blue-and-white hi-tops.
"Don't forget your backpack," Trish said, handing Nikki a red backpack filled with various gear she would need on her journey. Slinging it over her shoulder she then sprinted out the door and jumped on her bike.
"You do remember where her lab is, don't you?" Trish called.
"Of course! It's right outside of town! I just need to follow the path and I can't miss it!" Nikki recited.
"Okay then! Be careful!" Trish said.
"I will, Mom!" And with those words Nikki sped off on her way to Professor Redwood's lab. Trish watched from the front door, Delcatty by her side.
"Well, she's finally off," Trish sighed. "Seems like it was only yesterday she was taking her first steps."
"(That's the thing about children… they grow up fast,)" Delcatty said.
"That they do, Delcatty. That they do," Trish agreed.
"(Hey! I can see the Legenda region!)" Looking over the bow of the ship Ash and Pikachu could make out a continent appearing on the horizon.
"We're almost there, Pikachu," Ash said, a confident smile on his face. With the two of them focused on what was ahead of them they didn't notice what was behind them.
"We're closing in on the ship," James announced.
"Good. Now, is everyone clear on the plan?" Jessie asked.
"You bet. We launch a sneak-attack on the ship and during the confusion we snatch up Pikachu and any other Pokémon we can get our hands on," Meowth explained. "Then we retreat back to the sub and make our getaway before anyone knows what hit them."
"Alright! Everyone into position!" Jessie announced. Back on the ship deck Ash and Pikachu were still looking out over the water. Suddenly, a large shadow passed beneath them.
"Check it out, Pikachu. What do you think that is?" Ash asked, pointing at the shadow.
"(It could be a Pokémon,)" Pikachu guessed. "(Maybe a Wailord.)"
"Maybe," Ash agreed. As the shadow passed beneath the ship it approached Team Rocket's sub.
"Huh? What's that?" Meowth asked. Looking at their external monitor the trio saw a large shape approaching them. It resembled a whale, but it had two massive wings on each side of its body and a large horizontal tail.
"What is that thing?" Jessie shrieked.
"I think I've seen something like that before," James said. Before they could figure out what it was the creature flapped its wings, sending a powerful current that carried the sub away from the ship.
"Team Rocket's getting swept away again!" they cried.
Minutes after leaving home Nikki rode up to Professor Redwood's lab. The building itself wasn't too large, about the size of a normal one story house. What was impressive were the fields behind the lab. Rolling hills that seemed to stretch for miles took up the majority of the back of the lab, filled with Pokémon belonging to the many trainers and coordinators that started their journeys over the years. And now, Nikki was ready to add her name to the ever growing list.
"Okay, girl. Time to pick a partner," she told herself. She parked her bike in front of the lab and got off. As she was approaching the front door two girls exited. One was a blond wearing a white t-shirt, red jeans and white sneakers. She had an Illumise hovering by her side. The other, a brunette, had on a white t-shirt with a green tank top over it, a blue jean skirt and brown knee-high boots. By her side was a Roselia. Nikki smiled as she instantly recognized her two childhood friends.
"Laura! Mya!" she called. The two girls looked up and saw Nikki approaching. Laura was the first to speak up.
"Hi, Nikki!" the blond greeted. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"Me neither," Mya said. "So, what brings you here?"
"Well, my mom finally convinced me to start my Pokémon journey," Nikki admitted.
"About time. The rest of us did that years ago," Laura said.
"Yeah, but you guys didn't have to help your parents run a Pokémon daycare," Nikki argued.
"Neither did you but you did anyway," Mya countered.
"In any case I'm starting it now," Nikki said.
"So which Pokémon are you going to get? Professor Redwood still has some good ones left," Mya said.
"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to see just what she has," Nikki told her.
"We're sure she'll have something for you," Mya said. With that said she, Laura and their Pokémon said goodbye to Nikki as they went on their way.
"Okay. Let's get this show on the road." With her mind made up Nikki approached the door and walked inside the lab. Inside she saw a few tables with stacks of papers laying on them. A few computers lined the wall, each of them showing data from the various Pokémon at the lab.
"May I help you?" Nikki looked up and saw a woman in a white lab coat standing in front of her.
"Are you Professor Redwood?" she inquired.
"That's right. And you are?"
"I'm Nikita Lyons. I'm here to get a starter Pokémon," the young girl informed her.
