Pokemon Loud Version - Kanto Ch. 12 - vs. Team Rocket!

-The Loud Residence-

Within the cramped confines of the house's ventilation system, Lucy sat alone in the darkness, lost in thought about the meeting she had with both Professor Oak and Lisa earlier.

The idea of creatures like Pokemon existing in the world definitely surprised her - she never thought that there would be actual monsters out there somewhere. And her brother was lucky enough to get the chance to meet and eventually capture them to keep for himself.

It was actually pretty ironic, now that she thought about it - he had managed to get this opportunity due to Lynn's accusations of him being 'bad luck'.

Her thoughts then turned to her conversation with Lisa after Professor Oak had hung up. Needless to say, she was caught off-guard by the fact that her younger sister knew - and had evidence of - the truth regarding her Princess Pony comic books and was willing to use it as blackmail in order to keep her quiet about the real reason Lincoln was in Kanto.

'...And yet, I don't feel as angry as I should about her holding that over my head.' thought the goth morosely as she mentally recalled the situation itself with a frown.

Instead, she felt an immense amount of guilt. Guilt over the fact that she had let her brother take the blame for her actions. Guilt over not having the courage to come clean with the truth.

What made her feel worse was the fact that the other girls made fun of him over it for over a month along with getting grounded and missing out on a convention he had been looking forward to.

Oh sure, she made a comic for him to make up for him missing out on that convention, but now that she really thought about it, it was nowhere near a suitable substitute.

And then to make her feel even more guilt, she remembered that she also had a hand in treating him like a plague regarding this whole bad luck situation, even going so far as to consider going along with her sister/roommate's idea of sending Lincoln away to stay with Aunt Ruth.

'Thank the darkness for Lisa's intervention...I don't know how I could have dealt with the thought of knowing I had a hand in sending Lincoln to that awful place...' thought Lucy glumly. 'But it still doesn't change the fact that like with everyone else, I was willing to go along with everything that happened to him.'

While it was true had in a way brought the situation onto himself by going along with Lynn's accusation, she couldn't exactly fault him for doing so either - like Lisa had said before, he had to spend so much of his time on her and the rest of his sisters that he hardly had any for himself.

And if she had to be honest...she probably would have done the same thing to have a little time alone if she had been in his place.

Before she could think about it further, the sound of something rapping on the wall nearby broke her from her thoughts, followed by the sound of Luan's voice asking "Lucy, you in there?", catching the young goth's attention.

Poking her head out, Lucy spotted her older sister standing there with a broom. With a sigh, she asks "What do you want, Luan?"

Pointing her thumb at her room, Luan answers "Luna's calling for another sister meeting to be held later on today. Just thought I'd let you know so you wouldn't miss out."

Giving her sister a curt nod, Lucy replies "I'll be there." before retreating back into the ventilation shaft as the comedian walked away.

Once she was alone once more, she sighed before thinking 'Probably about Lisa and why she sent Lincoln to Kanto. I wish I could tell them the truth, but I don't want Lisa to reveal the truth about my Princess Pony comics. I'm just going to have to wait until Professor Oak sends that progress report he mentioned before.'

Her thoughts then returned to her brother, causing her guilt to return upon remembering her actions over the past week.

'And as for Lincoln...I need to find a way to make things right with him after what I've done to him. And I don't think a handmade comic book is going to do the job this time...'

-=O=-

"So how are we going to do this - are we going to take them both on at once?" asked Lincoln as he watched Jessie, James and Meowth, ready for any surprise attacks they may try to attempt.

"I'm thinking that we should divide and conquer, squirt - you handle the one with the Koffing while I'll take on the red-haired hag." replied Misty as she pointed at Jessie, who fumed at the insult.

"Red-haired hag?! How dare you! I'll make sure to put you in your place, you little brat!" snarled Jessie before pointing at Lincoln. "You deal with the other one, James - I want to crush the boy's little girlfriend myself!"

"Hey! She's not my girlfriend!" exclaimed Lincoln in irritation, only for his outburst to go ignored by the two Rockets.

"Are you sure that you want to face her on your own, Jessie? Wouldn't it be easier to..."

"I SAID THAT I'M GOING TO CRUSH HER MYSELF, JAMES!" snapped Jessie furiously, causing James to cower away from her.

