Author's Note:
Hey, guys; yeah I know it's been nearly two months since my last installment. I've been dealing with some serious writer's block and anxiety and also if you're not aware already, a couple of weeks ago the woman who did the original voice for Misty and Jessie passed away from breast cancer. I knew that she had been gravely ill since this past May but I guess I didn't expect for things to take a massive turn for the worst. And she was so young too.
So yeah, I basically had to take a break for a bit. I'm going to try my best to try to get this story done by at least November at the latest, which is when I'm going to be having a family reunion in California and I'm also going to go see my brother and his family for a bit. It's also going to happen right around my birthday, so that's going to be a lot of fun. However, I have quite a few things going on in my personal life right now, so I'm not making any promises. I'm going to do my best to bring you the next installment as soon as possible.
Bye for now!
Song Credit: Cool Night by Paul Davis
Chapter 3 – All Bugged Out!
Meanwhile, back in the Viridian Forest, Ash was facing off with a lone Caterpie as he prepared to make his very first catch. He then tilted his hat backwards as he then tossed a Poke Ball right at Caterpie.
"Caterpie, you're mine!"
Then as the Poke Ball slammed right onto the Caterpie's head, it let out a loud squeal as it then disappeared right into the ball. Ash, Misty, Pikachu and the others then waited anxiously for a few moments as the Poke Ball landed on the ground and began shaking slightly while emitting intermittent red flashes of light. Finally, the red flashes faded away and a loud clang was heard as the Poke Ball stopped moving completely, signaling its capture.
Ash was barely able to hold back a triumphant laugh as he began cheering and yelling enthusiastically.
"Yeah, I did it!"
He then bent down to pick up the Poke Ball containing Caterpie as he continued beaming brightly with an excited look on his face.
"I did it! I got Caterpie! I did it all by myself! I caught my very first Pokemon! This is the first step on my way to becoming the number one Pokemon Master in the whole world!" he cried as he showed off the Poke Ball to the others and even leaned against Misty with a self-satisfied smirk, prompting Misty to give him a side-eyed glance.
"We know, genius; we get it already," Jasmine scoffed with narrowed eyes while Shirley rolled her eyes incredulously with an exasperated groan.
Misty then let out a surprised yelp as Ash suddenly grabbed her by the arm and began to dance around in circles with her rapidly.
"Ah! Hey! Wait a minute!" Misty protested as Ash continued to run around in circles enthusiastically while dragging her swiftly by the arm. "I'm getting dizzy! I'm going to get sick! Quit it!"
"Look out, Pokemon!" Nothing's going to stop me now!" Ash hollered as Pikachu watched them intently for a few moments and he got so dizzy that his eyes rolled around wildly and he fell back onto the ground in one fell swoop.
Finally, Misty pulled away from Ash with a disgruntled and irate look on her face.
"Ash, you're acting like a…" she protested but then she suddenly flinched and recoiled the minute that Ash shoved the Poke Ball into her face.
"Look… inside this ball is the very first Pokemon I've ever caught in my whole entire life," Ash said.
"Great, just keep it away from me, will you?" Misty groaned, still turning her head away from the Poke Ball with a disgusted and wary grimace.
"You're not afraid of an itty bitty Caterpie in a Poke Ball, are you?" Ash insisted with a taunting smirk while still holding the Poke Ball in his hand.
"Bugs get me all bugged out, even when they're in a Poke Ball," Misty whined petulantly as she started to shake her head furiously with a violent shudder. "Just keep it away!"
"I like bugs even if they're not in a Poke Ball," Ash replied wistfully while staring at his Poke Ball.
"Yeah, but not everyone does, Ash, and Misty certainly doesn't," Katie interjected sternly, folding her arms across her chest. "And you need to respect her feelings."
"At least someone gets it," Misty sighed deeply with an irate scowl.
"Well, it must be great for Caterpie all cute and comfortable inside there," Ash mused, still studying the Poke Ball intently, not even paying any mind to what Katie had just said.
He then began to rub the Poke Ball against his cheek affectionately, his smile ever widening.
"I love my new little Pokemon."
"I guess it takes a worm to love a worm," Misty growled sullenly.
"Very funny," Ash scoffed disdainfully as he then turned around to call Pikachu. "Pikachu!"
Pikachu then woke up from a daze and blinked his eyes open before jumping up to his feet and turning to face Ash.
"We got a new friend," Ash explained as he bent down to show Pikachu the Poke Ball containing the new Pokemon.
Pikachu then sniffed the Poke Ball for a moment before waving his arms enthusiastically with a smile.
"Pika!"
"Oh, Pikachu, I'm so glad that you like it," Ash beamed warmly as he then got up to his feet with a determined expression. "And from now on, we'll catch a whole bunch of new friends."
