Hey readers - here we are with another new chapter : )
I honestly haven't got much to say this time, so I'm just going to jump straight on into it ; ) As such... well, unfortunately I cannot reveal the winner of the last voting topic as the result was a tie, but I'll give more information about that in the footnote. All I say is that one Pokemon was exactly what I expected, the other could not have been further from it if you guys tried ; )
Finally, I just want to say a GIGANTIC thank you to everyone that has reviewed, favourited, and followed this story. The support that has been shown to the story is amazing, and it means so much to me, so thank you : )
Please remember that Pokemon is not mine, only my OC's are : )
I hope you enjoy this chapter : )
Sweet Melodies, Sweet Rivalries - Part 3
As the dappled sunlight filtered through the canopy of the towering trees, a sinister giggle echoed through the forest, weaving a tapestry of mischief in the air. The rude girl, her glossy hair lightly tousled and her sharp eyes sparkling with mischief, strutted confidently alongside her Squirtle, Pistol, who mirrored her laughter with a series of playful splashes. They had just orchestrated a wicked prank on an unsuspecting Nolan, leaving both chaos and outrage in their wake. With each step the tricky duo took, they revelled in the thrill of their antics, unaware that the day had far more in store for everyone than their simple, petty tricks.
"Did you see the look on that guy's face, Pistol?" the rude girl giggled in the direction of her beloved partner, still looking far too satisfied with her action, "He was so sure he was going to catch that Jigglypuff!"
"Squirt! Squirtle!" Pistol chortled, just as amused by their antics as his human was.
The rude girl elegantly manoeuvred around a tree stump that was blocking the trail, before she continued on her trek through the forest. She smiled down at the Tiny Turtle Pokemon as he waddled alongside her.
"I love messing with other trainers" she crowed gleefully, revelling in the fact that she had just made someone else downright furious and there was absolutely nothing he could do about it. That kind of emotional needling was practically what the rude girl lived for after all, "Makes it all the more satisfying when we win!"
"Squirtle!" Pistol happily agreed. It was clear that the Water Type Pokemon was just as malicious as his trainer was.
The rude girl beamed at Pistol's enthusiastic response, before her expression slowly shifted into something more serious.
"But that was way too close" the rude girl continued, frowning now as she chewed her lip thoughtfully, "That guy almost beat us to it. He was so close to catching that Jigglypuff!"
"Squirtle" Pistol nodded wearily, looking troubled by that fact as well.
The two of them continued on their way, following the direction of the wind. They were hoping that by doing that, they would end up crossing paths with that coveted Jigglypuff again.
"If I want to become the top trainer and earn a fortune Pistol, I need to be the one who catches that Jigglypuff" the rude girl's eyes sparkled with joy at the notion of making a tidy sum for a minimal amount of work on her part, "It'll give us so many easy victories! Just imagine, Pistol, a Pokemon that can sing our opponents to sleep! We'll be raking in the cash from all the wannabe trainers. We could even retire from all our cons, if we wanted!"
The Squirtle at her side actually snorted. Like that was ever going to happen.
"Squirt..." Pistol chuckled fondly.
The rude girl threw back her head and laughed loudly. The harsh noise was enough to frighten a couple of nearby roosting Pidgey right out of their tree, but she didn't really care about that. Instead, she just grinned down at her partner in sinister amusement.
"Yeah, you're probably right Pistol" the girl agreed with the Tiny Turtle Pokemon, "We'd never do that. I enjoy fleecing the idiots out of their money way too much to ever give it up!"
"Squirtle! Squirtle!" the little Water Type Pokemon laughed.
A fond memory suddenly sprung to the young girl's mind, and a bright smile eclipsed her face. Her eyes took on a reminiscent quality as she continued on her hike.
"Remember that time we tricked that fool gym leader over in Celadon City into buying 'Sparkling Squirtle Water, made from a real Squirtle's Bubble'? The idiot bought six barrels of the stuff!" the girl laughed, smiling broadly at the happy memory, "She actually thought it would be a fresh new scent for her perfume line!"
"Squirtle! Squirt!" Pistol had to clutch at the belly of his shell, he was laughing so hard.
"How mad do you think she was when she figured out it was just regular tap water?" the rude girl asked Pistol playfully, unable to even attempt to keep a straight face.
"SQUIRTLE! SQUIRT! SQUIRTLE!" Pistol was positively roaring with laughter at the memory of that particular con.
The rude girl wiped a tear of laughter from her eye.
"Ah, good times" the rude girl smirked once they both managed to calm themselves. Her expression quickly became more serious though as she returned her attention to the matter at hand, "But enough reminiscing, it's time to get down to business. We still need to find that Jigglypuff that got away from that kid we messed with".
Pistol nodded seriously in agreement. He pointed up at his beloved human with a webbed claw.
"Good idea" the rude girl lightly praised the Tiny Turtle Pokemon when she realized that Pistol was pointing at the only occupied pokeball currently hanging from her belt. The girl quickly unclipped it and tossed the red and white sphere high into the air, "Okay Queenie, come on out!"
A haze of crimson coloured light illuminated the entire forest around them.
From the orb of light that had emerged from the pokeball, a shape began to twist and warp and manifest into existence. Soon enough, the shape solidified, taking on the form of a small, pale blue creature that was quadrupedal in stature. A small horn adored its head, and it had whiskers and bucked teeth. It was a very cute Pokemon indeed.
"Nido!"
The Pokemon that the rude girl had let out was a Nidoran, specifically one of the female variety. She blinked up at her trainer with a rather bored expression.
Offering no greeting to the small creature, the rude girl got straight to business.
"I need you to put those sensitive ears of yours to good use again, Queenie" the rude girl announced bluntly, without any kind of preamble whatsoever, "Remember how I told you I wanted to add a Jigglypuff to our squad?"
The Nidoran, Queenie, rolled her eyes. She was sadly getting used to the rather brusque manner in which the human she was forced to call her trainer often spoke to her.
"Pistol and I just blocked a loser from catching one!" the rude girl continued with no small amount of pride in both her expression and tone, as if Queenie should be impressed by that. When it became apparent that the small Nidoran was not, the rude girl continued, "Unfortunately it floated off before I could nab it".