"Okay, okay - I'll take on the other brat!" whimpered James before turning to face Lincoln again, only to notice the pitying expression on his face. "What's with that look?"

"...So you have to deal with a bossy girl too, huh? I know exactly how you feel."

"You...do?" replied James before pointing at him accusingly. "Wait, stop trying to distract me! We're supposed to be enemies with each other!"

"Dat's right, Jim - don't let him mess with yer mind like dat!" chimed in Meowth as he pointed at Lincoln, only for the white-haired boy to give him an odd look. "What's wit dat look, brat? Aintcha ever seen a Meowth before?"

Pointing at the Scratch Cat Pokemon blankly, Lincoln asks "...You know how to speak?"

With a look of pride, Meowth replied "Dat's right! I'm a real one-of-a-kind Meowth, ya know - da only one ta know how ta speak da human language!"

"Interesting..." mused Lincoln as he took out his Pokedex, much to James' annoyance.

"Hey, what about our fight?!"

'Meowth, the Scratch Cat Pokemon. Meowth withdraws its sharp claws into its paws to slinkily sneak about without making any incriminating footsteps. This male Meowth is Level 10 and knows the moves Scratch, Growl and Bite.'

"...So, Meowth...you don't have an actual Trainer, I take it?" asked Lincoln with a grin as a plan to get Meowth out of the way started to form in his mind. He had a strong feeling that the feline-like Pokemon would try to interfere during either one of the two battles in order to turn things to Team Rocket's advantage.

He couldn't let that happen.

"Nope! But...uh, why're ya askin'?" asked Meowth, not liking the grin on the white-haired boy's face.

"Pikachu, change of plans - I want you to focus your attention on that Meowth while I take on this guy's Koffing."

With an indignant look on his face, James shouts "Hey, I have a name, you know!" while Meowth gave Lincoln a wary glance.

"Uh...why're ya having dat Pikachu of yers focus on me?"

"Well, it's not every day that you get a chance to catch a 'one-of-a-kind' Pokemon like yourself." replied Lincoln as he acted like he was taking a Pokeball out of his pocket, making the Normal-Type nervous at the sight. "And since you're technically a wild Pokemon..."

Eyes widening in horror, Meowth mumbles "Y-you wouldn't...dey're ain't no way I'm gonna let ya catch me!" before running away from the scene of the soon-to-be fight.

"...You're not really going to catch that Meowth, are you?"

Leaning in closer, Lincoln whispers "Not at all - I only said that to keep him away from the fight so he doesn't try to interfere. I had a feeling he'd try it if things didn't go their way."

Giving the retreating Meowth a glance, Pikachu asks "You still want me to go after him to make sure he stays away?", getting a nod from Lincoln in response. "Alright then, I'll keep him busy while you take care of business here. You sure you can handle it on your own?"

Nodding, Lincoln replies "I'll be fine - just go."

-=O=-

Watching as Pikachu ran off after Meowth, James says "I don't exactly know why you want to catch Meowth so badly, brat - the only thing he's good for is translating Pokemon speech."

"You actually think I wanted to catch that thing? Please." replied Lincoln before a cocky grin appeared on his face. "I just wanted to keep him from interfering with our battle."

Giving Lincoln a speculative look, James says "So you only said that to get Meowth out of the way?"

"Pretty much. Considering that he's with a pair of criminals like you two, I couldn't take any chances."

"Very crafty of you, brat. However, it won't be enough to stop Koffing from crushing you and whatever Pokemon you're planning on sending out."

"You sure about that?" asked Lincoln as his grin widened. "Then let's see how that Koffing of yours fares against my Fearow."

"It doesn't matter what Pokemon you use - the end result will still be the same."

"We'll just see about that." replied Lincoln before throwing Fearow's Pokeball into the air. "Alright, Fearow - come on out!"

As soon as the large golden-brown Flying-Type had taken form in front of Lincoln, she looked around the area for a few moments before turning to face Lincoln and saying "So...I take it from the fact we're not in the woods anymore that you managed to capture me?"

"Uh...well, yeah." answered Lincoln cautiously. "And I'll tell you everything that happened after our battle. But right now, I need you to help me defeat that guy and his Koffing. Can you handle it?"

Giving the Poison-Type a glance, Fearow replies "I think I can take it on." before turning to look at the white-haired boy once more. "And I'll hold you to that promise once this battle is over. But for now, I will help you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it." responded Lincoln gratefully before pointing at Koffing. "Alright, let's get this show on the road! Use Fury Attack!"