He then glanced down at the Poke Ball in his hand. "Caterpie, you're sticking with us."
"Uh… does that mean…?" Misty shuddered in disgust and revulsion, turning around to face Ash slowly with a disbelieving expression.
"Caterpie, come out! Ha!" Ash cried as he then summoned Caterpie out of the Poke Ball in a blinding blast of white light.
Misty then let out a terrified scream as she ran for her life and dashed to a nearby tree.
Caterpie then appeared and stared at Misty with innocent eyes as Misty peeked out from behind the tree with a nervous and apprehensive expression.
"Well in that case… Venonat, go!" Shirley yelled as she tossed out her Poke Ball and a red beam of light emerged out of the ball. Moments later, a small figure appeared as a purple furry bug-like creature with small bent antennae and large, sparkling maroon eyes hopped over towards Caterpie.
"Venonat?" Venonat chirped.
"Caterpie?" Caterpie responded back, curious of the new stranger that just appeared from out of the blue.
"Venonat?" Venonat squeaked, rubbing its tiny paws in anticipation with its eyes still shining.
The two bug-like Pokemon then began to stare at each other longingly with deep affection and love in their eyes as "Love's Theme" by Love Unlimited Orchestra began to play in the background.
"Oh brother," Luthor groaned while face-palming himself.
"Oh no, now we have two for the price of one!" Misty wailed shrilly, pulling on her ponytails as she began shaking and quivering in terror.
"There's nothing to be scared of," Ash insisted as he walked over to Caterpie, bending down right in front of it. "Come on, Caterpie; climb up on my shoulder."
Caterpie then nodded as it then prepared to climb onto Ash's shoulder; however, just as it was about to do so, it then caught a glimpse of Misty still concealing herself behind a tree as it let out an excited grunt before dashing away.
"Hey, Caterpie, come back!" Ash yelled.
Misty then let out a terrified shriek as Caterpie rushed over to her and started to rub itself affectionately against her leg, purring and mewling.
"Hey, Misty; Caterpie really likes you. Isn't that cute?" Ash smiled as he watched Caterpie's interaction with Misty.
"Get this disgusting bug away from me!" Misty yelled while dropping down on her knees.
Caterpie then stared at Misty with a curious, wide-eyed expression.
"Please don't come any closer to me!" Misty wailed as she quickly scurried away from Caterpie in a panic while backing herself against the tree.
"What? You think Caterpie is disgusting?" Ash inquired with a confused and befuddled eyebrow.
Caterpie whimpered softly as it lowered its head sadly at Misty's reaction.
Pikachu then walked over to Caterpie and patted it on its back affectionately.
"Pika, pika," he said.
"Venonat, Venonat," Venonat chirped as it hopped over to Caterpie and nuzzled it tenderly.
"I know!" Misty exclaimed as she grabbed Pikachu and held him in her hands. "You be friends with that creepy bug and I'll be friends with Pikachu."
"Pikachu only likes me, and zaps anybody who tries to…" Ash retorted while tilting his head to the side with a slight smirk on his face.
However, his expression soon quickly changed as he then noticed that Misty was petting Pikachu's head affectionately and she and Pikachu were sharing a laugh. Venonat and Caterpie were also playing with each other as they were laughing and engaging in a game of tag.
"Argh… Pikachu…" Ash growled softly, clearly jealous and upset with Pikachu's seeming preference towards Misty.
Caterpie continued to whimper softly while staring at Misty longingly with tears welling up in its eyes.
"It's so gross. Ash, put that slimy thing back in the Poke Ball!" Misty shrieked loudly. "Bugs are one of the three most disgusting things in the world!"
"Aside from you, what are the other disgusting things?" Ash asked as he walked up to Misty.
"Very funny! Carrots, peppers and bugs!" Misty snarled angrily, balling up her fists with a scowl. "Everyone has something they don't like, and I don't like bugs!"
"Yeah? Well, I like carrots, and peppers, and bugs," Ash shot back while stretching out his lower eyelids and sticking out his tongue tauntingly at her. "What I don't like is the way you're hurting Caterpie's feelings with your silly fear of bugs."
Misty just turned her head away from him in disgust.
"It's not silly, Ash; you're just a stupid typical boy with no regard for anyone's feelings but your own!" Rhonda snapped angrily with narrowed eyes.
"Well, I think you're just a stupid typical girl with terrible taste in certain types of Pokemon!" Ash argued back with a sneer, getting into Rhonda's face.
"What did you just say to me, you punk?!" Rhonda growled, her eyes blazing with tiny embers flickering in her irises.
"I said… that you're just a stupid typical girl… with terrible taste in certain types of Pokemon!" Ash enunciated slowly while continuing to lock eyes with Rhonda fiercely.
"Oh, you can go straight to bloody hell! You're just jealous because I'm actually a much more competent and better Pokemon trainer than you!" Rhonda spat back, clenching her fists even more tightly as she fought to contain her anger.