"Lyons? Ah, you must be Trish's daughter," Professor Redwood guessed. "So you finally decided to listen to your mother and start your journey."
"Yeah. I know I'm starting much later than usual, but better late than never," Nikki alleged.
"That is true," Professor Redwood agreed. "So, what path do you wish to take? Do you want to be a coordinator like your mother, or a trainer like your father?" Nikki had to think about this for a bit. Her mother was a well-known former coordinator, but her father was currently a member of the Legenda Elite 4.
"This is a though choice," she thought. She pondered her decision for a few more minutes before finally deciding.
"I think… I'll follow in my mother's footsteps and be a coordinator," she announced.
"I'm sure that's a career move your mother would agree with," Professor Redwood joked. "Now, let's see if we can find you the perfect partner." She lead Nikki to a computer terminal and pressed a few buttons. The screen lit up and a list of all the Pokémon still available was pulled up.
"I'm sure you'll find one you like," she said. Nikki looked at the screen. Pokémon ranging from Charmander to Riolu filled the screen, giving Nikki a wide selection to choose from.
"Wow… so many to choose from. This isn't going to be easy," she said.
"Just take your time. This is a big decision, after all," Professor Redwood advised. Nikki continued to look over the Pokémon, envisioning each one as a potential partner.
"Let's see… Caterpie, no… Whismer, no… Shinx, no… huh?" As she scanned over the available Pokémon she spotted one that caught her eye.
"Do you still have this one?" Nikki asked, pointing at a Buneary.
"I believe so," Professor Redwood replied. "Let me go check." While she went to check for the Buneary Nikki began to think about how her journey would play out. A couple minutes later Professor Redwood came back holding a Poké Ball.
"Here she is," she told Nikki, handing the young girl the Poké Ball.
"Thank you," Nikki said as she took the ball. "Okay, time for some introductions!" She tossed the ball, watching as it opened and the Buneary contained inside appeared.
"She's so cute!" Nikki thought. The Rabbit Pokémon opened her eyes and looked around for a bit. When she saw Nikki she looked at the girl with a curious expression.
"(Are… Are you my trainer?)" she asked.
"That's right. I'm Nikki and I want to be a coordinator," the girl replied. The young Buneary smiled.
"(That sounds like fun,)" she said.
"I'm glad you think so," Nikki agreed.
"Looks like you two are really hitting it off," Professor Redwood observed.
"Absolutely. Buneary is the perfect partner," Nikki declared.
"Then I guess all there's left to do is give you these." Professor Redwood handed Nikki five more Pokémon Balls and a sky blue Pokédex.
"Thank you. Now I'm all set to head out!" Nikki announced.
"If you plan to qualify for the Grand Festival you'll need to win five ribbons," Professor Redwood informed her. "The first contest will be held in Miyasa Town in a couple of weeks. It's a few days walk from here but you should be able to make it easily."
"Miyasa Town. Guess that's our first stop, Buneary," Nikki said.
"(Okay,)" Buneary agreed.
"But first I want to see what kinds of moves you can do," Nikki announced. "Is it okay if we use the fields behind the lab?"
"I suppose it would be okay. You'll just have to be careful to mind the wild Pokémon," Professor Redwood warned.
"We'll be careful," Nikki promised. "Come on, Buneary!"
"(Right behind you!)" the Rabbit Pokémon announced. Professor Redwood watched as Nikki and her new Pokémon raced out to the fields behind the lab.
"Ah, to be young again," she sighed. "Oh well, I suppose I should get things ready here. That trainer Professor Oak spoke of should be arriving sometime today."
"Alright, we made it!" After a long trip from Kanto Ash and Pikachu finally set foot in the Legenda region. The duo took a moment to look around, taking in the scenery.
"I wonder what kind of challenges we'll encounter here," Ash wondered.
"(Who knows,)" Pikachu answered. "(We just have to be ready for anything.)"
"You got that right," Ash agreed. "Well, let's get to Professor Redwood's lab and let Professor Oak know we arrived." With Pikachu on his shoulder Ash set off for Professor Redwood's lab. Meanwhile, at a different part of the docks, Team Rocket's Magikarp sub finally surfaced. The hatch on top was opened and the mischievous trio quickly scrambled out and onto dry land.
"Finally! I didn't think we'd ever get to land!" Jessie gasped. "Just what was that thing we ran into?"