"Got it!"

As the Beak Pokemon starts heading towards Koffing, James smirks and says "My, you're eager to lose already, aren't you?" before pointing at his Pokemon and ordering "Koffing, use Tackle!", causing the Poison-Type to charge towards Fearow with its body.

The two Pokemon collide upon meeting each other, but after a few seconds, Fearow manages to break the deadlock and knocked the surprisingly light Koffing away with a hit with one of her wings, followed by two more strikes after the first blow.

Frowning, James says "So that overgrown bird of yours is a lot more than just show after all - we just might have to steal it from you once this is over."

"You're not stealing anything - not from me or anyone else here!" snapped Lincoln with a defiant glare.

"So you say. But let's see how you handle this - Koffing, Sludge!"

Quickly coming to a stop from the earlier blows, the Poison-Type puffs up slightly before firing several small globs of black sludge from its mouth towards Fearow.

"Dodge it and counter with Pursuit!" ordered Lincoln, prompting Fearow to easily bank past the globs of sludge before heading towards Koffing, ready to strike it once again with her wing.

Before Fearow could smash into Koffing with the Dark-Type attack however, James smirks before ordering "Use Smokescreen, now!", causing it to puff up once more before releasing a thick black-colored smog from its body, engulfing the area.

With the cloud of smog starting grow in size, Lincoln, not wanting to get the potentially harmful substance in his lungs, quickly covered his mouth with his shirt. Upon entering the thick cloud of smog, Fearow halts her attack and starts coughing violently.

"This...I...*cough*...can't...breathe!"

Realizing that the situation was not in his favor, Lincoln orders "Get out of there, Fearow!", prompting the Flying-Type to take off into the air above the smog.

As she looked around the area trying to find Koffing, the Flying-Type muttered "Where did it go? I can't see it anywhere..."

"Koffing, use Tackle on that Fearow now!" ordered James, causing Koffing to quickly shoot out of the smokescreen and slam its body hard into Fearow, damaging her. Before she could retaliate however, the Poison-Type quickly retreated back into the thick smog.

Pointing at James with a look of anger on his face, Lincoln shouts "Hey, that's not fair, using a cheap tactic like that! You're fighting dirty!", only to get a smug smirk in return from the older male as he toyed with his rose.

"Of course it is. I'm the bad guy here - I'm supposed to fight dirty." replied James condescendingly. "It's a strategy I developed just in case I ever ended up facing off against a Trainer with a powerful Pokemon - as long as Koffing keeps hidden within that cloud of smog, there's no way your Fearow is going to find and attack him."

"So that's it? I get the advantage and you pull something like this? You're just going to hit and run like a coward?!"

"Call it what you will, but you can't deny that it's certainly effective." replied James with a smug smirk.

-=O=-

-Misty vs. Jessie-

"I hope you're ready to taste defeat, you orange-haired brat. I'm going to make you pay for that 'red-haired hag' insult." said Jessie with a sneer.

"You're the one that's going to get stomped flat, grandma." retorted Misty confidently. "You have no idea on who you're facing off against, do you?"

"Why should I be worried about a brat like you?" replied Jessie before an evil smirk appeared on her face. "If anything, you should be more worried about me. But I'm a merciful person - surrender your Pokemon now and I'll let you go."

"Hmm...nah. I think I'll take my chances and just kick your butt instead."

"Your funeral, brat." snarled Jessie before pointing at Staryu and ordering "Ekans, Poison Sting!", prompting Ekans to open its mouth to fire a volley of poisonous needles at Staryu.

"Staryu, use Water Gun now!"

With a cry, Staryu fires a powerful jet of water at the Poison Sting attack, easily punching through it and still having enough force to hit Ekans in the face, knocking the Snake Pokemon back.

"Well now, looks like you were nothing but a bunch of big talk - my Staryu is definitely stronger than that Ekans of yours." mused Misty with a smirk. "What was that you were saying about me losing again?"

"Shut up, brat!" snarled Jessie in anger before ordering "Ekans, Bite attack! Take that Staryu down now!"

Hissing, Ekans sprung forward towards the Water-Type Pokemon, preparing to clamp its mouth down onto it. As the attack got closer, a grin appeared on Misty's face as she prepared to issue an order to her Staryu.