Ash then held back a frustrated growl in his throat as he then turned away from Rhonda and focused back on Caterpie again.
"I don't think you're ugly or disgusting at all, Caterpie. Come on, climb on my shoulder," he urged him.
Caterpie then chirped softly as it then looked over at Pikachu, who gave it an affirmative nod.
"You're not going to scare Misty anymore," Ash declared, still holding out his hand as Caterpie then crawled onto his arm and perched itself onto his shoulder.
"What do you mean he won't scare me?" Misty asked with a puzzled and bemused look on her face.
"We'll go on without her," Ash answered as he then started to walk away.
Pikachu then let out a squeak as he then jumped out of Misty's arms and dashed right after his trainer.
Misty then balked in surprise as she watched Pikachu rush right back to Ash before she stood up with a pointed glare.
"Oh yeah? Well I'll show you."
A short time later, Ash, Pikachu and the others were walking through the Viridian Forest as Pikachu glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Misty was trying to secretly follow them.
"Pika, pi," Pikachu interjected while pointing right behind him.
"Huh? What's the problem, Pikachu?" Ash asked as he suddenly stopped and looked at Pikachu questioningly.
"Pikachu…" Pikachu squeaked as he kept on pointing behind him.
Ash then looked over to see Misty still trailing after him. However, the moment that Misty realized that Ash had noticed her, she quickly panicked and then darted towards a nearby tree as she flattened herself behind it.
"What are you following us for?!" Ash demanded angrily in an accusatory voice.
Misty grimaced as a guilty expression flashed on her face briefly before she popped up from behind the tree.
"M-my bike. I'm holding you responsible for my bike," she said.
"You're really still dogging him over that stupid damned bike, are you?" Jasmine growled irascibly.
"Oh, please, when are you going to get over that dumb old bike?" Ash snapped petulantly.
"For your information, Mr. Pokemon Master, you're the dumb one, because if you hadn't destroyed it in the first place, I could've ridden out of here by now!" Misty argued back.
"I told you I'd make good on your bike one day," Ash insisted, his frustration threatening to boil over. "And if I'm so dumb, how come you're still following me?"
"I'm not following you; this happens to be the fastest way through the woods," Misty shot back with a perturbed expression.
"Fine, do whatever you want," Ash scoffed as he turned around and walked away.
"That's exactly what I'm doing!" Misty screamed shrilly, seething with her entire body trembling violently.
"Why don't you do all of us a favor and piss off, you wanker!" Rhonda hollered as she and the others continued to follow Ash.
Misty gritted her teeth in fury as she was barely able to choke back a vicious retort while still glaring at the gang indignantly.
TLSTLSTLSTLS
Several hours later, it was nightfall and Ash and his friends had decided to set up camp for the night before resuming their journey in the morning.
"We'd better get some sleep, you guys," Ash said as he lay down and curled up snugly into his sleeping bag. "Tomorrow is going to be a big day."
Pikachu, Caterpie, Venonat and Blaze all murmured their agreements.
"Well, we'd all get some sleep if you'd shut your big mouth," Misty shot back as Ash and his friends all quickly sat up and looked over in her direction questioningly.
Ash then scoffed coldly as he then lay on his left side and settled down to sleep.
"Humph… don't let the bedbugs bite."
Pikachu and his companions then gave each other worried looks as Pikachu walked over to Misty and attempted to tap her on the head, only to hear Caterpie calling out for him. Pikachu walked over to where Caterpie was and then looked up to see a bright big moon shining down from the night sky.
Rhonda then exhaled sharply and sat down on a log before taking out a small guitar as she began to strum on it gently and sing softly to herself.
I sometimes wonder why
All the flowers had to die
I dream about you
And now,
Summer's come and gone
And the nights
They seem so long
As Rhonda kept on singing, Misty groaned softly while tossing and turning in her sleep while trying to ignore her incessant singing. Katie, Luthor, Jasmine and Yuki could also be seen sleeping soundly with their Pokemon partners lying beside them. In the meantime, Pikachu, Caterpie and Venonat could be seen chattering away in excited and hushed tones while dancing and prancing around playfully with beaming smiles on their faces.
Come on over tonight
Come on over
It's gonna be a cool night
Just let me hold you
By the firelight
If it don't feel right
You can go
Caterpie then gazed up at the bright moon shimmering in the night sky as he began to imagine himself flying across it as a newly evolved Butterfree. Shaking these thoughts out of his head, he turned over to look at Misty sadly as Misty shifted slightly in her sleep, not even acknowledging him. He then hung his head sadly with a soft trill as Pikachu and Venonat huddled around him with Pikachu placing a comforting and sympathetic arm around Caterpie.
