Adventures Series, Episode 32 (Version 1.1), "Unexpected Help" Didn't keep you in suspense long, huh? Now uploading Chapter 14... Be warned! This is the longest chapter of the series, 25 pages full of text! Be prepared to sit at least a good half hour reading it. Disclaimer: My Team Rocket members are my property, and the idea about crossbred Pokémon also belongs to me. Everything else simply doesn't. Simple as that. ************************************************************************ Narrator: Last time, Misty, Todd, and Mikey finally arrived in Viridian City. Without wasting any time, they headed for the Pokémon gym. As expected, at least by Misty, Team Rocket was waiting for them. Misty ran into some minor trouble with Butch and Cassidy, but she managed to beat them. But now, her good fortune has taken a turn for the worst, as Jane and Calamity have pulled out a few tricks of their own. Can Misty earn that elusive Earth Badge? And could she get some help from Todd, Mikey, Giselle, Ash, or Brock? Stay tuned, because the battle's about to pick up once again... ************************************************************************ Adventures Series, Season 1 [Episode 32] "Misty's Travels to the Pokémon League" Chapter 14, "Unexpected Help" Story written by Freedom Fighter ************************************************************************ Friday, July 8, Viridian City Gym Jane: Pinsir, guillotine! Finish it off! Pinsir approaches Scyther, and begins to squeeze the life out of the Pokémon. Misty: Scyther! No! Vaporeon: (with a worried cry) Por! Scyther struggles to break free, but to no avail. Misty: (to herself) My only hope is that the potion wears off before it's too late. Calamity: Come on, Pinsir, squash that bug! Jane: And hurry up... we've still got four Pokémon of hers waiting for their treatment! Suddenly, an explosion rocks the room... but it's not from any of the combatants' Pokémon. It distracts Pinsir long enough to release his grip on Scyther. Misty: I don't know what that was about, but thank goodness that it happened. Jane: What was that? Calamity: I bet it's some joker who thinks he's got the firepower to beat us. Where are those stupid guards of ours, anyway? Outside the gym, about half a mile away, we see Ash and Brock now dressed in guard uniforms. The guards themselves were tied up and tossed into the bushes, stripped down to their t-shirts and boxers. Ash straightened his helmet, then pointed towards the gym. Ash: Now, let's go to the gym and see what that explosion was all about. Brock: Right. Misty might need our help. The two sprint as fast they can in their heavy outfits in the direction of the gym. Pikachu moved ahead, seeing as the electric mouse wasn't carrying any extra weight. Pikachu: (beckoning for them to hurry up) Pika pika! Ash: (to himself) Don't worry, Misty... I'm coming to help. Up in the ventilation ducts of the gym, Todd, Mikey, and Eevee are also recovering from the explosion... sort of. Mikey: (a little dizzy) Ooh... I don't feel so good... I think I'm gonna throw up. Todd: Mikey, no! If you hurl here, then where is it going to go? We just slid down a pipe, and there's no way back up! Mikey: I'm sorry, but I can't... Todd turned away as Mikey basically plastered his guts over the metal duct. Todd: (after Mikey had finished) Need a towel? Eevee then for some strange reason began to dance and tumble around in the oozing puddle. Mikey: Eevee? Todd: Yuck! Now we're going to have to give him a bath after this. (smelling around) In fact, we're all probably going to need a bath after this. Downstairs, in the main room, a Graveler steps into the room where Misty had fought Butch earlier. After a few seconds, Giselle, with a face full of soot, a dirty uniform, and a small rip in her skirt, stepped through the debris left by the explosion. She tries to dust herself off, as cries of "Are you crazy?" and "What was she thinking?" come from the Rockets, who were all tied up... well, at least the ones that were awake. Giselle: I have to reminder to write a note to that book company. A four foot radius is not a considerable size for a danger zone of a self-destructing Golem! She looks at Graveler, who has broken out into a hysteric laughter. Giselle: Oh, and you think it's funny? Well, you'd better get your butt up and take down that next door, now! Graveler gets up and starts to glare angrily at her. Giselle sweatdrops and wisely backs off. Giselle: I'm just kidding... take all the time that you need. Graveler waves off his trainer, and then slowly begins his task. Giselle pulls out a mirror to examine