"I think it was a Pokémon, though the exact species name escapes me at the moment," James chimed in.
"That's not the only thing that's escaped us! We lost track of the twerp!" Meowth shouted. Looking around the didn't see the ship Ash and Pikachu were on anywhere.
"Well isn't this just great! Not only do we get attacked by some unknown Pokémon but now we have no idea where the twerp and his Pikachu are!" Jessie complained.
"It might not be as bad if we just knew where we were," James said. At that moment a dock worker was passing by.
"Excuse me. Could you tell us where we are," James inquired.
"Huh? Well these are the docks in Pinegrove Town. How could you not know that?" he responded.
"Pinegrove Town? We must be all the way in the Legenda region!" James shouted.
"Legenda? Where's that?" Jessie asked.
"It a region to the southeast of Sinnoh and is said to be home to some powerful Pokémon," James informed them.
"Powerful Pokémon, huh," Jessie commented, a sinister smile on her face. "Well I think we should get to work acquiring those Pokémon."
"But let's start with our favorite yellow mouse," Meowth suggested.
"That may be easier said than done. We don't exactly have any means of land or air transportation," James pointed out. Meowth turned to look his way.
"That, Jimmy-boy, can be easily fixed," the Scratch Cat Pokémon announced. His gaze then went from James the their Magikarp submarine.
"Okay, this looks like a good place." After leaving Professor Redwood's lab Nikki and Buneary searched around for a place to practice. They soon came upon a clearing in the woods behind the lab.
"Okay, Buneary. Let's see what you can do," Nikki announced. She took out her Pokédex and scanned her Pokémon.
Buneary, the Rabbit Pokémon. Their ears are always rolled up. They can be forcefully extended to shatter even a large boulder.
"Whoa. You've got some power behind those ears," Nikki commented. "Now let's see what moves you know." She scanned Buneary once again.
Buneary's known moves are: Hidden Power, Jump Kick, Charm and Bounce.
"Hey, those are some nice moves," Nikki complimented.
"(Thanks. Professor Redwood helped me learn those moves,)" Buneary bragged.
"Well in that case you should be able to pull off some great combinations with them," Nikki commented. "Okay, let's start off with Hidden Power, and put a spin in there!"
"(Okay!)" Buneary jumped into the air, spinning slowly. Seconds later she began to give off a pale glow as she used hidden Power, numerous small orbs appearing around her. The orbs then started spinning with Buneary.
"Okay, looking good!" Nikki praised. She was about to call out another attack when Buneary began to lose control of her Hidden Power.
"(Uh-oh! Look out below!)" Buneary warned. Nikki had to duck and cover as the orbs from Buneary's Hidden Power flew all over the place, many of them, flying off into the woods.
"I think we know what we need to work on," Nikki commented. One of the orbs flew into some nearby bushes. Seconds later an angry cry echoed through the air.
"What was that?" Nikki questioned. Shortly after that an angry Victreebel emerged from the bushes, a small bruise on his head.
"Oops. I guess he got caught in the attack," Nikki guessed. "Sorry about that, Victreebel."
"(Yeah, we didn't mean it,)" Buneary apologized. Unfortunately the Victreebel didn't appear to accept their apology as he continued to glare at them.
"(I don't think he accepts our apology,)" Buneary commented. Her statement was proven to be true when the Victreebel lashed out at them, slinging a Razor Leaf volley at them.
"Duck!" Nikki shouted. She and Buneary got their heads down just in time to avoid the Victreebel's attack.
"Hey! We said we're sorry! There's no need for that!" Nikki scolded. All that did was earn her a hateful glare from the Flycatcher Pokémon, as well as his undivided attention.
"(Be careful, Nikki!)" Buneary warned. Nikki knew better than to make any sudden movements, especially without knowing how the hostile Victreebel would react. It was much safer to let the Victreebel make the first move. She didn't have to wait long, for moments later the Victreebel lashed out at her with his vine.
"Feet, don't fail me now!" She ducked to the right, narrowly avoiding the vine. Despite missing the Victreebel continued his attack, repeatedly lashing out at Nikki with his vine and keeping the young girl ducking left and right to avoid the attacks. The longer this went on, though, the more it became clear that Nikki couldn't keep dodging the Victreebel's attacks for much longer.