The three Pokemon then turned around to face the moonlit sky as they continued to watch the stars twinkle and sparkle across the heavens for the rest of the night until neither of them could stay awake anymore. By the time dawn finally broke through the distant horizon, Rhonda had also fallen asleep and was snoring peacefully with Blaze wrapped snugly and contently in her arms.
Oh-oh when the cool night
Brings back memories
Of a good life
When this love
Was not so old…
Oh, oh, oh…
TLSTLSTLSTLS
The next morning, everyone was fast asleep as the flames had long died out with only charred wood remaining. Misty then stirred softly as she opened up her eyes, only to realize that Caterpie was looking down at her expectantly. Misty then let out a terrified, blood-curling scream, startling everyone out of their dead slumber.
"Huh? What's wrong? What's happening?" Ash demanded as he stood up with a wide eyed panic on his face while glancing around fearfully, still wrapped up comfortably in his sleeping bag.
"What is this thing doing sleeping near me?" Misty whimpered, recoiling at the sight of Caterpie.
"Huh? Heh, Caterpie just wants to be your friend," Ash laughed with a knowing smile.
"Oh, bloody hell; not this again," Rhonda groaned as she marched over to the pair while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes and cleaning out her glasses with the edge of her T-shirt.
"If that thing wants to be my friend, then it can stop bugging me already!" Misty shrieked loudly in an irate voice.
She then bent down to glare at Caterpie while putting on a threatening akimbo.
"If you're a Pokemon, get out of my face and into that Poke Ball!"
Caterpie then let out a sad whimper with its eyes welling up with heartbroken and distraught tears.
"Oh, Misty, you are so unbelievable. Caterpie means no harm," Ash retorted sternly. "Why it likes you, I'll never know."
Caterpie then began to crawl away sadly as Ash followed him while also imitating its movements by crawling on the ground like a bug.
"Caterpie, what's the matter?"
Caterpie then sauntered over to the Poke Ball and opened it up before disappearing right into the container.
"Hey, hold on, Caterpie!" Ash exclaimed.
"Pikachu," Pikachu squeaked as he waved his paw in front of the Poke Ball.
Ash then stood up to his feet and turned to confront Misty.
"All right, Misty, you owe Caterpie an apology. Pokemon have feelings too, you know?" he demanded.
Misty just let out a disgusted and contemptuous scoff as she turned away from Ash while crossing her arms.
Ash then turned his attention back to the Poke Ball with a friendly smile.
"Come on, Caterpie; don't you worry. Someday we'll show her."
Misty just averted her gaze with a guilty and uncomfortable look on her face.
Just then she heard the distant sound of wings flapping as she and Ash looked up to see a bird-like Pokemon swooping down and gliding over the Poke Ball before sailing straight into the grass. Pikachu then watched curiously as he saw that the bird-like creature was now feasting on a tiny worm.
"What's that?" Luthor asked.
"I don't know," Katie answered. "It looks sort of different from a Pidgey."
"Wow, a Pidgeotto!" Ash exclaimed excitedly as he got out of his sleeping bag and threw on his hat.
He then opened up his Pokedex in order to get a clear reading on this latest find.
"Pidgeotto, an evolved form of Pidgey. It is armed with razor sharp claws and dives from the sky to capture its prey. Unlike the more gentle Pidgey, Pidgeotto can be very dangerous. Approach with extreme caution."
"You can't seriously tell me that a Pidgeotto is somehow going to be even worse than a Spearow of all things?" Yuki scoffed incredulously while casting a side glare at Shirley.
"All right, Pidgeotto. I'll show you who's the dangerous one around here," Ash declared as he then tucked his Pokedex away into his pocket before taking out his Poke Ball as it inflated rapidly in his hand.
He then tossed the Poke Ball and hurtled it right into the air.
"Pidgeotto, go!" he yelled.
However, to his shock and dismay, the Pidgeotto immediately knocked the Poke Ball away with its right wing. Ash then groaned in sheer disappointment as he watched the Poke Ball land right back on the ground.
"Jesus fucking Christ," Jasmine snickered with a contemptuous glare.
"You don't get it, do you?" Misty rebuked him sternly in a critical tone. "You don't just throw a Poke Ball and capture a Pokemon. You have to make it battle and weaken it first. The only reason you got to capture Caterpie is because it's already a weakling."
"Weak," Luthor jeered with a snicker as he and Jasmine both laughed at Ash's expense.
"I know what I'm doing and you just better quit picking on Caterpie, okay?" Ash shot back at Misty. "And now, if you kindly keep your BIG mouth shut, you'll see how it's done."
He then picked up the Poke Ball and then threw it into the air.
"Go, Caterpie!"
Caterpie then emerged from the Poke Ball as he then landed right in front of Pidgeotto.
Misty and Pikachu both gasped in shock and horror with petrified looks on their faces.