herself. Giselle: Rats, my hair's a mess! I had to pick today to forget to bring my comb. (looks at her uniform) This won't do at all! I can't present myself to anyone in this condition! She puts the mirror away, and then turns to Graveler. Giselle: (pulling out its Pokéball) Graveler, return! Sorry about that, but I could never face Misty like this. She'd have a field day with me! As she turns to walk back to the main room, the two guards (Ash and Brock) appear in the doorway and approach her. The Rocket members that are awake give shouts of glee to who they believe are their saviors. The duo enters the room and blocks Giselle's path. Giselle: Hey! I'm trying to get through here! Ash: You shall not pass without a battle! Brock: But first... did anyone tell you how beautiful you look dirty? Giselle: That voice... Ash: Oh, now you did it! Quick, jump her before the guards notice! Instantaneously, Ash and Brock leap at Giselle, sending all three bodies to the ground, and Giselle with a whole lot of weight on her chest... literally. Meanwhile, back to the main focus of this story... Pinsir is currently attempting to regain control of the match, but Misty's confused Scyther continues to leap around like a frog. Misty: Scyther! Get your head in the game and attack! Jane: It's hopeless, kid. You might as well recall him... if you can. Pinsir then stops chasing Scyther. Calamity: (yelling) What are you doing, you dumb Pokémon? Jane: (bopping Calamity on the head) Hey, Pinsir's my Pokémon, and I'm the only one who's allowed to yell at it! Calamity: Sorry. Jane: Now... (yelling, but not as loud as Calamity) what are you doing, you dumb Pokémon? Calamity: I said it with more punctuation, you know. Jane: Shut up! Who asked you anyway? Calamity: I believe I did. Jane: Well... keep your opinions to yourself! Calamity: I don't have to! This is a free country... I can express my feelings whenever I want. Jane: Oh yeah? Calamity: Yeah! Calamity drops Pidgeo's unconscious body on the ground, and Jane and Calamity engage in a staring match. Simultaneously, Pinsir begins to dance around like Scyther. It seems both Pokémon are confused. Misty: (to herself) I guess that potion is stronger than they thought... Scyther's passed some of it over to Pinsir. This is my chance! Misty pulls out Scyther's Pokéball, while Jane and Calamity are now dueling in a full out fistfight, covered by a giant dust cloud. Misty: Scyther, return! The beam is on target this time, whisking Scyther back to his home. Misty: Vaporeon, water gun, followed by a tackle to the midsection! Pinsir, still dazed, doesn't see Vaporeon coming... and he gets knocked out in the process. By the time Jane and Calamity stop their fighting and realize what's going on, Vaporeon freezes the bickering duo in an ice cube. Misty: Don't worry, you three! With the warm temperature today, you'll be out of there in about an hour, tops. But by then, I'll be long gone, with that Earth Badge that Jessie and James are holding just ahead! (waves goodbye) See you losers later! After returning Vaporeon to its Pokéball, Misty picks up the key (it had fallen out of Calamity's pocket while he and Jane were fighting) and opens the door to the next room. She then heads up the stairs, where the infamous trio awaits her. Back up front, Ash and Brock had forced Giselle against the wall. She had a look of her panic on her face as the two inched ever closer. Giselle: What do you jerks want, huh? Ash: We're not jerks. They then took off their helmets and revealed themselves to her. Giselle: You! Ash: Yeah, pretty nice disguise, huh? Giselle broke free, and began to beat up Ash. Brock managed to pull her away before she could injure the young trainer. Ash: What did you do that for? Giselle: Because you scared the living daylights out of me! I thought you two were going to kill me! Ash: Why would we want to do that? (blinks and stops himself) By the way, why are you here? Giselle: I'm here to find Misty. Ash: Misty? You too? Giselle: Yeah... I want to give her some pointers on Pokémon training. Ash: (noticing Giselle's current state) Right now, it looks like you could use the pointers. Giselle: (getting in Ash's face) You're really pushing it, Ketchum! Brock: Say, did you know you have a rip in your skirt, Giselle? Let me fix that beautiful frill of yours... She pulled her skirt away before Brock could do anything. Giselle: That's okay, I'll take care of it... um, what was your name again? Brock and Ash facefault to the ground. The trio then hears yelping from the main chamber. Pikachu, who had been having some fun with the Rockets there, walks