"(Hang on, Nikki!)" Buneary shouted. She bounced into action, firing a Hidden Power at the Grass type. Unfortunately with her being so new at battling her attack was nothing more than a minor annoyance. The Victreebel paused his attack of Nikki long enough to grab Buneary with his vine and sling her against a tree. Then, before the Rabbit Pokémon could get up he sprayed her with a Stun Spore cloud, the paralyzing golden scales immobilizing her instantly.
"Buneary!" Nikki shouted.
"(N-Nikki… I… c-can't… move!)" Buneary stuttered.
"Hang on! I'm coming!" Nikki called. She ran towards Buneary, only managing a couple of steps before the Victreebel lashed out at her once again, wrapping his vine tightly around her ankle. With one strong yank Nikki was brought to the ground.
"Let me go!" Nikki demanded. She tried to kick the vine off with her free leg, but the Victreebel just looped his vine around her other ankle, binding her legs together. Nikki tried to squirm her way loose but the Victreebel pulled on her legs, dragging the helpless girl towards him.
"No!" she screamed. Buneary tried to move, wanting nothing more than to help her new trainer, but her body was still under the effects of the earlier Stun Spore and refused to move. Left with no other option Nikki could only hope that there was someone nearby who could help.
"Help! Someone help me!"
After getting some directions from the locals Ash and Pikachu were finally on their way to Professor Redwood's lab. They had just reached the outskirts of the town when Pikachu's ears suddenly perked up.
"What is it, buddy?" Ash asked.
"(Someone's in trouble,)" the Mouse Pokémon reported. Ash's mind immediately went into rescue-mode.
"Can you tell where they are?" he asked. Pikachu closed his eyes, concentrating on the cries for help. Seconds later he glanced at the woods along the path they were walking.
"(This way!)" he squeaked.
"Alright. Lead the way!" Ash instructed. The two of them abandoned the path and rushed into the woods. Finding whoever was in danger and rescuing them had become their top priority.
"Someone please, help me!" By now Nikki was beginning to think no one had heard her cries for help. All she could do now was try to free herself by any means necessary. She resumed her struggles, trying in vain to kick her legs free of the Victreebel's hold. But the more she struggled the tighter the Flycatcher Pokémon's grip became. By now the vine was so tight around Nikki's ankles it began to hurt.
"Please… please let me go," she cried. Despite her pleas the Victreebel had no intention of letting her go. Moments later his mouth opened and a large blob of sludge began to form. Nikki stared wide-eyed, knowing exactly what the blob was.
"T-That's… Gunk Shot!" she screamed. Nikki's struggles intensified, but the Victreebel refused to release her.
"(N-No… Nikki!)" Buneary cried. The young future-coordinator looked back to see the Gunk Shot nearly complete. Her eyes grew wide in fear as she realized her journey was going to end before it got started.
"This is it! It's all over!" she panicked. She shut her eyes and screamed, knowing there was no way out of this.
"Quick Attack!" A sudden shout caused her to open her eyes. She looked back at the Victreebel and saw a yellow blur slam into him. The blow hurt him quite a bit, causing him to release his hold on her legs. Nikki wasted no time scrambling to her feet and running over to scoop up Buneary.
"Are you okay?" she inquired.
"(I am, n-now that you're… s-safe,)" Buneary managed to get out. Nikki smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Her attention then went to the Victreebel and whatever had attacked him. To her surprise Pikachu was standing between him and her.
"Whoa, a Pikachu," she gasped. She grabbed her Pokédex and scanned him.
Pikachu, the Mouse Pokémon. This intelligent Pokémon roasts hard berries with electricity to make them tender enough to eat.
"Okay, so what's a Pikachu doing here and who was that I heard shouting?" Nikki questioned. Before she could figure out some answers the Victreebel lashed out at the Pikachu with Vine Whip.
"Look out!" Nikki shouted.
"Dodge and use Iron Tail!"
"There's that voice again!" Nikki said. Pikachu did as he was told, dodging the Vine Whip and countering with Iron Tail. Nikki stared in awe as Victreebel stumbled backwards from the force of Pikachu's Iron Tail.
"There's no way that's a wild Pikachu. He's too strong," she commented. "I wonder who…" Before she could finish her statement Ash appeared by her side.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"My Buneary's paralyzed, but other than that we're fine," Nikki said. Ash looked at the Rabbit Pokémon in her arms, noticing the golden dust scales coating her fur.