"Nido" Queenie huffed and rolled her eyes.
Catching the expression on the small Nidoran's face, the rude girl scowled. She didn't even try to refrain from rolling her own eyes back at the sassy little Poison Type.
"It was unavoidable" the girl retorted bluntly, ignoring the way Queenie seemed to snigger up at her, "But now that we know that there's one nearby, we need to pinpoint its location, and that's where you come in. You want dinner tonight, you better track down that Jigglypuff".
Once again, Queenie the Nidoran just rolled her eyes. That was a threat that was becoming a little boring if she was honest.
"Nido, Nidoran..." the small blue Poison Type Pokemon huffed, but decided to just humour the human who had captured her. Queenie took a step forwards, her ears twitching as she listened to her surroundings intently. Eventually, she gestured with her paw, her eyes focused.
"It's over there?" the rude girl demanded almost instantaneously.
"Nido" Queenie nodded.
"You better be right" the rude girl sneered down at the little blue creature, without so much as a simple thank you. The girl then turned her attention back to Pistol, and her affectionate smile returned, "Let's go nab that Jigglypuff for our team Pistol! Come on!"
And without even looking back to check that her Pokemon were following her, the rude girl charged off further into the woods. Her mind was on the job and her eyes were on the prize.
Nothing was going to stand in her way.
Nolan stood in the heart of the forest, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and berries, his fury crackling like electricity around him. Just moments ago, his dreams of becoming the proud trainer of a Jigglypuff had unravelled like a tattered map, and now, with the sun filtering through the leaves above, he felt the weight of the world pressing down on him. With a primal scream that echoed through the trees, the golden haired boy released his pent-up anger, the sound mingling with the whispers of the forest, as if nature itself was daring him to rise from the ashes of this moment.
It was a challenge that Nolan was happy to meet head on.
"I can't believe it!" the golden haired boy managed to breath out through his clenched teeth, still quivering where he stood with rage, "That girl... she actually..."
Nolan threw back his head and out another frustrated scream.
"Bulba..." Meadow whined softly.
"Growlithe..." Fang whimpered, lying down with his paws folded and tucked beneath his chin, as if to make himself appear as small as possible.
Catching the upset expressions on the faces of his two companions, Nolan's shoulders slumped. He allowed a soft sigh of misery to slip pass his lips, as he tried his level best to rein in the boiling emotions that felt like they were about to spiral out of control.
"I'm sorry you guys" the golden haired boy knelt down and gently petted both their heads, "I didn't mean to scare you".
"Saur..."
"Growl..."
Happy that their beloved human appeared to have stopped screaming for the moment - a noise they both found incredibly distressing - Meadow and Fang both affectionately nuzzled against Nolan's outstretched hands. Their actions had the desired effect, and Nolan was helped to calm down even further.
"I know I shouldn't let it get to me" Nolan whispered as he tried to get his agitated breathing under control, "But that girl, she actually deflected my pokeball! And right after Fang had battled that Jigglypuff and wore it down!"
"Growlithe..." Fang whimpered again.
"I'm sorry, buddy" the golden haired boy soothed the adorable Puppy Pokemon, scratching behind his ears and making Fang pur softly, "You put in such hard work, but we didn't get the payoff. You still did a great job though. I'm proud of you boy".
"Lithe!" Fang barked encouragingly. Nolan all but had to force his handsome features into a strained smile.
"It's okay Fang. I know it wasn't my fault either" Nolan kindly assured the cute little Fire Type Pokemon, before his expression hardened back into righteous anger, "It's that girl's fault! If it wasn't for her, we'd all be welcoming that Jigglypuff to the family right now!"
"Bulba!" Meadow spat in agreement.
"Growlithe!" Fang snarled as well, clearly a little peeved by that nasty human's mean trick as well. That battle had been hard after all, thank you very much.
Nolan clenched his fists tightly, the very image of determination itself.
"Well we're not giving up!" the golden haired boy boldly declared, his voice holding the utmost conviction, "This is a setback, but we're letting that little brat get away with it. We can still catch that Jigglypuff first. We just need to track it down again, and quickly!"
Meadow and Fang both cheered happily. They were pleased to see that Nolan wasn't going to let what had just happened to keep him down for long.
"Come on you two" Nolan beamed down at his two loyal comrades, "Let's get searching!"
"Bulbasaur!"
"Growlithe!"
The trio were about to leave the forest clearing, their intention to follow the summer breeze so they would at least be heading in the general direction that Jigglypuff had floated off in, when suddenly their attention was grabbed by the sound of something rustling in the bushes. Nolan, Meadow and Fang, all momentarily distracted, stopped in their tracks and fixed their gaze upon the shaking bush. They all exchanged a nervous glance, still clearly a little tense by recent events.
"Do you think..." Nolan trailed off anxiously, chewing his lip as he eyed the bush nervously, "Do you think maybe the Jigglypuff came back?"
"Bulba..." Meadow did a funny little manoeuvre that Nolan could only interpret as a shrug.
"Growlithe..." Fang whined as he tilted his head to one side, clearly unsure as well.
Nolan's icy blue eyes didn't leave the bush for even a single second, the boy carefully tracking the movement of every rustling leaf. He wanted them all to be on high alert, just in case whatever was lurking out of their sight proved to be dangerous. They needed to be ready for anything.
"Stay alert" Nolan whispered to Meadow and Fang, both of whom tensed up at the order, "If it's the Jigglypuff, we're ready!"
The bushes rustled again. Nolan sucked in a sharp breath when the lush green leaves and the entangled branches suddenly parted. The golden haired boy fully expected to be attacked by a ravenous wild Pokemon, or perhaps even by that rude girl, coming back to end the feud that she had initiated between them. What he most definitely was not expecting to see was three distinct different shapes. Nolan's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he took in the sight of the feathery down of a small Pidgey, the long violet hairs of a Venonat, and the rock solid surface of a hulking Geodude.
It was his team. His family.
The relief was almost enough to knock Nolan clean off his feet.
"Pidgey!" Welkin chirped happily in greeting. He flapped his wings to become airborne for a moment, before he landed upon a stunned Nolan's shoulder and perched himself there.