in, but then it scratches its head in confusion when it sees the two male trainers on the ground. On the second floor, Misty enters the ballroom, where Jessie, James, and Persian await her. Persian: Looks like the brat of honor has finally arrived! Misty: Okay you three! I already know you're going to try and stop me from getting the Earth Badge. Jessie: That's right! James: We've been ordered by the boss to stop you at any cost. Jessie: Hence... prepare for trouble! James: And make it double! Misty: (covering her ears) Stop it! I've already heard enough Team Rocket mottoes for one day! Persian: Okay, since this is the last time you'll see daylight, we might as well give you a break, purr! Jessie: But with that comes a price... James pulls down a lever, and a cage drops from the ceiling, entrapping Misty. James: It looks like you've been caged! Persian: We just got us a little red robin! Misty: Is this your idea of a joke? Jessie: Nope. We just thought that you wouldn't mind being handicapped for this match. James: Especially since you think you're the high and all-powerful Pokémon master! Misty: What? When did I say that? Jessie: Ever since you started collecting those badges! James: You know, you're eventually going to have to battle that boyfriend of yours. Misty: He's not my boyfriend! Jessie: Stop beating around the bush! Almost everyone knows about you two! James: And we've got the photos to prove it. Misty: Photos? What photos? Jessie: The ones that kid gave us... you know, what's his name. James: Oh yeah... Todd Snap! Misty: Todd? He'd never give those pictures to you, after what you put him through last spring! Persian: Okay, as much as I'd hate to break up your fun youse guys, we'd better get this match started! Jessie: He's got a point. James: Right. The boss isn't paying us by the hour. He'll only pay us if we get the job done. Jessie: Then let's get started. (throwing a Pokéball) Go, Gyarados! James: (throws one as well) Go, Aerodactyl! Persian: (a little frightened) Are you sure we should start with the big guns? Jessie: Trust us... we know what we're doing! James: We can handle it. Persian: Yeah right... like the way you messed up the last time. Misty: Now it's my turn. (throws a Pokéball) Misty calls Poliwrath! Jessie: Gyarados, hyper beam! Persian: Waaaaaaiiiiiittttt! It's too early for a move like that! Jessie: (laughing) It's never too early for a hyper beam! James: Aerodactyl, get out of the line of fire! Too late, as Gyarados's hyper beam defeats both Aerodactyl and Poliwrath. James: (recalling Aerodactyl) Jessie, you just killed my Aerodactyl! Jessie: Gyarados! Bad sea dragon! Gyarados then turns on Jessie, James, and Persian. Persian: I don't like the looks of this! On the other end of the field, Misty has called out her weakened Jigglypuff. She then takes her satchel and pulls out what appears to be a small necklace case. She opens it, and the five "temporary-enhancement," or X machines, were in it. She takes out the one named X Speed, and gives it to her. Jigglypuff begins to power up. Misty: (returning the case to her satchel) Man, I have to remember to kiss Arius for giving me these! I knew they'd come in handy some day! Jigglypuff: Jiggly! Misty: Now, Jigglypuff, I know you're still weak from that poison, but I need you to go over there and take off as much energy as you can from that Gyarados using your doubleslap and double-edge attacks. Do you understand? Jigglypuff: (nodding in agreement) Puff puff jigglypuff! Showing no signs of fear, Jigglypuff charged at Gyarados. With her added speed, she began to slowly tear away at Gyarados' energy. Finally, the sea dragon focuses on Jigglypuff, and with one bite, subdues it. She falls to the ground, unconscious. Misty: (pulling out Jigglypuff's Pokéball) Nice try, Jigglypuff. Return! Misty pondered her next move. With only three Pokémon left and Team Rocket's Gyarados out of control, there wasn't much she could at the moment. Sending out another Pokémon could prove disastrous, as all of them have already experienced at least one battle in the gym, and a hard hit would eliminate them as well. Jessie and James, on the other hand, were being beckoned by Persian to send something out to control Gyarados. Jessie: Arbok! Lickitung! Let's go! James: Victreebel! Weezing! Stop this mad menace! Jessie: Arbok, poison sting! Lickitung, slam it down! James: Victreebel, aaaaaaaahhhhhhh! Victreebel clamped himself to James' head, as Persian sweatdropped in embarrassment. Meanwhile, the attacks sent Gyarados' way proved ineffective, and he charged at ramming speed towards Arbok and