"I think I have something for that in my backpack," Ash said. "Let me just take a quick…"
"(Ash!)" Ash looked towards Pikachu and saw him dodging a Razor Leaf volley.
"(I could use a hand here!)" the Mouse Pokémon shouted.
"Coming right up!" Ash grabbed a Poké Ball and threw it out.
"Pidgeot, I choose you!" he called. As Ash's Flying type appeared Nikki gasped in awe.
"That's the biggest Pidgeot I've ever seen!" she gasped. She pointed her Pokédex at him and scanned.
Pidgeot, the Bird Pokémon. By flapping its wings with all its might, Pidgeot can make a gust of wind capable of bending tall trees.
"Amazing," she said.
"Pidgeot, use Aerial Ace!" Ash instructed.
"(At once!)" Pidgeot flew in a large loop to build up speed before slamming into the Victreebel, causing critical damage.
"Now follow up with Wing Attack!" Ash instructed.
"(Right away!)" Pidgeot complied. He doubled back and struck the Victreebel with one of his wings. The Flycatcher Pokémon, realizing he was overpowered, decided to beat a hasty retreat.
"That's showing him, guys!" Ash cheered. Pikachu and Pidgeot shared their trainer's enthusiasm, adding cheers of their own. Meanwhile Nikki was amazed that Ash managed to drive off the Victreebel as easily as he did.
"Man, he's good. He beat that Victreebel like he was nothing, while I couldn't even mount any kind of offensive against him," she thought. She was so caught up in her thoughts she almost didn't see Ash and his Pokémon approaching her.
"Okay, let's see if I have something for your Buneary," he said, snapping Nikki back to reality. As he searched Nikki was wondering who he was and what brought him to Legenda.
"He's definitely a seasoned trainer. I wonder if he's here to compete in the Legenda League," she wondered. By now Ash had taken a berry out of his backpack.
"Here. Have your Buneary eat this," he instructed. He handed her a small red berry that had a curled green stem.
"A Cheri berry?" she questioned.
"Eating one cures paralysis," Ash explained. After hearing this Nikki quickly gave the berry to Buneary.
"Eat this. You'll feel better," she said.
"(O…kay,)" Buneary stuttered. Though still suffering from paralysis she managed to take a small bite out of the berry. Almost instantly she felt the paralysis start to wear off. That was all the reason she needed to eat the rest of the berry. After quickly devouring the remainder of the Cheri berry Buneary was able to move around freely.
"(Ah… that's much better!)" she sighed. Nikki smiled as she scooped up Buneary, glad to see her feeling better. After their brief moment Nikki turned to Ash and his Pokémon.
"Thank you for helping us back there," she said. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't."
"I'm glad we didn't have to find out," Ash told her. "I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town."
"(And I'm Pikachu,)" Pikachu greeted.
"(I'm Pidgeot,)" Pidgeot added.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Nikita Lyons, but you can call me Nikki," Nikki greeted. "And this is my partner Buneary."
"(Hi!)" Buneary said.
"So Ash, what brings you to the Legenda region?" Nikki questioned.
"I heard about the league here and I wanted to give it a try," Ash answered. "Speaking of which I was heading to Professor Redwood's lab. You wouldn't happen to know where it is?"
"Sure. I just came from there myself. If you want I can take you there," Nikki offered.
"That'll be great. Thanks," Ash said. He recalled Pidgeot just as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder. Nikki gave the duo a questioning look.
"Aren't you going to return Pikachu to his Poké Ball?" she asked.
"Nah. Pikachu doesn't like being inside his Poké Ball, and things would get lonely without my buddy to keep me company," Ash explained.
"(That's right,)" Pikachu agreed.
"I never thought of that," Nikki admitted. She then looked at Buneary, who was still in her arms.
"Would you like to travel outside your Poké Ball as well?" she asked.
"(If you don't mind,)" Buneary replied. Truthfully Nikki was hoping Buneary would say that.
"Okay. I won't put you back inside unless I absolutely have to," she said.
"(Alright!)" Buneary cheered. She then hopped onto Nikki's shoulder just as Pikachu did with Ash's.
"Okay. On to Professor Redwood's lab!" Ash announced.
"Follow me," Nikki told him. The two trainers, with their Pokémon sitting on their shoulders, started off towards Professor Redwood's lab.