"Oh no…" Rhonda groaned as a violent shudder ran down her spine.
"He did not just do what I think he did," Katie cringed inwardly.
"Ha, I told you I knew what I was doing," Ash declared with a proud and triumphant smirk on his face.
"You don't have any idea of the mistake you've just made, do you?" Misty demanded angrily with a scowl.
"Did I do something wrong?" Ash asked with a confused and befuddled look on his face.
It was then that everyone heard a loud scream from Caterpie as they looked up to see Pidgeotto dashing right after him with Caterpie trying desperately to get away.
"Caterpie!" Ash yelled.
Pidgeotto then let out a sharp cry as it soared into the air and dove right for Caterpie as it continued to give chase.
"Caterpie, counterattack!" Ash yelled.
Caterpie then let out an affirmative squeak as he prepared to make a move. However, before he could do so, Pidgeotto slammed right into him, sending him flying right towards a tree. Caterpie then groaned in pain as he looked up to see Pidgeotto hurtling right for him with a determined look on its face.
"Caterpie!" Ash yelled.
"Quick, call it back!" Misty ordered.
Ash then balked for a moment before coming to his senses as he then took out his Poke Ball and aimed it right at Caterpie.
"Caterpie, return!" he cried.
Caterpie then disappeared back into the Poke Ball in a red beam of light just as Pidgeotto crashed right into the tree, barely missing him by mere seconds. Pidgeotto then growled in frustration as it soon found its talons stuck tightly in the bark of the tree.
"Pikachu, go!" Ash commanded.
Pikachu then nodded and charged right at Pidgeotto, preparing to attack. However, Pidgeotto was finally able to free itself as it then swooped over Pikachu, barely missing him.
"Pikachu, Thundershock, now!" Ash yelled.
Pikachu then unleashed a massive Thundershock attack as it struck the Pidgeotto dead on right as it took off into the skies.
"Poke Ball, go!" Ash yelled as he tossed the Poke Ball right at Pidgeotto and it disappeared right into the ball.
The Poke Ball then plummeted right onto the ground and began to shake furiously with the red light blinking intermittently. Ash then held his breath with anticipation as he waited for the Poke Ball to stop shaking, hoping that Pidgeotto wouldn't somehow break out of the contraption. Then to his relief, the red light finally faded away as the Poke Ball went completely still.
"All right, I did it! I caught Pidgeotto!" Ash cheered excitedly. "I am the greatest!"
"Hey no fair!" Luthor pouted with an angry scowl. "How did you manage to catch a Pidgeotto so easily? You couldn't even capture a freaking Pidgey earlier!"
"You're the worst!" Misty spat back. "You have no idea what you're doing. It'll be a long time till you're a Pokemon Master, like a million years. For Pete's sake, Rhonda and her friends are better trainers than you are and they have literally one Pokemon between them!"
"Uh, hello? I also have a Pidgey too you know!" Rhonda hollered, waving her hand petulantly.
"Ugh, I'm trying to…" Ash groaned in frustration.
"You should learn something about Pokemon first," Misty continued in a firm and authoritative voice. "With Pokemon, you've got to use strategy. Pidgeotto is a bird. Caterpie is a worm. Birds eat worms, Mr. Pokemon Master!"
"Well, if you just try hard enough, things will work out, won't they?" Ash pouted childishly with a frown.
"No, Ash; I'm afraid things won't just work out if you try hard enough," Misty insisted as she kept on glaring at him fiercely. "The Pokemon trainer's judgment is more important than anything else, and unfortunately for you, the trainer has to have a brain!"
But then they were soon interrupted by an evil female laugh as everyone turned around to see who it was.
"So we meet again," a male voice greeted them.
"I know that voice," Ash groaned.
A huge gust of wind blew into the area as three mysterious figures soon appeared from a distance with their shadows illuminated by a bright white light in the background.
"To protect the world from devastation."
"To unite all peoples within our nation."
"To denounce the evils of truth and love."
"To extend our reach to the stars above."
"Jessie!" Jessie introduced herself.
"James!" James smirked while introducing himself.
"You…" Rhonda hissed with narrowed eyes as Blaze also let out a soft growl with the ember on his tail burning furiously.
"No, not this again," Ash whined exasperatedly.
"Team Rocket, blast off at the speed of light!" Jessie declared while doing a dramatic pose.
"Surrender now or prepare to fight!" James proclaimed while also doing a dramatic pose opposite Jessie.
"Meowth, that's right!" Meowth cried while jumping right in between them.
"What the hell brings you here to this neck of the woods anyway?" Katie growled.
"Um, we're kind of busy now. So if you…" Ash interjected.
"Quiet, little boy," Jessie snapped curtly as Meowth jumped up and landed in between her and James's shoulders. "We're not here to listen to you. We're here to get your Pokemon."