Lickitung, knocking them out. He then did the same to Victreebel and James. Jessie: No way! It's too strong! Persian: Looks like we're lunch meat! Weezing: (performing its smoke screen attack) Weezing! The arena begin filling up with smoke, blinding Gyarados temporarily from seeing his opponents. Unfortunately, he made his way out, and set his eyes on a new target... Misty. ************************************************************************ As Gyarados charges at a caged Misty, an Onix appears and suddenly deflects his path. The two Pokémon, among the largest of the known species, begin to grapple. Misty turns towards the doorway and spots Ash and Brock (minus the armor from the guards), plus Giselle and Pikachu, entering the room. Jessie: What now? Persian: It's the twerps! Ash: There's Misty... in that cage! Giselle: You know, it's kind of a disadvantage to fight your battles behind a cage. Misty: (yelling at her) Does it look like I wanted this to happen? Ash: (smiling) Say, Misty, need any help? Misty: (crossing her arms over her chest) I don't need your help, Ash. I'm a Pokémon trainer, remember? Brock: You sure? You certainly could use it right now. Misty: I'm fine! Now call off your Onix, Brock. I can handle this. Ash: You can handle it? If you could handle it, then why are you stuck in a cage? Giselle: You're just lucky that you're facing two bumbling idiots like Jessie and James. Otherwise, we would have found you dead on the street! Jessie: Hey! Who are you calling a bumbling idiot? Misty: Stay out of this, Jessie! Besides, Ash and Giselle here are the inexperienced trainers! Pikachu: Pika? Misty: Giselle, it's obvious by your looks right now that you obviously have no control over your Pokémon! Giselle: Not true! Misty: And Ash is only as successful as he is because he depends on luck to get him through battles! Ash: I won all of my battles fair and square, and you know it Misty! Misty: Did not! Ash: Did too! Misty: Did not! Ash: Did too! Giselle: Oh, face it! You're both horrible trainers! Misty: And you're not any better, the girl who thinks she can learn everything about Pokémon by attending a school for snobs! This sparks a giant argument between the three of them. Brock sighs and runs over towards the lever that James pulled earlier to raise the cage. That turns out to be a bad idea, as now Ash, Misty, and Giselle are now trying to strangle each other. Eventually, Pikachu, fed up with all of the arguing, ends the argument by thundershocking all three of them. Brock: Nice work, Pikachu. I think they needed that. Pikachu: Pika! Ash, Misty, and Giselle: (simultaneously) Pikachu, keep out of this! Brock: (yelling at the trio) Why don't the three of you stop acting like babies and act like young adults for once? Jessie: Gee, and I thought we fought a lot. Persian: (sighs) Just goes to show that pride is overrated. James: (waking up) Did I miss anything? Suddenly, all seven trainers get a huge wake-up call, as Onix falls to the ground, all covered in water droplets. Brock: Onix! Gyarados reared his head towards the four heroes. Pikachu then performs a thundershock to try and defeat him. Gyarados is affected, but is still far from defeated. Ash: Wait, that gives me an idea! Pikachu, thunder! Give it everything you got! Pikachu: (charging up) Pika pika, pikachhhhhhhhhuuuuuuu! The giant blast of thunder connects, sending a lot of pain coursing through Gyarados's body. Giselle: (throwing a Pokéball) Can I join in? A Voltorb comes out of its Pokéball. Ash: What is it with you and Pokémon that can explode, anyway? Giselle: (ignoring Ash) Voltorb, give that Gyarados your own version of the thunder attack! Voltorb: Vol-torb! Voltorb began to gather the energy from the thunder blast into a ball. It didn't take long to do so. Catching drift of her strategy, Ash orders Pikachu to charge up for another blast of thunder. They both fire at the sea dragon, and with the combined blast of Ash's Pikachu and Giselle's Voltorb, Gyarados was finally defeated. Everyone breathes a sigh of relief after all of the defeated Pokémon are recalled to their Pokéballs. Brock: That was a close one. Giselle: (picking up Voltorb's Pokéball) Voltorb, return! Misty: (turning towards Team Rocket) Looks like my work is done here. Ash: (sweatdrops) She calls this 'her work'? James: It's not over yet! Jessie: Why not? James: Because I still have Weezing! Weezing: Weezing! Persian: Weezing? That gas ball is useless! James: Weezing is anything but useless. Just watch this! Weezing, sludge attack! Weezing fires sludge at our heroes. The poisonous puddle... falls just short