"I see. It was fortunate in deed that Ash happened to be in the area," Professor Redwood commented after hearing everything that transpired once Nikki and Buneary left her lab.
"I'll say. If he hadn't showed up Buneary and I would have been plant food," Nikki remarked.
"Well I'm glad everyone is safe," Professor Redwood said. "By the way I've registered you for the Legenda League, Ash."
"Thank you," Ash said. "Now all I have to do is qualify."
"And you can start off by challenging the gym in Lunick City," Professor Redwood said.
"Lunick City, huh. Guess that's our next stop, Pikachu," Ash said.
"(Looks like it,)" Pikachu agreed. After hearing where Ash's next destination was Nikki began to think.
"Miyasa Town is on the way to Lunick Town. Maybe Ash will want to travel together," she pondered. She was about to make that offer when the entire lab began to shake.
"W-What's h-happening?" Ash shouted. Then, evil laughter filled the air.
"Who's that?" Nikki asked. They headed outside to see what was making all the noise. When they got outside they saw a large mechanical Magikarp on tank treads sitting in front of the lab.
"What is that thing?" Professor Redwood questioned.
"This, my dear, is the instrument of your demise!" a female voice declared. Moments later the hatch on top opened and three familiar faces appeared.
"Come on! You three followed me all the way out here?" Ash yelled.
"We'll go wherever we need to get what we want!" Jessie declared.
"And what we want is Pikachu!" Meowth added.
"Just who are you guys?" Nikki inquired.
"Well, since you asked you'll be the first to hear our new motto," Jessie announced.
"Nobody wants to hear that!" Ash protested. Unfortunately his protests fell upon deaf ears:
"Out of the sky, falling with grace.
A spark in the eye, arriving with haste.
Ready and willing to put twerps in their place.
Jessie!
James!
Meowth's the name!
Team Rocket, burning a trail!
Blazing a path!
Kickin' some tail!
Wobbu Wobbuffet!
Mime Mime Mime Mime!"
"Tada!" Ash and the others were left speechless.
"Look! The new motto has left them in awe of our awesomeness!" James declared.
"Oh brother… and here I was thinking they couldn't get any worse…" Ash groaned.
"Umm… who did you say you were again?" Nikki asked. A collective groan was heard from the evil trio.
"Weren't you paying attention? We're Team Rocket, the most diabolical force in the world!" Jessie shouted.
"Never heard of you," Nikki said.
"Oh come on!" Jessie griped.
"Look! We don't have time to deal with you three right now, so just get out of our way!" Ash demanded.
"Oh we'll get out of your way… after we get Pikachu!" Meowth announced. With that the trio retreated back inside their machine.
"And with our newly-modified Magikarp tank that'll be as easy as taking candy from a baby!" Meowth declared.
"Well then, let's get it done!" Jessie said. With Meowth at the controls Team Rocket began their attack. The Magikarp sub, now a tank, rolled towards Ash and the others.
"Hey, watch out!" he shouted. He, along with Professor Redwood, Nikki and their Pokémon all dove out of the way as the tank charged through.
"Fire the stun missile!" Jessie ordered.
"Aye-aye!" Meowth complied. He turned the tank around and fired a missile from its mouth at Pikachu.
"Look out, Pikachu!" Ash warned. Seeing the projectile heading for him Pikachu jumped out of the way just in time. Unfortunately the missile kept going and hit Nikki's bike, completely destroying it.
"No, not my bike!" she cried. Ash and Pikachu cringed.
"Not again!" Ash groaned.
"(What's with me and bikes?)" Pikachu griped. Nikki, angered over her bike being destroyed, glared at Team Rocket's Magikarp tank.
"You three are going to pay for destroying my bike!" she yelled.
"Oh please, like that bike was worth anything to begin with," Jessie dismissed. Her remark only further agitated Nikki.
"Okay, that's it! Buneary, use Jump Kick!" she roared. Sharing in her trainer's anger Buneary jumped at the tank and delivered a devastating Jump Kick, knocking the massive machine on its side.
"Ow! What hit us?" Jessie shrieked.
"I think it was that girl's Buneary!" Meowth answered. "That little brown fluff-ball has more power behind those kicks that I thought! I gotta say I'm impressed." This earned him a hard shot to the head from Jessie.
"This isn't the time to be impressed!" she scolded. "James! Get this thing upright!"