She and James then pointed right at Pikachu.
"Hand over that Pikachu," James demanded.
"Huh?" Ash balked in confusion. "Hey, this is my Pikachu. Go out and find your own."
"If I were you two, I would stand down right now or you're going to regret it," Mitchell commanded as he took out a gun and aimed it at Team Rocket.
"What makes you think that you even have the authority anyway, you little twerp?" Jessie laughed contemptuously.
"Mitchell Deson, liaison agent on behalf of the Inter-dimensional Defense Agency and Her Majesty's Service," Mitchell answered as he flashed out his badge. "You and your organization are posing a threat to Pokemon everywhere in this universe."
"Ooh… fancy," James snickered with a mocking grin. "Should I perform a curtsy?"
"Oh, piss off!" Rhonda growled.
"Besides, we're here for that specific Pikachu, the only one that we want," Jessie added.
"We're only looking for the rarest, most valuable Pokemon in the world, you know," James explained.
"And that special Pikachu's just the kind of Pokemon we need," Jessie continued.
As James and Jessie said this, Meowth kept on shooting them questioning looks as he became increasingly perturbed and bewildered. He then turned around and started smacking James and Jessie wildly in their faces.
"You idiots, stop giving away all of our secrets!" he cried.
"Is my Pikachu really that special?" Ash asked, still puzzled.
Meowth then landed right on the ground while crossing his arms.
"Your Pikachu's powers impress even me. I really got a charge out of it's incredible attack the last time we met… of course, I couldn't possibly forget that little special helping of that water blast from that redheaded girl's Squirtle… Also, its powers exceed its evolutionary level. Your Pokemon would…"
"Now you're the one giving away all of our secrets!" Jessie scowled as she and James interrupted Meowth's inane rambling by repeatedly stomping on him with their feet.
"Shut up before you tell them everything!" James growled irascibly.
"I'm in charge, cut it out!" Meowth screamed with a sharp wail in his voice.
"Make things easy and hand over that Pikachu," Jessie demanded as she and James turned their attention back to Ash and the gang.
Ash then turned his head away in disgust and contempt.
"Humph! Forget it!"
"Then you leave us no choice," James declared as he and Jessie held up their Poke Balls simultaneously, preparing to summon their Pokemon.
"Pokemon battle! Ekans go!" Jessie cried.
"Koffing, go get them!" James yelled as Koffing and Ekans soon flew out of their Poke Balls.
"Koffing!"
"Ekans!"
"Hey, two against one? That's cheating!" Ash protested angrily.
"Well, as we say, all's fair in love, war and Pokemon battles," Jessie chuckled evilly with a diabolical smirk.
"I say that saying's rotten and so are you," Ash shot back defiantly.
"Of course we are. We're the bad guys," James laughed sardonically.
"Well, if they're going to use two Pokemon, then I don't see why we can't use two Pokemon," Misty suggested.
"The Pokemon League rules say only one at a time," Ash insisted.
"But surely the League doesn't have a problem with two trainers battling together at the same time against two other trainers?" Shirley protested.
"Ash, if you follow the rules, you're going to lose all your Pokemon," Misty argued.
"Koffing, sludge attack, now!" James commanded while holding out a rose.
Koffing then spat out a huge burst of sludge from its mouth as it then landed right on Pikachu's face. Pikachu whimpered fearfully as he tried desperately to wipe the sludge from his face. Ash then picked up Pikachu and held him in his arms while glowering at Team Rocket.
"If you think you can use your dirty tricks to beat me, you're wrong!" he yelled.
Ash then turned to face Misty while still holding Pikachu.
"They might try anything to get what they want. But no matter what happens, don't let them have Pikachu, understand?"
Misty stared at Ash apprehensively, mentally debating on what to do.
"Misty, come on!" Ash groaned.
Misty sighed as she then reluctantly took Pikachu from Ash and held him in her arms.
"But what about the other two?"
"So, what's your big battle plan?" Jessie asked with a conniving smirk on her face.
Ash then started to think up of a strategy while mulling over his options.
I can't send Caterpie. It's too weak from the last battle.
He then took out his Poke Ball and then tiled his hat backwards before tossing it into the air.
"Pidgeotto, go!"
"Spearow, go!" Jasmine yelled as she also took out her Poke Ball and tossed it into the air.
Pidgeotto and Spearow both emerged from their balls as they soared right into the air.
"Koffing, it's grime time," James declared.
"Koffing," Koffing groaned as it them jumped right into the air and barely missed Pidgeotto by mere inches as it attempted to belch out sludge at it.
Spearow then glided right by Pidgeotto as it let out a sharp shriek and flapped its wings determinedly.
"Ekans, go get your dinner," Jessie growled.
"Let's see who gets the worm," Jasmine smirked evilly while rubbing her hands together.