She was going to enjoy making this annoying redhead eat her words.

-=O=-

-Pikachu vs. Meowth-

"Hold still!"

As he narrowly managed to dodge another Thundershock attack fired at him, Meowth thought 'And here I was tinkin' that cats were da ones supposed ta be chasin' mice, not da other way 'round! This is ridiculous!'

His job tonight should have been simple - raid the Pokemon Center and bring back any Pokemon of value to the boss. This would in turn lead to his teammates possibly getting a promotion while he would replace the boss' Persian as his favorite Pokemon.

But now? He was getting chased by a Pikachu around the Pokemon Center, trying his hardest to avoid getting zapped by it.

'Wait...why am I runnin' from this ting? It's just a Pikachu - I can beat it!' thought Meowth before quickly coming to a stop. Turning around to face his pursuer, he added. "Alright, ya overgrown rat - dat's enough runnin'!"

"You're the one running away, coward."

"Shut it! I don' know who ya tink ya are, but now it's my turn ta be doin' da chasin'! Taste my Fury Swipes, rat!" snapped Meowth before pouncing towards Pikachu, claws outstretched.

As Meowth got closer and closer, Pikachu smirked and replied "Oh, this is going to be good." before starting to channel electricity into his tail, creating another Electroball.

Once he felt that he had built up enough power, the Electric-Type leapt into the air and launched the electrical sphere at Meowth. "Electroball!"

Eyes widening as the attack sped towards him, Meowth only had enough time to scream in terror before the Electroball connected with his body, electrocuting him and giving anyone nearby that was watching a look at what the skeletal structure of his species looked like.

With his body charred by the electrical attack, Meowth fell to the ground with a 'thump'. Coughing out a bit of smoke, he weakly muttered "...I shoulda just kept my big mouth shut an' kept runnin'..." before passing out.

Blinking owlishly as he glanced at the knocked out Meowth, Pikachu said "Wow...that was it? I was expecting more out of him, to be honest." before leaving the Scratch Cat Pokemon behind. "I should go check on the others and see if they're doing alright."

-=O=-

-Lincoln vs. James-

"This hit-and-run stuff is really starting to bug me." said Lincoln in irritation as Koffing had once again retreated back into the smokescreen after hitting Fearow with another Tackle attack.

Recovering from the blow, Fearow grumbled "You're telling me - I can't tell where that thing is going to come from next. It's times like this that I wish I was born with Keen Eye instead of Sniper..." in agreement, just as annoyed with the cheap tactic as her Trainer was.

The fact that she hadn't gotten the chance to retaliate didn't improve her mood either.

"So much for your big talk earlier, boy. You should've just handed over your Pokemon when you had the chance."

"The only reason you're winning right now is due to this stupid hit-and-run stuff you're doing." countered Lincoln as he glared at James. "Why don't you try having that Koffing fight Fearow face-to-face, huh?"

"And why would I want to do something like that? This isn't some official battle between Trainers, boy." replied James condescendingly. "Besides, like I said before - I'm the bad guy here. I don't care about the rules. But enough talk - it's time to finish this! Koffing, use Tackle!"

Once again, Koffing had shot out of the smokescreen and towards Fearow, slamming into her with its body. As it was starting to head back into the smog, Fearow's eyes gleamed before she swung one of her wings wildly at the Poison Gas Pokemon, barely missing it as it retreated once again into the dark cloud.

"Ooh...so close. But close just doesn't cut it." mocked James with a smirk.

Seething in anger at being hit once again and narrowly missing her own attack, Fearow snarled "Alright, that's it - smokescreen or not, I'm going to hit you one way or another!" before diving into the smokescreen with both of her wings outstretched, covered in a shimmering white aura. "Eat this! Aerial Ace!"

"How reckless - diving into such a thick cloud of smog without any idea on where my Koffing is hidden." mused James mockingly, only for his smug look to fade upon hearing the sound of a blow landing within the smokescreen.

Seconds later, much to the shock of both Lincoln and James, Koffing had popped out of the dark cloud with a look of pain on its face.

With a surprised look on his face, Lincoln asks "Whoa...she actually managed to hit that thing?"

"What!? That overgrown bird actually managed to hit my poor Koffing!? That's got to be cheating somehow!" exclaimed James in disbelief.