of them. Misty: (sighs) I guess it's my job to clean this up. Giselle: Be my guest. Just don't get any of that stuff on me! Misty: Don't worry, I'll be careful! (to herself) It's not like you can get any dirtier than you already are. Brock: This should be a cinch. Ash: Why can't I battle? Giselle: (knocking on Ash's forehead) Because it's her Earth Badge, dumdum! Misty: Misty calls Golduck! Golduck comes out, ready to battle. Misty: Ready? Then let's open up with your fury swipes attack! Golduck attacks, putting all of his efforts into the battle. Weezing then smiles, and begins to glow. Ash: What now? James: Oh goodie, it's evolving! Jessie: Weezing is already a fully evolved Pokémon, nitwit! Giselle: Look out! Weezing is about to explode! Everyone ducks for cover as Weezing uses the last of his energy for his explosion attack. But after the smoke clears, though, Weezing is the only Pokémon down. Golduck is still up, only somewhat affected by the blast, but not enough to make a difference. Misty: Yeah! Golduck beat Weezing! James: (crying) It's not fair! Golduck should have fainted as well! Giselle: Now I can see why you flunked out of Pokémon Tech. Don't you know that the force of a Pokémon's explosion depends on its training level, its attack abilities, and its trainer? Ash: (laughs) Unfortunately, Giselle, these three have never been the smartest villains of all time. Brock: You can say that again. Persian: Now what? We're toast! Jessie: We were the last line of defense! James: That means... Misty: I get the Earth Badge. So give it up, Team Rocket! Cassidy, Butch, Jane, and Calamity appear from a secret passage and take their places behind Jessie, James, and Persian, as they begin to taunt them. Cassidy: So... they weren't able to do the job. Butch: Time for us to pick up the pieces. Jane: You whippersnappers are going to wish you never messed with the great Team Rocket! Calamity: And that's a fact! Misty: Looks like the whole gang's here. I guess that ice block melted faster than I thought. Ash: Yeah... say, aren't those guys the ones that destroyed your bike, Misty? Ash is pointing at Jane and Calamity, and Misty confirmed Ash's theory with a simple nod. Giselle: I'm really getting tired of fighting Team Rocket. Brock: Right. Let's just send them blasting off so we can end this story. Pikachu: Pika pika! Misty: You guys owe me an Earth Badge and a new bike! Ash: If it's a battle you want, then it's a battle you'll get! Jane: We'd like to stay and chat. Calamity: But we've got other engagements to take care of. Jessie, James, and Persian: (simultaneously) So prepare for blast-off! Cassidy: We're getting out of this one alive! Butch: And we'll be back to fight again! The Rocket members pull out rocket packs, and strap them on. Just as they prepare to liftoff, Todd, Mikey, and Eevee come flying out of the ventilation ducts, and right into them. The result... a massive tangle of bodies that might take a while to undo. Ash: Todd? Mikey? Eevee? Brock: What are you doing here? Todd: Oh nothing. We just decided to drop in, that's all. Giselle: Well, you certainly picked the right time to drop in. Todd: (getting up) Thanks. I was the one who planned the surprise attack. Giselle: Yeah right... you couldn't come up with a plan if it bit you in the butt! Misty: (sniffs around) And what is that smell? Todd: Um, Mikey kind of had a little accident. Giselle: Yuck! I thought someone his age would already be trained! Mikey: Not that kind of accident! Ash: Guys, let's forget about that right now and concentrate on Team Rocket! Brock: That's right... hey! Our heroes turn towards the Rockets, but it's too late. All six have activated their rocket packs, and they're already flying away from the gym. Giselle: They're getting away! Misty: Duh. Isn't it obvious? Ash: But what about the Earth Badge, Misty? Todd: Oh well... looks like you're not going to the Pokémon League. Giovanni: On the contrary, the young water trainer might get her chance. Giovanni, the leader of Team Rocket, appears at the entrance to the room. Ash, Misty, Brock, Giselle, and Pikachu line up, preparing to fight. Todd, Mikey, and Eevee are on the sidelines, watching closely. Misty: And who are you? Giovanni: Allow me to introduce myself. I am Giovanni, the official gym leader. Ash: Gym leader? But that means... Brock: You're also the leader of Team Rocket as well! Giselle: I thought that name sounded familiar. Giovanni: Even if I am the leader, there's no way you can prove it. Todd: (snapping pictures of Giovanni and the layout) Oh yeah? Smile, you've been caught on film! Todd clicks the snap