"Easier said than done! We never planned for our tank to be tipped over!" James replied.
"You mean we're stuck like this?" Jessie screamed.
"Not for long!" Meowth informed her. The trio looked out the view scope in the tank and saw Ash and Nikki preparing what would more-than-likely be the blast-off attack.
"Buneary, Hidden Power!"
"Pikachu, Volt Tackle!" Pikachu began his charged towards the disabled tank, his body engulfed in electricity. Seconds later Buneary fired her Hidden Power. The orbs from Hidden Power quickly caught up to Pikachu and began to spin around him, the attack taking on the yellow glow of Pikachu's Volt Tackle.
"Wow… that combination looks amazing! I'll have to get my own Electric type and try it out in a contest," Nikki thought.
"I think this is going to hurt!" James cried.
"Tell me something I don't know!" Jessie shouted.
"Umm… we're broke," Meowth chimed in.
"We're what?" the two humans simultaneously yelled. Seconds later Pikachu slammed into the tank, transferring thousands of volts of electricity to the machine. The sudden influx of electricity was too much for the machine to handle, causing it to explode and send the mischievous Team Rocket flying into the air.
"You mean to tell me that one little modification to our Magikarp sub completely broke us?" Jessie shrieked.
"Well we didn't have that much to start off with!" Meowth countered.
"New region, new motto… it's true that the more things change the more they stay the same!" James shouted.
"Team Rocket's blasting off again!" they all screamed, vanishing in the distance.
"Way to go you two!" Ash cheered, praising the two Pokémon.
"(Thanks!)" Buneary said.
"(Just another day at the office,)" Pikachu commented.
"My, that was quite the impressive showing," Professor Redwood praised.
"Thank you," Ash said.
You too, Nikki. For someone who just got her Pokémon you…" Professor Redwood stopped speaking, seeing that Nikki was too focused on her destroyed bike to hear her.
"Oh man… my bike is completely trashed!" she wailed, the twisted and mangled frame of her bike sitting on the ground in front of her. Buneary hopped on her shoulder and looked down at the destroyed bike.
"(Sorry about your bike, Nikki,)" she said. Nikki let out a sigh as she looked at the Rabbit Pokémon sitting on her shoulder.
"It's not your fault," she told her.
"You know, I feel partly responsible for your bike getting destroyed," Ash spoke up. "Team Rocket's been after me for years." Nikki turned to face Ash.
"I don't blame you for this. It's those three idiots that I blame," she said. "They're the ones who destroyed my bike."
"Still the only reason they were here was because of me," Ash countered. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you just let me know." Hearing that gave Nikki an idea.
"Well… if you really feel you have to make it up to me… could you let me travel with you?" she asked. "You see I want to be top coordinator but I didn't want to travel alone."
"(You won't be alone. I'll be with you,)" Buneary pointed out.
"I know, but I was talking about human companionship," Nikki said. "So… I was kinda hoping that…"
"You don't need to say anything else," Ash interrupted. "Of course we can travel together. The more the merrier I always say."
"Great! So, can we stop in Miyasa Town first? You se, that's where my first contest is," Nikki explained. "It's on the way to Lunick City."
"Sure. If you're going to be traveling with me we'll need to make stops wherever they have contests so you can qualify for the Grand Festival," Ash told her.
"Thanks, Ash," Nikki gratefully said.
"No problem," Ash replied.
"Looks like we're going to be traveling partners,)" Pikachu commented. "(Here's to our partnership.)" He extended a paw to Buneary, who graciously accepted.
"(I'm looking forward to our time together,)" Buneary announced.
"Good luck, you two," Professor Redwood said. "And don't worry about your bike, Nikki. I'll take care of it."
"Okay," Nikki replied.
"Alright then. Let's get going!" With new friends and traveling partners in Nikki and her Buneary Ash and Pikachu set off on their journey through the Legenda region.
After a brief run-in with Team Rocket Ash and Pikachu finally start their journey through the Legenda region with their new friends Nikita Lyons and her Buneary. What adventures await them on the road to their first stop in Miyasa Town? Find out in the next chapter of Search for Power!
Author's Note: A special thanks goes out to Angel Stryker for coming up with the new Team Rocket motto used in this chapter. Also, if anyone can guess what the mystery Pokémon Team Rocket ran into was they'll receive an honorable mention at the beginning of the next chapter.
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