"Venonat!" Iris buzzed exciting, hopping out of the bush and dashing across the clearing to join them. She nuzzled against Nolan's leg by means of saying hello.
"Geodude!" Xanthite grunted as she used her internal magnetism to levitate through the air towards them as well. It was hard to tell since as a species Geodude always looked a little angry, but she seemed happy to see them all as well.
Nolan gaped at each one of them in turn.
"Welkin? Iris? Xanthite?" the golden haired boy questioned, his tone and his expression both riddled with shock. Shaking his head, the boy tried to push the surprise of his little family's abrupt and unexpected appearance, "What are you doing here? I thought I told you guys to stay with Ash, Brock, and Misty".
"Pidgey!"
"Veno!"
"Geodude!"
"They did!" a new voice chimed into the conversation, the familiar voice carrying through the forest and into the clearing.
Startled, Nolan glanced over in the direction that the voice had originated from, and his handsome features quickly curled into a warm smile. Walking through the woods towards him were Ash, Misty and Brock. They all looked relieved to have found him as they emerged into the clearing. Nolan positively beamed at the sight of them. Considering who the last human he had clapped eyes on was, his friends were a most welcome change of pace.
"Hey Nolan!" Ash smiled at him warmly, having been the one to call out to him before.
"Hi Nolan!" Misty and Brock both greeted their friend and travelling companion as well.
"Hey you guys!" the golden haired boy returned the pleasantries, before a curious expression overtook his handsome features, "What are you all doing here? I thought you were having a lunch break?"
His friends all stared at him incredulously.
"Nolan, we finished lunch nearly an hour ago!" Ash chuckled at the stunned look that appeared on his best friend's face. Clearly he hadn't realised just how long he'd been gone.
"Yeah, when you took off like that, we got a little worried" Misty added, lightly scolding their friend for his recklessness.
"That's why we eventually came searching for you" Brock finished with a smile, before a look pf curiosity crept onto his face, "And speaking of searching, how's your Jigglypuff hunt going?"
The dark scowl that overtook Nolan's features chilled them all right down to the bone.
"We found one, but it got away" the golden haired boy admitted, no small amount of bitterness in his tone. At his side, Meadow and Fang both slumped. Welkin, Iris and Xanthite all looked between the rest of their family in concern.
Ash, Misty and Brock all looked at Nolan in sympathy.
"Aw, don't let a failed capture bother you Nolan. You'll get it next time!" Misty said kindly. Her attempt to reassure him did precious little to improve the boy in question's sour mood.
"It's not the fact that I failed to catch it that's bothering me, it's why" Nolan admitted the.
"What do you mean?" Ash stared at his best friend, a little perplexed by the words he had just spoken. Judging by the expressions on Brock and Misty's faces, they were just as confused as well.
Nolan's shoulders slumped in exhaustion, but he begrudgingly began to explain what had happened.
"That rude girl we met before... she showed up again and interfered with my capture!" the golden haired boy ground out as he clenched his fists tightly, still fuming about the stunt that she had pulled, "She had a Squirtle with her and she had it use Water Gun to deflect my pokeball right after I threw it!"
Ash, Misty and Brock all gasped in shock, scarcely able to believe what they were hearing.
"The Jigglypuff had just been defeated by Fang" Nolan continued before his friends had a chance to interrupt his tirade with any condolences, "The pokeball missed, and the Jigglypuff escaped by inflating itself and floating off! And the girl? She just laughed and walked off!"
By the time that Nolan was finished speaking, he could feel his blood boiling in his veins again.
"What a horrible stunt to pull on another trainer!" Misty exclaimed in outrage on her friend's behalf, shaking her head in disgust. Ash and Brock were in complete agreement with her assessment.
"I thought you were overreacting a bit before..." Brock admitted, sounding a little sheepish about that now, "But after hearing this, Nolan, I see why you're so bothered by that girl now".
"What are you going to do about it, Nolan?" Ash wanted to know, eyeing his best friend with a healthy amount of concern.
Nolan took on a tight stance, clenching his jaw determinedly.
"Well for one thing, I'm definitely not going to let this slide" the golden haired boy bit out, his words holding the weight of a heavy promise, "I'm going to track down that Jigglypuff again, and this time, nobody is going to get in my way!"
All of his friends, human and Pokemon alike, seemed glad that Nolan wasn't going to take this lying down.
"But if the Jigglypuff was floating away on the breeze, it could be a long way away by now" Misty pointed out as the thought occurred to her.
"I doubt it" Nolan quickly countered, a sly grin working its way onto his face.
"What do you mean?" Brock glanced down at his blonde haired friend in confusion. After all, Misty's point seemed perfectly valid and logical to him.
Nolan flashed them all a somewhat smug grin.
"According to my Pokedex, Jigglypuff love Oran Berries" the golden haired boy began to explain, but when it quickly became apparent that his friends couldn't see the relevance, Nolan elaborated, "The one we fought was eating one when we found it".
Ash, Misty and Brock all exchanged bewildered glances. It was obvious that they just weren't getting it.
"We interrupted its lunch when Fang and I battled it" Nolan explained further, his eyes intense as he gave voice to the theory he'd been working on , "It might still be hungry. With some luck, I might be able to lure it out again with more Oran Berries!"
Now the other humans in the forest clearing understood.
"That's a pretty good theory, Nolan" Brock admitted with a small grin, impressed by the amount of thought Nolan was putting into this Pokemon hunt of his, "It actually stands a really good chance of working".
Nolan couldn't help but preen at the aspiring Pokemon breeder's praise.
"Well then..." Ash said slowly, a grin creeping onto his own face now as the others all turned their attention, "Let's pick some Oran Berries!"
A look of surprise briefly flashed across the golden haired boy's features.
"Wait, does this mean you guys will help me?" Nolan searched his three friends' faces, shocked by the suggestion, but unable to deny the air of hope in his voice.
The three looks he got in return for that question were borderline patronising.
"Of course we'll help you!" Misty said like it was obvious, scoffing at the notion that he had even had to ask them that, "You're our friend!"
"That's right" Ash nodded eagerly in agreement.
"Besides..." Brock chimed in with a sly grin of his own, "We can't just let that girl treat you like that and get away with it!"