button several times, but the camera doesn't flash. Todd tries to find out what's wrong, and quickly finds the problem. Ash: What's wrong? Todd: (shaking the camera) It looks like I've run out of film. Misty: Figures... we finally need that camera of yours, and it's useless. Giselle: So much for exposing the truth. Brock: (blushing while looking at Giselle) That's not all that's about to be exposed. Giselle blushes furiously before bopping Brock on the head. She then attempts to sew up the rip in her skirt. Ash, Misty, and Pikachu, though, are still conversing with Giovanni. Giovanni: So, I finally meet the young trainers who've been messing up all of my plans. Ash: Get used to it, because we plan to mess everything up! Misty: Speak for yourself. Giovanni: (looking at Misty) And you're the young trainer who wants an Earth Badge? Misty: Yes. Giovanni: Then you shall have your match. Ash: Really? Misty: You mean you'll actually battle me for it? Giovanni: Of course. The only bad thing about being a gym leader is that you have to follow all of the rules... and you know how I despise rules. Ash: No, we don't know how. Brock: So, this is an honest battle? Giovanni: Well, as much as possible so that it's still legal. As the supposed leader of Team Rocket, you can expect me to take any shortcut to bend the rules without breaking them. Misty: That much I expected. Giovanni: Why don't we head up to the third floor arena? It's much cleaner up there. Ash: Okay. Let's go, guys! In the third floor arena, Giovanni and Misty face each other, Pokéballs drawn and ready to go. Ash, Brock, Giselle, Pikachu, Todd, Mikey, and Eevee are watching from behind. Giovanni: You may use all of your available Pokémon against mine. The match ends only when one of us has exhausted our supply. Misty: Right. But watch out, mister! I've got seven pairs of eyes behind me watching your every move. Ash: You tell 'em, Misty! Giselle: Shut up, pea brain! Ash: Whom are you calling a pea brain, short stack? Giselle: Short stack? Brock: Not this again... break it up before I have to reprimand you two! Giselle: Okay. But Ketchum got lucky that you're here to keep us apart. Ash: You wouldn't be able to lay a finger on me if you tried. Misty: Just quit it, both of you! I'm trying to fight a match here! Giovanni: Ladies first, my dear. Misty: Misty calls Vaporeon! Giovanni: Rhydon, go! The two Pokémon are poised and ready to begin. Misty: Vaporeon, water gun! Vaporeon makes the first move, and knocks out Rhydon before he can have a chance to attack. Ash: Yeah! Go Misty! Giovanni: Return, Rhydon! Go, Nidoqueen! Misty: A Nidoqueen. Okay Vaporeon, same strategy. Giovanni: Nidoqueen, hyper beam! Surprisingly, Nidoqueen attacks first, and eliminates Vaporeon from the battle. Mikey: Oh no! Ash: Unbelievable! Brock: How can a Nidoqueen outrun a Vaporeon? It's almost statistically impossible. Giselle: The only way that would happen is if Nidoqueen was at a much higher level at Vaporeon... but by my calculations, the level difference aren't even that much! Giovanni: It's called the Carbos trick. You should try it some time. Misty: Okay, return Vaporeon! Misty calls Scyther! Scyther: Scyther! Misty: Scyther, double team! Giovanni: That won't help you at all... Nidoqueen, hyper beam this one too. Scyther avoids the attack, leaving Nidoqueen vulnerable to a retaliatory strike. He charged at his opponent, slashing across her body. Brock: Hey... isn't Scyther a bug type? Ash: Yeah... I thought Misty was afraid of bugs. Misty: I know that, but this isn't the time to bring that up! I'm trying to concentrate! Giovanni: Nidoqueen, body slam! Misty: Scyther, wing attack! Scyther dodges Nidoqueen's thrust, and then follows up by performing the wing attack. That zaps some of the ground type's energy. Misty: Scyther, follow up with two quick slashes to the midsection! Giovanni: Nidoqueen, double kick, now! Scyther dodges, and connects with Nidoqueen again. The battle rages on like this for a little while... Ash: Wow... Misty's really holding her own. Brock: We shouldn't have doubted her abilities. Giselle: It just goes to show that you don't have to have good looks to win battles. Ash: And this, coming from the snob from Pokémon Tech. Giselle: You're really starting to tick me off! Todd: You mean me? (looking at his watch) It can't be... it stopped working an hour ago. Brock: (sweatdrops) Yeah... just like your sense of humor. Giselle: Ditto... and I don't mean the Pokémon. They turn their attention back to the match, where Nidoqueen has finally fainted, and Giovanni sends out his third Pokémon. Giovanni: Go, Nidoking! Thrash it! Misty: Scyther, double team! Scyther dodges the initial blow, but Nidoking keeps coming back for more. Misty: Scyther! Use your wing attack and your slash attack to fight back! Giovanni: Thrash that Pokémon! I want it eliminated! Both Pokémon tear at each other, as if they were on a mission to kill. Eventually, though, they both use up their energy supply, resulting in a double knockout. The two trainers recall their Pokémon. Misty: Only one left. And right now, it's the only one I have the most doubts about. Giovanni: Ready to give up? Misty: Never! I'm ready to continue! Misty calls Golduck! Giovanni: Golem, go! Misty: Golduck, confusion attack! Giovanni: Golem, earthquake! Although Golduck's attack succeeded, he fails to stop Golem's attack. The ground begins to shake, and everyone is jumping all over the place. Misty's golden Pokéball necklace and her heart locket fall out of her pocket. After the shaking stops, she leans over to pick them up, then takes a short glance at the two who gave her them for her last birthday. Todd: Come on, Misty! You can do it! Mikey: Go, Misty, go! Misty smiles before drawing her attention back to the battle. Misty: Golduck, shut that Golem down with your hydro pump attack! Before Giovanni can yell out a back-up command, Golem is down and out. Misty: Yes! Another Pokémon down! Ash: Nice job, Misty! Brock: It won't be long now! Giovanni: Well, Misty Waterflower, it seems that you've gotten me down to my last Pokémon. He takes out a golden Pokémon from his suit pocket. Our heroes try to catch a glimpse of what Giovanni dubbed as his special Pokémon. Giovanni: Somehow, I knew that it would come down to this. But now, you'll get to feel the ultimate wrath of Team Rocket! Pokéball, go! He throws it to the ground, and out comes a Pokémon that has the three heads of a Dugtrio, with a beak, and the body of a Spearow. Mikey: What's that? Giselle: It's definitely no Pokémon I've ever studied. Giovanni: (laughs) Allow me to introduce the first in my line of crossbred Pokémon. Meet Speartrio! Ash: Spear... trio? Brock: Weird name. Giselle: I wonder what attacks it has. Giovanni: Allow me to show you his awesome power! Speartrio flies high into the air. He then dives at Golduck, and picks him off the ground. Speartrio carries his prey high above the arena. Misty: Golduck! Giovanni: Speartrio, seismic toss! Giselle: No way! Speartrio throws Golduck down towards the ground. He then dives down at an amazing speed. Giovanni: Drill peck! Misty: Golduck, look out! Golduck awakens and moves out of the way at the last moment. Speartrio isn't stopped by his impact with the ground, though, as his beak begins to drill a hole. Todd: What now? Brock: It's drilling a hole... as if it was a ground type. Giselle: Of course. It looks like he crossbred that Pokémon from a Spearow and a Dugtrio. It possesses abilities of both Pokémon! Speartrio resurfaces and hits Golduck from underneath. Misty: If it's a part ground type, then it should be weak against water attacks! Giselle: Right. Misty: Okay, Golduck, hydro pump attack! Golduck unleashes a powerful spray of water, but Speartrio dodges him completely. Misty: No! Giselle: I think that its flying type abilities also give Speartrio an amazing speed stat! Misty: Wait... aren't flying types vulnerable to psychic attacks? Brock: That's right. Psychic types are extremely powerful against flying types. Ash: That means... Misty: Already ahead of you on that one, Ash. Golduck performs his confusion attack, which Speartrio has no way of avoiding. Speartrio begins to yelp in pain. Misty: Now, hit it with another hydro pump! With Speartrio already preoccupied, it was no sweat for Golduck to hit him with the hydro pump. But he still refuses to go down. Misty: What? Golduck put everything into that shot! Giselle: After two shots like that, Speartrio should've fainted by now! Brock: It must be some kind of super Pokémon! Mikey: This can't be! Todd: We're all doomed! Giovanni smiles as Speartrio regains control of the match and begins to beat down on Golduck. As Golduck slowly runs out of energy, his trainer can only watch with tear-filled eyes. Misty suddenly remembers a scene from her past. (Flashback, "Misty's Travels to the Pokémon League," Chapter 6) [1] Erika: I don't know. All I know is that I received this anonymous letter which mentioned five kids, and it mentioned that the first kid has a good head on her shoulders. (End flashback) Misty: Erika said something about this old legend that five kids would save the world. Ash: (rolling his eyes) You've been watching too much TV, Misty. Wait