Ekans then let out a sharp hiss as it lunged right for Pidgeotto but missed as it quickly flew away. Pidgeotto then swooped right into the air and then began diving down rapidly.
"Pidgeotto, quick attack!" Ash ordered.
"Ekans, go underground," Jessie ordered as Ekans then burrowed deep down into the ground, disappearing from sight. Pidgeotto then panicked as it soon realized that its opponent was gone.
"Pidgeotto, behind you; watch out!" Ash yelled.
Koffing then released a huge blast of black smoke as Pidgeotto then cleared it away with a single flap of its wings.
"Spearow, use Wing Attack!" Jasmine yelled.
Spearow then charged right at Koffing as it slammed its wings right into it, knocking it away.
However, Koffing shook off the attack and then spat out more sludge as Pidgeotto and Spearow narrowly dodged it. Just then, Ekans emerged right out of the ground as it lunged right for Pidgeotto.
"Pidgeotto!" Misty yelled.
Pidgeotto then flew right out of the way with Ekans snapping right at its heels, narrowly avoiding its deadly clutches.
"Spearow, use Peck!" Jasmine cried.
Spearow then rushed right at Ekans and began pecking and jabbing it furiously on the head, causing Ekans to hiss out in pain and agony while bearing its sharp fangs.
"We're going to get a Pokemon! We're going to get a Pokemon! We're going to get a Pokemon!" James, Jessie and Meowth cheered as they were all dancing and waving hand held fans in the air.
Pidgeotto and Spearow then flew right back into the air together side by side with both Koffing and Ekans pursuing them.
"Koffing!"
"Ekans!"
"Gust counterattack, now!" Ash yelled.
Pidgeotto then attempted to use Gust, only to then be knocked out by both Koffing and Ekans.
"Pidgeotto, return!" Ash yelled as he then summoned Pidgeotto back into the Poke Ball.
He then charged right at Team Rocket, determined to give them a piece of his own mind.
"I'll show you!"
"Ash!" Misty cried.
Ash was then stopped by James, who was able to hold him back with the palm of his hand. Ash then growled in frustration and indignation as he began to swing his arms wildly.
"All right, let's go! Put 'em up!"
"Ha, what a fool!" Meowth cackled. "In Pokemon battles, only the Pokemon can fight each other."
"Buzz off," James scoffed as he then flicked his finger on Ash's forehead and knocked him away, sending him tumbling straight into the ground.
"Ash, are you okay?" Misty asked as she rushed over to where Ash lay.
"Guess you have no choice. Let Pikachu in and watch Team Rocket win," Jessie declared with a triumphant grin.
"All right, it's up to us now, guys," Rhonda sighed as she took out her Poke Ball and prepared to summon her Pokemon.
"I'm with you, Rhonda," Mitchell nodded as he also took out his Poke Ball and threw it into the air.
"Lucario, on me!"
"Blaze, go!" Rhonda yelled as she also threw her Poke Ball into the air.
Lucario and Blaze then emerged from their Poke Balls as they both got into fighting positions.
"Lucario!"
"Charmander!"
"Lucario, use Aura Sphere!" Mitchell commanded.
Lucario then charged up a huge bright blue energy ball in its paws before hurtling it right at Koffing, sending it spinning rapidly in midair in a daze.
"Blaze, use Fire Spin!" Rhonda yelled as Blaze spewed out a massive spiral of red hot flames that enveloped themselves around Ekans.
"Oh no, my poor Ekans!" Jessie wailed shrilly.
"Now, Blaze, use Fire Fang!" Rhonda yelled.
Blaze then charged right at Ekans with its maw burning furiously as he then bit right into its underside, causing Ekans to shriek out in even more pain and agony.
"Ekans, use Glare!" Jessie yelled.
Ekans then let out a sharp hiss as a mysterious yellow twinkle appeared in its right eye, prompting Blaze to suddenly let go of Ekans before dropping straight down to the ground in a violent convulsion, unable to move or do anything.
"Blaze, no!" Rhonda cried in a mortified voice.
"Lucario, use Close Combat!" Mitchell yelled.
Lucario then dashed right at Ekans and delivered several powerful and devastating close fisted punches to Ekans's face.
"Okay," Ash sighed as he took out a Poke Ball. "There's only one thing left to do."
He then tossed the Poke Ball into the air. "Caterpie, go!"
"Ash, what are you doing?" Misty yelled as she watched Caterpie emerge from the Poke Ball.
However, Caterpie was still weak and tired from his last battle as he clenched up in agony, shivering.
"What's that?" James asked in utter disbelief.
"It's a measly little worm," Meowth scoffed as they all laughed at Ash derisively.
"Get them," Jessie smirked evilly.