Nolan, for his part, was deeply touched by his friends' offer of help.
"Thanks, guys" the golden haired boy breathed, his icy blue eyes welling up slightly, he was so grateful, "You have no idea how much this means to me".
Ash, Misty and Brock simply beamed at him.
Without further ado, the four friends and their Pokemon quickly got to work on scouring the nearby trees for Oran Berries. They knew it wouldn't be an easy task, scaling those high branches, but for Nolan they were willing to take the risk. As for the golden haired boy himself, he just smiled as he got to work.
After all, that Jigglypuff wasn't going to lure itself out of hiding.
Unbeknownst to Nolan, his Pokemon and his freshly arrived human friends, not only had their recent exchange been spied upon, but so had the events leading up to that conversation. The fierce clash between Fang the Growlithe and the wild Jigglypuff had been observed in its entirety, but that in and of itself wasn't what was important right now. It was more the identities of the beings themselves that had done the snooping which mattered at this moment. Three distinct figures, each one of them hiding in the undergrowth, slowly poked their heads out from within a bush. Jessie, James, and Meowth, and each of them was wearing an equally smug smirk on his or her face. With their usual little yellow target now firmly within their sights, the trio from the infamous criminal organisation slowly turned to face each other, each of them ready to discuss their next move.
"You were right, Jessie" Meowth started the conversation in a low whisper, eyeing the twerps now picking berries from the trees with a gleeful malice, "Goldilocks led us right to dat sneaky little Pikachu!"
The female criminal tossed her long magenta coloured hair back, looking both smug and proud of herself.
"Well, of course I was right" Jessie smirked down at the Scratch Cat Pokemon for a moment, before her dark eyes honed back in on the children in the forest clearing before them, "It was just common sense. Something the two of you could do with a little more of if I'm being honest".
Kneeling by her side in the undergrowth, James snorted in dry amusement.
"Ha, ha, very funny Jessie" the cyan haired man's tone what sarcastic but his expression was both fond and playful. After all, he knew it was just Jessie's particular brand of banter.
Jessie laughed at her own teasing for a moment, before her expression morphed into something more serious.
"Now, let's just get down to business" the magenta haired woman said to the others, keen to get back to the matter at hand. Evil deeds weren't going to commit themselves after all.
"So what's our plan to steal Pikachu this time?" James glanced at her curiously.
The magenta haired woman shook her head.
"We're not" she said bluntly, and yet despite their simplicity, the female criminal's words were met by two equally perplexed looks from her friend and co-workers.
"We're not?" James repeated slowly, his tone and expression both very confused.
"Why?" Meowth wanted to know.
The smile that Jessie flashed the two of them was just slightly past the border of condescending. It was clear that she thought it was obvious, but apparently it was. She decided to help her teammates get there a little faster.
"Think about what we just witnessed" the magenta haired woman prompted.
James and Meowth both reflected upon her suggestion for a long hard moment. In the end it was James that got what his female counterpart was talking about first.
"Are you talking about that Nolan kid failing to catch that little pink Pokemon?" the cyan haired man asked uncertainly, unable to see the connection but struggling to come up with any other plausible theories.
"Precisely!" Jessie said with a pleased, self-satisfied grin.
Unfortunately for the Scratch Cat Pokemon nestled in the bush between them, he still wasn't getting it. He turned his fluffy little head back and forth between Jessie and James, utterly bewildered.
"What about it?" Meowth asked curiously, his tail wagging back and forth in agitation at being the only one not in the loop, "Why should we care that Goldilocks goofed?"
Jessie tisked impatiently, waving a reproachful finger in Meowth's face
"It's important because we're going to go after that Pokémon he was trying to catch...for ourselves!" the magenta haired woman declared boldly, her eyes blazing with an unspoken promise.
Despite their intensity, the female criminal's words did not have the desired effect.
"We've already been through this!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon screeched a bit too loudly, having been through this once already with James and losing his temper at the thought of now having to repeat himself with Jessie, "We're not giving up on Pikachu!"
The magenta haired woman rolled her eyes in the face of Meowth's intense ranting.
"I have no intention of giving up on Pikachu either, Meowth" Jessie calmly assured the Scratch Cat Pokemon before he had a chance to get too worked up, "But we need to work smarter, not harder! It's the only way if we want to successfully steal that Pikachu this time".
The female criminal's soothing words were enough to calm Meowth down some.
"What do you mean?" the cute Normal Type Pokemon's tone quickly shifted from highly aggravated to genuinely curious.
"I'm a little confused as well" James admitted from off to the side.
Jessie couldn't help but let a small groan of frustration slip her lips. She really had thought that her friends were smarter than this. Clearly she had been giving them a little too much credit.
"There's that common sense thing again!" the magenta haired woman muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Okay, listen up" Jessie huffed as she began to explain the main reason behind her latest plan, "The Pokemon that Nolan kid was trying to catch was a special Pokemon called Jigglypuff. It can sing lullabies that have the power to put both people and Pokemon to sleep on the spot!"
Dawning realisation blossomed across James' face as her words sunk in.
"Ah, I see now" the cyan haired man nodded, finding himself agreeing with Jessie's unspoken idea now that he understood what it was.
"I don't" Meowth said bluntly, beginning to look a little frustrated, "Can someone please explain?"
"Think about it, Meowth" Jessie smiled down at the little Pokemon in question, her eyes sparkling at the idea of dreams for herself being nightmares for others, "Imagine a Pokemon that can put all humans and Pokemon around it to sleep under Team Rocket's command. We'd be invincible!"
Meowth's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates as he began to cotton-on.
"If we could get those twerps to fall asleep on command, stealing Pikachu will be easy!" Jessie continued dreamily, her mind beginning to race with new ideas, "And after we've done that, we could then go on our own personal crime spree!"
James beamed at her, liking the way his friend thought.
"With a Pokemon like that under our control, we could rob banks all over the world and steal a fortune!" the cyan haired man gasped excitedly.
"Exactly!" the female criminal at his side concurred, just barely resisting the urge to start jumping up and down eagerly at all the wonderful dreams chasing each other through her mind, "And lots of jewellery stores too! I can't wait to be dripping in diamonds!"
Between them, Meowth was starting to get on-board with the new strategy as well.