a second... why would you bring that up now? Giselle: Wait... didn't that jerk named Biff say something about that? (Flashback, "Misty's Travels to the Pokémon League," Chapter 12) [2] Biff: I am now a member of Team Rocket! And my job is to destroy you! You're part of the Elite Four! (End flashback) Todd: That's right, he did say something about that! Ash: But wait, your conversations don't make sense! Misty said that Erika said there were five kids, but according to what Giselle is saying about Biff, there's only four. Brock: Which prophecy is right? Pikachu and Golduck suddenly perk up. They glare at their trainers strangely. Meanwhile, Vulpix escapes from her Pokéball, and does the same thing for her trainer, Brock. Giovanni: What is this? Call back your Pokémon! Ash: Pikachu, what are you doing? Brock: Vulpix, why are you out here? Misty: Golduck, why are you staring at me? Ash, Misty, and Brock suddenly faint on the spot. Giselle, Todd, and Mikey go to check up on them, but they turn their attention towards the battlefield, where a superpowered team consisting of Pikachu, Golduck, and Vulpix are taking down Speartrio. Giselle: What's going on? Todd: It's like the Pokémon have the mind of their own. Mikey: This is so weird! Giovanni: How can this be? Pikachu glows black, Golduck glows cerulean blue, and Vulpix glows brown, as the three Pokémon perform a triple threat attack. Pikachu, Golduck, and Vulpix: (simultaneously) Hydro-thunder flame blast attack! A beam made out of electricity, water, and fire launches from the three Pokémon, as Speartrio easily faints. The beam doesn't stop there, though, and it begins to tear the building apart. Pikachu, Golduck, and Vulpix faint, while simultaneously their trainers awaken from their slumber. Ash: What happened? Misty: I feel like I've just came out of a coma! Brock: Me too. Giselle: Thanks for returning to the world of the living! Now get your Pokémon and let's get out of here before the whole place falls apart! The three trainers glance over at their fainted Pokémon. Misty and Brock recall theirs, while Ash runs over to pick up Pikachu. Before running out, though, Misty spots the glare of something on the floor. She recognizes it as an Earth Badge. After picking it up, she follows the others out, Todd leading the way. They tried to avoid the parts of the ceiling that were coming down around them. Finally, they spot the exit, and escape just as the building collapses. Our six heroes stand outside, where Officer Jenny and hundreds of people stand a safe distance away, curious as to what's going on. Ash: Boy, what a story this'll make! Todd: You said it... I just wish I had my camera to take some pictures myself. Mikey: You sure showed them! Right, Misty? Misty: Right, Mikey! Giselle: But really happened in there you guys? Brock: I don't know how to describe it... it's like a spirit possessed me and transferred me over to Vulpix's body, doubling her power. Misty: Strange... I felt the same thing happen to me and Golduck. Ash: And me and Pikachu here. Todd: Gee, do you think it has something to do with that legend you guys spoke about earlier? Giselle: Who knows... but if it's true, I'd like to know one thing. Ash: What's that? Giselle: Why am I not included? Don't I deserve a little credit? Misty: Who knows, Giselle? Brock: It's just one of those mysteries of the Pokémon world. Todd: The real question is... do we want to find out? Narrator: Is there really a special group of trainers out there who have the power to defeat Team Rocket? Are Ash, Misty, and Brock among them? And is this the end of Giovanni and the beginning of the downfall of Team Rocket? One day, these questions will be answered, but until then, our heroes will finally enjoy a nice break after all of these tough battles. To be continued... Comments and such directed to jgg121@yahoo.com, please. Author's Notes: [1] Equivalent episode number for this reference is # 15. [2] And the equivalent for this reference is episode # 29. Copyright Date: 4/1/00, Revised: 12/27/01, courtesy of Matt Lenz Revisions from the Original Release Include: - A small amount of grammar changes were done. - The dialogue was improved somewhat, including a few tense corrections. In the next episode... with the battle over, where do our heroes go from here? To the Pokémon League? That's still a few weeks away! So, it's time for them to go their separate ways. But who will remember the right time to reunite so that they can go to the Indigo Plateau? Find out in the season finale, better known as Episode 33, "Misty's Travels to the Pokémon League Epilogue."