Ekans then let out a loud hiss as it and Koffing then lunged right at Caterpie, preparing to strike. Caterpie then mewled weakly as he braced himself for the inevitable attack.
"Caterpie, use String Shot!" Ash suddenly yelled.
Caterpie then shot out a long, white stringy substance at Koffing and Ekans as they were soon wrapped up into two large silky balls.
"Now for the finishing move. Lucario, use Extreme Speed!" Mitchell yelled.
Lucario then disappeared into thin air as he reappeared quickly and delivered two swift punches to his opponents, causing both of the balls to shatter and crumble into a million pieces as Koffing and Ekans fell to the ground in a stunned daze.
"Argh, this reeks!" Meowth groaned.
"Defeated by a Caterpie and a Lucario?! That really bugs me!" Jessie snarled indignantly.
"I'm afraid that it's time for us to blast off," James said as he, Jessie and Meowth soon turned around and ran for their lives.
"You may have won this round, but we'll be back to defeat you!" Jessie bellowed as they soon disappeared into the horizon.
"You can come back anytime; we'll be glad to defeat you!" Misty yelled back after her with a taunting smirk.
"Yeah, I hope you assholes come back soon so that we can go beat all of your dumb asses again!" Luthor cackled with a taunting and derisive smirk.
"We did it! We won our first Pokemon victory fair and square!" Ash cheered.
Caterpie squealed and chuckled softly as Ash picked it up gently and held it.
"Caterpie, I'm so proud of you. You really did your best and we won because of you," Ash said.
"Actually, it was Lucario who beat those chumps," Luthor declared.
"Eh, it was nothing," Mitchell laughed while waving his hand dismissively.
"You're stronger than you look, Caterpie," Misty said.
"Well, Misty, I guess you feel different about Caterpie now," Ash replied while still holding Caterpie.
"Well, I uh…" Misty hesitated as she pulled back slightly with an uncomfortable grimace.
"So why don't you two make up?" Ash offered while showing Caterpie to Misty. "Just pat Caterpie on the head and say thanks for a really great job."
Misty just stared at Caterpie with the grimace still plastered on her face.
"You like Pokemon, so it's only right to congratulate one for doing a great job," Ash added.
"I guess you're right," Misty sighed reluctantly.
She then slowly moved her hand towards Caterpie to pat it on the head, only for Caterpie to suddenly spit out a huge burst of string shot at her, causing her to scream and jump back in terror.
"Caterpie?" Ash asked as he then sat Caterpie down on the ground as he noticed that he kept on spitting out more string shot from his mouth and it was now starting to cover his entire body from head to toe. Then moments later, Caterpie was starting to glow in a bright white light.
"What?" Ash stammered in surprise as he saw that something strange was happening to his brand new Pokemon.
"It's evolving," Misty murmured in astonishment.
Eventually the white light faded away as Caterpie emerged in a brand new form. Ash then took out his Pokedex and opened it in order to get a reading on this newest Pokemon.
"Metapod, Caterpie's next stage. It has encased its body in a hard shell. This specimen has reached this stage faster than any previously discovered Pokemon of this variety," the Pokedex intoned.
"Hey, maybe that means that it could keep on changing and go on to the next stage right away," Ash said.
He then picked up Metapod in his hands and looked at him affectionately.
"Nice to meet you, Metapod. Not in the mood to talk?" Ash replied with a laugh.
Misty then watched this exchange between Ash and Metapod as she couldn't help but be filled with awe.
"I've never really known anyone like him. He really does love Pokemon," she said.
She then turned around to see Rhonda as she also watched her talk in hushed, quiet tones with Katie, Luthor, Jasmine, Yuki and Shirley. "And I don't think that I've ever met anyone quite like those kids either. Especially Rhonda. I can't shake this feeling that this girl is going to go places. I can just feel it."
"Hey, Misty!" a male voice called out and Misty yelped in surprised fear as she saw Ash shoving Metapod right into her face.
"You two were about to make friends, right?" Ash reminded her with a knowing grin.
"Yes, but I…" Misty stammered nervously as she slowly backed away from him.
She then let out a terrified scream as a Beedrill flew right by her and disappeared right into the trees.
"I'll do anything! Just get me out of here!" she wailed shrilly.
"No way! There's a lot more Pokemon here to catch! Come on, guys, let's go!" Ash cheered as he ran off.
"Oh, for the love of God! I'm starving here! Are we ever going to get out of this dumb forest?!" Rhonda whined as she and the others dashed off after Ash and Misty.
"I want to go home already!" Katie wailed while rubbing her belly.
"Me too!" Yuki cried, sniffling.
"Man, a hamburger sounds real good right about now," Luthor groaned while patting his stomach as he also trudged after his friends. "I wonder if there are any Mickey D's or Burger Kings in the next city over."
In loving memory of Rachael Lillis
July 8th, 1969 – August 10th, 2024