"We could target Pokemon gyms and steal hundreds of super strong Pokemon for the boss!" the Scratch Cat Pokemon purred, happily wagging his tail back and forth in his excitement.
All three members of the infamous criminal organisation threw up their hands in celebration.
"Woo hoo!" they all cheered in delight.
"Okay, I'm convinced" Meowth beamed up at his two human friends and co-workers once they had all managed to calm down and rein themselves in, "How do we get dat Jigglypuff?"
The cyan haired man kneeling in the bushes began rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Well, since it floated away, we'll need to track it down before the twerps do" James pointed out reasonably as he voiced his thoughts aloud. Next to him, Jessie shook her head.
"They're not the ones we need to worry about" the magenta haired woman said with a certainty that was not to be argued with.
James and Meowth both glanced at each other uncertainly, before refocusing their attention on Jessie.
"Do you mean that other kid who turned up?" Meowth inquired curiously.
"Exactly" the magenta haired woman nodded, a small reminiscent smile that could almost be mistaken for fondness gracing her beautiful features, "That girl actually reminded me of myself when I was a teenager".
At her side, James chuckled mischievously.
"You mean very self-entitled?" the cyan haired man playfully joked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Jessie positively beamed at him.
"Exactly!" the magenta haired woman cried with cheerful enthusiasm.
Then it sunk in that James had just insulted her.
SLAP!
"NO!" the magenta haired woman shrieked indignantly, whilst James clutched his now stinging cheek, paying dearly for his brief moment of fun, "What I meant, James, is she's clever, ruthless, and above all, underhanded. She'll be a lot tougher than that Nolan twerp for us to deal with".
Whimpering, James slowly lowered his hand from his reddening cheek.
"I see what you mean" the cyan haired man nodded in agreement. After all, it was easy to see why somebody who would deploy such a dirty trick as that girl had would be a lot more problematic than a goodie-two-shoes like that Nolan brat.
"We'll just have to beat her to the punch!" Meowth chimed in with an air of determination.
"Exactly!" Jessie nodded excitedly, pleased that both of her teammates were on board with her latest scheme, "And our balloon is how we'll do it!"
"Good idea, Jessie!" James smiled at her despite the earlier pain she had inflicted upon his poor face, knowing he kind of deserved it, "We'll stand a much better chance of winning this race if we search from the air".
"I know!" the female criminal in question grinned smugly, "Now come on, let's go get the balloon ready!"
And so with their new course of action settled and decided, Jessie, James, and Meowth all hurried off in the direction of where they had left their hot-air balloon. They moved as quietly as possible, unwilling to allow the competition to become aware of their presence or their interested in the coveted Jigglypuff.
The race was well and truly on.
As the sun slowly began to get a little lower in the sky, casting long shadows through the towering trees, the rude girl stomped her way through the underbrush, her irritation palpable. Pistol, her Squirtle, who was struggling to keep pace. Beside him, Queenie the Nidoran flicked her ears, unfazed by their so-called trainer's impatience. The rude girl paid no attention to either of them though as they all marched along their way. With each step the trio took, the forest seemed to mock them, whispering secrets of the elusive target that danced just out of their reach, fuelling the rude girl's frustration and determination in equal measure.
"Ugh! This is getting ridiculous!" the rude girl huffed angrily, before she looked down at her Poison Type Pokemon and fixed her with a withering glare, "Queenie, you bonehead! How is it you can hear every single sound in this damn forest except the one thing I asked you to listen for?!"
Queenie rolled her eyes. It was an action that did little to aid with the rude girl's already fraying temper.
"Don't you dare roll your eyes at me!" the rude girl hissed, her tone like acid as she glared down at the cheeky Nidoran brat, "We've been walking for ages, and we haven't seen anything even remotely pink, let alone a Jigglypuff! Do you even care about my plans?!"
Going by the small snort that Queenie huffed out, she did not.
"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS ATTITUDE!" the incensed girl suddenly yelled, startling a couple of roosting Pidgey and Pidgeotto into taking flight, "YOU BETTER SHAPE UP QUEENIE OR ELSE!"
Totally unimpressed by the thinly-veiled threat, Queenie simply fired off one of her Poison Sting needles in response.
"Waaah!" the rude girl exclaimed as she was forced to quickly dodge the poisonous projectile. Straightning herself out, the girl turned to Queenie disapprovingly, although thankfully she didn't start yelling again, "Urgh, you're such a diva!"
"Nido!" Queenie smirked as if to say 'You better believe it'.
Before the dysfunctional group could continue with anymore of their angry bickering however, a gentle noise suddenly reached Queenie's sensitive ears. The small Poison Type Pokemon halted in her tracks, the appendages on either side of her head twitching in almost perfect unison.
"Ran... Nidoran!" Queenie squeaked excitedly when she managed to pinpoint the source of the new sound. It wasn't too far away from them either.
The small blue Poison Type Pokemon quickly set off again, taking the lead once more.
"Urgh! Great, here we go again" the rude girl groaned behind Queenie's back, making no attempt whatsoever to hide her doubts in the little Pokemon's abilities, "Fine! Have it your way! Another one of Queenie's magical mystery tours, I guess".
At the rude girl's side, Pistol sighed wearily. These constant disagreements were getting beyond a joke.
"Come on Pistol" the rude girl demanded, urging the Tiny Turtle Pokemon at her side along, "You never know, maybe Queenie will break the habit of a lifetime and actually find something useful this time".
"Squirt!" Pistol, despite his best efforts, couldn't hold back a dry snort of amusement.
The pair of them them quickly followed after Queenie as the small Nidoran curiously wandered into a thicket of lush green bushes. Each member of the group sustained a fair amount of scratches along the way as they smashed through the undergrowth, but thankfully it wasn't too long before they emerged into another beautiful forest clearing, bathed in sunlight. A small pond was situated in the middle, and by its edge, a lone figure stood, slurping up some of the glistening water.
A soft gasp of awed surprise slipped past the rude girl's lips as soon as she took notice of it.
Jigglypuff.
The figure taking a refreshing drink from the pool was none other than Jigglypuff.
"There it is!" the rude girl gasped in disbelief, her eyes shining happily for a moment before they cut over to Queenie and narrowed into a deadpan stare, "Finally! It's about time you got the job done, Queenie".
"Nido!" Queenie just scoffed and rolled her eyes again.
This time the rude girl took no notice of the little blue Poison Type Pokemon's sass, and instead focused her attention in its entirety solely upon the small pink figure perched upon the edge of the pond. The rude girl's smile widened when she realised that the wild Jigglypuff still seemed completely oblivious to their presence. That was good. It would give her and her Pokemon the element of surprise, something the rude girl always relished in having.
"It still looks a little beat-up from when that loser fought it before" the rude girl observed aloud, still feeling a little smug about how she had brought about that other trainer's failure, "This should be easy! Alright you two! Let's show this Jigglypuff who's boss! Go!"
Her Pokemon didn't need telling twice.
Barely a split-second after the last syllable had parted company with the rude girl's glossy lips were Pistol and Queenie up and charging towards the unsuspecting Jigglypuff.
"SQUIRTLE!"
"NIDORAN!"
Clearly startled by all the commotion, the wild Jigglypuff looked up from the pond in time to see Pistol the Squirtle, his shell gleaming like the sea under the sun, and Queenie the Nidoran, her ears perked and tail twitching, charging towards it with fierce determination. Jigglypuff's heart raced, and for a moment, it felt frozen in surprise.
"JIGGLY!"
That single squeak of alarm was the only response that the wild Jigglypuff had time to give before its aggressors were upon it.
"Now, Pistol! Use Water Gun!" the rude girl shouted, her heart racing.
"Squirtle!"
In one swift fluid motion, Pistol unleashed a powerful jet of sparkling water from his mouth, the force of the blast creating a miniature waterfall in the air. The stream of water arched gracefully before crashing towards Jigglypuff, who just barely managed to dodging it in time by jumping backward.
"Jigglypuff!"
Getting sick and tired of being caught off guard today, Jigglypuff, quickly regained its composure and puffed up its cheeks, preparing to retaliate with its hypnotic melody.
"Not so fast!" the rude girl declared, not about to fall for the same trick that she planned to use against all the other wannabe trainers, "Quick Queenie! Use your Poison Sting attack!"
"Nidoran!"
In an instant, Queenie released a barrage of shimmering, needle-like darts that zipped through the air, targeting the Jigglypuff. It was a perfect shot, but once again the Balloon Pokemon was just able to wriggle out of the way in time.
"Jiggly!"
The rude girl watched as the wild Jigglypuff inflated itself and began floating up into the air, effortlessly avoiding the attacks that Pistol and Queenie kept trying to pummel it with. When it quickly became apparent that Jigglypuff was trying to catch a breeze so it could make another hasty escape, the rude girl let out a cold, calculating laugh.
"You think you can escape from me, little puffball?" the rude girl sneered, her eyes glistening with the usual cruel glint they gained when she was pulling off a particularly nasty con, "Oh, you might have outsmarted that other trainer, but I'm a whole different league. Bring it down!"
Those last few words were directed towards her own two Pokemon.
Reacting instantly, Pistol blasted out a huge barrage of colourful bubbles, using his Bubble attack until the entire clearing was full of the sparkling fragile orbs. Jigglypuff looked around nervously at the watery swirling barrier that was slowly encircling it as it tried to float away.
"Excellent work Pistol!" the rude girl praised her partner before turning her attention to her other Pokemon, "Now, Queenie! Pop one!"
Thankfully Queenie was on board for once, so instead of rolling her eyes, she simply followed the command without any hesitation. Firing off another sharp needle-like projectile, Queenie used her Poison Sting attack to pop just a single bubble, but one was enough. In a domino effect that the rude girl had so cleverly predicted, that one bubble exploding popped those around it. They in turn popped more bubbles, until each and every one of the glistening watery spheres were exploding. With nowhere to go, the wild Jigglypuff was caught up in it all, and so it was helpless to avoid the downdraft created by the minor explosions. Jigglypuff soon began tumbling back towards the forest floor.
"JIGGLY!"
CRASH!
With a thickening thud that seemed to echo throughout the entire forest around them, the wild Jigglypuff slammed into the ground flat on its face again, just like when Nolan and Fang had initiated their battle against it earlier. The Balloon Pokemon let out a low groan as it practically forced itself back to its feet, whimpering all the while.
The rude girl laughed cruelly at their target's display of pain.
"Good combination you two!" the mean trainer actually commended both of her Pokemon, before she quickly returned her attention to the matter at hand, "Now, pin it down! Let's show this little puffball what a real trainer is like!"
Despite the fact that their fellow Pokemon clearly wasn't able to take much more of this, the rude girl's two Pokemon didn't even hesitate to follow through with her command. In that moment the wild Jigglypuff was nothing more than their opponent. It didn't matter that it was a living creature with wants and desires of its own. No. The rude girl wanted it and so she was going to get it. There really was nothing more to be said on the matter. As such, Queenie saw no issue in running over to the weakened Jigglypuff and ploughing straight into it. She knocked the small pink creature flat on its back before she clambered up to sit on it, pinning it down.
Once again, the nasty female trainer just laughed at Jigglypuff's pain and misfortune.
"Look how weak you are Jigglypuff!" the rude girl giggled mockingly, a cruel glint sparkling in her dark eyes, "I'll soon whip you into shape! Now, Pistol, use Water Gun at point-blank range! Knock it unconscious!"
Jigglypuff whimpered, its eyes wide with fright, as Pistol got into position and prepared to attack.
"Squirtle!" Pistol's face morphed into a twisted mockery of a smile. It was clear that the Tiny Turtle Pokemon was going to enjoy this just as much as his nasty trainer was.
"Jiggly..." the wild Jigglypuff trembled in fear beneath Queenie's crushing weight.
But before Pistol the Squirtle could unleash his watery attack, a curious thing happened. A thin, fine green mist, like a spectral wave, drifted in from the trees, engulfing the clearing in a sickly sweet scent. The air grew thick with emerald sparkles, and Pistol coughed loudly, his shell momentarily clouding over. He looked around, disoriented, his attention faltering.
"Squirt?" the Tiny Turtle Pokemon looked rather confused, before he let out a long, loud yawn.
Queenie the Nidoran was faring much better. Like Pistol, the twinkling green mist seemed to hold her captive, weakening her, stealing her strength. The Balloon Pokemon beneath her eventually managed to shake free from her grasp, and Queenie fell gently against the ground.
"Nido?" Queenie squeaked in bewilderment, before she yawned as well as she inhaled more of the glistening powder flooding the air around them.
In a matter of seconds, Pistol and Queenie both toppled over, out cold.
The rude girl was aghast. Aghast and astonished. She honestly could have won an award for the way that she swelled up, almost like she was doing a spot on impression of the very creature she was trying to nab for herself. But unlike the Jigglypuff, who had only inflated itself as a means to escape, the rude girl seemed to be swelling up with the utmost fury.
"What the…? Pistol! Queenie! What do you think you're doing?!" the rude girl demanded, her tone and expression both angry and shocked by the sight before her. "Napping without my express permission? How dare you!? What's going on here?! Jigglypuff didn't even use Sing!"
"Jiggly?" Jigglypuff was staring at its two opponents now sleeping on the ground, confused as well.
"SURPRISE!"
Both the rude girl and the Jigglypuff jumped about foot in the air, startled out of their wits by the abrupt and unexpected call. Alarmed, they both whipped around to face the source of the shout. The rude girl's face immediately hardened into a fierce glare at the sight that greeted her.
Under a massive oak, an aura about him that practically reeked of smugness, stood none other than Nolan Locke.
The rude girl most certainly was not happy to see him. If there was one thing that she hated in life more than anything else, it was a wannabe loser that didn't know when to back off and get out of her way. And just this guy's presence her was evidence enough that he was exactly the type of person that was deluded enough to think he could take her own. The rude girl ground her teeth together as she stared him down.
"You again!" the rude girl shouted, her voice cracking through the air like a whip.
Nolan simply smiled in response.
"Me again" the golden haired boy confirmed smugly, flashing the rude girl an arrogant, cocky grin.
It did little to improve the rude girl's already sour disposition.
"I take it this is all your doing?" she demanded furiously, gesturing wildly in the direction of where Pistol and Queenie both lay sleeping in a crumpled heap.
Nolan's grin became even smugger if that was at all possible, and the rude girl suddenly found herself stamping down the urge to sink her fist right into it.
"I thought they looked a little tired from ganging up on that poor Jigglypuff, so I decided to give them a helping hand to dreamland" Nolan positively beamed at the girl, gesturing towards a Venonat that stood beside him and drawing the rude girl's attention to the fluffy purple Pokemon for the first time since this confrontation had begun, "What do you think of Iris' Sleep Powder? I personally think it works really great!"
The rude girl's face turned an unpleasant shade of puce.
"HOW DARE YOU?!" she shrieked, clearly outrage by the blasé way in which Nolan was mocking her. It was obvious that she believe that that type of behaviour was only acceptable when she was the one doing it. No one else.
Nolan's smile chilled by several degrees, his eyes cold as ice.
"You mess with my capture, I mess with yours" the golden haired boy retorted bluntly. He was thoroughly enjoying watching the rude girl's frustration grew exponentially. It was only fair after her earlier stunt after all.
Unfortunately, the unpleasant trainer in question didn't see the funny side.
"YOU STUPID FOOL!" the rude girl screamed. It was almost like she genuinely believed that crossing her was a very dangerous thing to do. The very idea had Nolan scoffing derisively, "LOOKS LIKE YOU NEED A PROPER LESSON! I'M GOING TO TEACH YOU WHY IT'S SUICIDAL TO MESS WITH ME, KID!"
The rude girl them made the mistake of stomping across the clearing to where Nolan stood. The blonde haired boy just arched an eyebrow at her, unimpressed.
"Let's get that nasty temper of yours under control, shall we?" Nolan's smile was eerily reminiscent of one that Gary Oak wear on his face, a stark difference to Nolan's usual warm and charming grin.
And taking that sneered suggestion as her que, Iris quickly stepped forward and fired off another Sleep Powder attack. The rude girl was helpless to avoid breathing it in.
"Sweet dreams!" Nolan gave her a smile that was as sickly sweet as the scent filling her nostrils.
"You little..." was all the fuming girl managed to get out before the power of the twinkling green spores became too much for her. Her dark eyes rolled back in her head, her face instinctively softened out of its angry scowl, before she immediately crumpled to the ground like a discarded ragdoll. She was snoring within the minute.
Nolan stared down at her for a moment. At the back of his mind, guilt pricked at his conscience for a moment, but he quickly stamped it down. After the way she had acted earlier, turnabout was fair play.
"Good job, Iris!" Nolan turned to Iris and smiled, forcing any regrets or qualms about their actions aside.
"Veno!" Iris squeaked happily at the unusually-placed praise.
Before the golden haired boy could say anything else about the events he had just precipitated, the gentle sound of rustling leaves met his ears. Turning, Nolan saw Ash, Misty and Brock all emerging, alongside Pikachu, Meadow and the rest of Nolan's Pokemon. Each of them, human and Pokemon alike, wore a stunned and slightly awed expression on his or her face.
"Was that really necessary, Nolan?" Ash asked in a whisper, gaping at his best friend in horrified astonishment.
"Probably not" the golden haired boy admitted, shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly, before a grin that was positively wicked worked its way onto his handsome features, "But you can't deny she had it coming".
The other trainers in the clearing were forced to admit that he may have a point there.
"But will she be alright?" Brock glanced down at the teenage girl sprawled out on the forest floor at their feet. There was no denying the healthy dose of concern in the aspiring Pokemon breeder's expression, "She's… she's out cold".
The golden haired boy just smiled at his friends reassuringly, clearly over any earlier qualms he might have had about his actions now.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine. I wouldn't have let Iris do it if there'd be any permanent effects. I might have been angry about what she did earlier, but I'm not a raving lunatic thanks" Nolan chuckled, and truth be told none of his friend could really argue with him on that point. The girl had done something pretty nasty to the blonde haired trainer first after all, so she really had brought this karma on herself, "She'll be awake in a few minutes, by which time I'll be done capturing Jigglypuff and we'll be gone. Everyone's happy... well, everyone except her, and that's good enough for me".
"Speaking of which..." Misty piped up, her gaze fixes on something behind the teenage girl dropped across the forest floor in slumber, "You'd better hurry if you want to catch Jigglypuff this time! It looks like it's had enough of both of you!"
The orange haired girl was right. The Balloon Pokemon, who miraculously had avoided being put to sleep with the rest, was now back on feet and glaring at the quartet of travelling trainers.
"Good point" Nolan muttered in response to the Water Type Pokemon Specialist's words.
So swallowing any nerves he might have about approaching an agitated wild Pokemon, regardless of how cute and cuddly it might look, the golden haired boy slowly walked across the forest clearing towards the wild Jigglypuff. Clutched tightly in his hand was the handle of the large bucket that he and his friends had managed to fill to the very brim of juicy delicious Oran Berries.
"Puff!" Jigglypuff glared solely at Nolan as he drew closer and closer.
"Oh... it's still mad at me" Nolan whispered to himself nervously as that realisation set in, "Err... I'm not so sure this is a good idea anymore. Maybe it's too soon to try again?"
But knowing it was too late to start second-guessing himself now, Nolan was forced to continue. He and the wild Jigglypuff eyed each other weary, clearly trying to size one another up. In the end it was Nolan that made the first move, making his movements as slow and deliberate as possible to avoid scaring the Balloon Pokémon into fleeing again. His nerves jangling and his heart pounding in his chest, Nolan slowly knelt down and placed the bucket carefully on the ground. Jigglypuff stared at it for a moment, before glancing up at Nolan uncertainly.
The golden haired boy took a deep breath. He knew that as the human in this scenario, it was down to him to take the first step towards reconciliation.
"Jigglypuff, I know I startled you out of that tree before. That was very inconsiderate of me, and I'm really sorry" Nolan started of with, feeling genuinely contrite about that aspect of their earlier battle. The young boy quickly gestured towards the bucket he had placed on the ground in front of Jigglypuff, "This is an apology. A peace offering. Please, accept these Oran Berries. I'm hoping they'll make you see that I really want us to be friends.
"Jiggly?" Jigglypuff still looked a little hesitant, but cautiously approached the bucket and plucked an Oran Berry out of it. The Balloon Pokemon happily began munching on it, "Jiggly, Jigglypuff!"
Nolan breathed a sigh of relief, pleased that Jigglypuff seemed to be accepting his food-based apology.
"Oh, I'm so glad you like them, Jigglypuff" the golden haired boy said earnestly. Feeling comfortable enough to do so now, Nolan sat down cross-legged on the forest floor, smiling down at the adorable little pink creature eating in front of him. Knowing that he'd need to build up a good report with the Balloon Pokemon if he had any hope of recruiting it to his ever-expanding family, Nolan decided it was time to open an honest dialogue, "You know, there's something I need to tell you… I didn't just look for you to apologise for earlier".
"Jigglypuff?" the honest admittance had Jigglypuff looking up at him in shock.
"I came looking for you because I was hoping you might want to join my team!" Nolan continued, carefully gauging the Balloon Pokemon's reaction, to see how open it might be to the idea. Thankfully, he wasn't left wanting.
"Puff?" Jigglypuff stopped its munching and looked surprised.
Taking advantage of the fact that he now had hold of the small pink creature's full attention, the golden haired boy quickly pressed on with pleading his case. After all, the fact that the rude girl could wake up at any moment and interfere with his plans again wasn't lost on Nolan in the slightest. He was hoping to make his case to Jigglypuff before that could happen.
"My Pokemon are like family to me, and I really want to add you to our group" Nolan decided that being honest and open about his intentions was the best policy here. He wanted Jigglypuff to know that it could trust him after all, "What I'm offering is a loving home, friends and teammates that will genuinely care for and love you, and family that will have your back when times get hard. I really hope that my earlier actions haven't ruined your opinion of me. What do you say, Jigglypuff? Would you perhaps consider thinking about it?"
Jigglypuff fell silent for a long moment, clearly deep in thought. The small pink creature seemed to be pondering everything that Nolan had just suggested to it. The golden haired boy with glad that the Balloon Pokemon seemed to be giving what he had asked of it some serious consideration. He silently watched as the Jigglypuff slowly set down its half-eaten Oran Berry and clambered back to its feet. The adorable little pink creature stared up at Nolan with a sharp intensity for a few long seconds, and then...
And then a net came tumbling down from the sky and immediately ensnared it...
Ooh! Cliff-hanger!
Yep, that marks the end of another chapter : )
Now I know Nolan went a little far in this chapter and maybe that seemed out of character for him - actually using a Pokemon attack on a human who is not a member of Team Rocket - but at the same time, I really wanted his rivalry with the mystery girl to get more resentful as the pair of them make bolder and bolder moves against each other. It's a different kind of rivalry than the ones he shares with Ash, A.J or even Gary to a degree, so yeah, she really pushes his buttons in a way the others don't. Plus, I think the fact that Nolan won't take any rubbish from her really winds her up too : )
Anyway, enough about the actual contents of the chapter for now. Instead, let's discuss the results of the last voting topic. I'm not gonna lie, I was kinda stunned by what happened. One vote when to Zubat - who I totally expected to win outright due to how good Crobat is, whilst the other vote went to... Dunsparce. That's where my surprise came from. I thought Dudunsparce was universally hated by literally every Pokemon fan. I'm sorry, but after waiting roughly two decades for a Dunsparce Evolution, I think a lot of people were disappointed by the fact that it looked EXACTLY the same as it's predecessor, myself included. If it was a Middle-Stage Evolution and it became something much, much better, that would be tolerable, so I'm holding out hope for a third and final stage in Generation Ten. Who knows, stranger things have happened : ) But yeah, as things currently stand, we have a tie between Zubat and Dunsparce. Please, please everyone, go vote for either of these two to break this tie, as I am SUPER excited about the next voting topic I plan to put to you guys and I really want to get to post it soon : )
And I think that's just about everything from me for this time. Thank you so much for reading this chapter and my story in general. I hope you are enjoying it all so far, and please consider leaving a review because I'd love to hear your comments and feedback : )
Until the next time, keep on reading : )