"And here you were saying that you didn't care about the rules...not so fun when things aren't in your favor anymore, huh?" mocked Lincoln with a cheeky smirk.

"Shut up, brat!" snarled James before ordering "Koffing, back into the smokescreen, quick! We can't afford to lose our advantage!"

"Oh no, you don't! Fearow, whatever that move was, use it again!"

"Got it!" replied Fearow before divebombing towards Koffing just as it was about to re-enter the smokescreen. Before the Poison-Type could dodge or counterattack, the Beak Pokemon had managed to land another successful blow with Aerial Ace, sending it crashing to the ground.

'That move...that's the one Fearow tried to defeat Pikachu with earlier. What is that?' thought Lincoln curiously before taking out his Pokedex to find out more.

'Aerial Ace - a physical Flying-Type attack. This attack will always hit the opposing Pokemon without fail, regardless of how much the user's accuracy has been diminished.'

'...So this move never misses, no matter what?' thought Lincoln interested, before a wily grin appeared on his face. 'Sounds like my kind of move.'

Overhearing what the Pokedex had said, James grimaces and mutters "A move that never misses? Great...I spent weeks coming up with this strategy and some brat manages to find a major weakness in it." before moving to call Koffing back into its Pokeball. "Koffing, return!"

Before the Poison Gas Pokemon could be recalled back however, Fearow said "Oh no you don't! Pursuit!" before quickly diving towards Koffing and slamming her wing hard into its body, knocking it unconscious.

With her opponent lying defeated on the floor, Fearow flew back over to an amused Lincoln who asked "Feel better?"

"Much. It felt really good to knock that thing out after such an annoying battle."

After recalling his defeated Pokemon, James gives Lincoln a dirty look and says "This isn't over, brat! One day, Team Rocket will make you pay for your meddling!" before running away.

"Hey, get back here!" shouted Lincoln as he quickly recalled Fearow before giving chase.

-=O=-

-Misty vs. Jessie-

"Staryu, Rapid Spin!"

Watching in dismay as the spinning Water-Type smashed into Ekans' body and knocked it to the floor, Jessie asks "You're just a brat! How in the world can you be so strong!?"

"Like I said before - you have no idea on who you were facing off against." replied Misty before a smirk appeared on her face. "Then again, there's no way some crook like you could ever be any match for the Gym Leader of Cerulean City."

"A Gym Leader?! You?" exclaimed Jessie in disbelief, prompting Misty to take out a blue tear-shaped badge from her pocket with a cocky grin.

Upon seeing the badge, a worried expression appeared on Jessie's face - had her opponent been an ordinary Trainer, she would have been more confident about winning the battle.

But facing off against one of the Gym Leaders of Kanto on the other hand...it was no wonder she was getting wrecked so easily.

Shaking her head to clear the doubt away from her mind, Jessie thought 'No, I can't let that brat rattle me! I'm a member of Team Rocket - I can - and will - beat her, no matter what it takes!' before pointing at Misty and ordering "Ekans, forget about that Staryu! Use Poison Sting on the girl instead!"

"What?! You're actually going to having your Ekans attack me now just because you can't win? That's low!" exclaimed Misty in disgust as Staryu moved to shield her with its body.

Smirking evilly, Jessie replied "If I can't beat you in a Pokemon battle, I'll just have to make sure that I win in another way - namely by taking you out."

After taking a few seconds to shake off the damage taken from Rapid Spin, Ekans glares at Misty before opening its mouth to use Poison Sting on her. Before it could get the chance to fire the toxic attack however, a blast of lightning surged towards the Snake Pokemon and into its gaping maw.

After a few seconds of being electrocuted, Ekans fell to the floor, slightly blackened and completely unconscious.

"Ekans! No!"

While Jessie started screaming in dismay over Ekans' defeat, Misty noticed Pikachu walking over to her with a satisfied smile on his face. Picking the Electric-Type up, she asked "You're the one that saved my bacon there, weren't you?"

"Yep, that was me. Couldn't afford to let anything happen to my Trainer's mate, now could I?" replied Pikachu, grinning.

"Well...I have no idea what you just said, but thank you nonetheless."

After recalling the KO'ed Ekans back into its Pokeball, Jessie glares hatefully at Misty and Pikachu before saying "Don't think this is over, girlie - one day I'll make sure to crush you beneath my feet!"

Waving her off dismissively, Misty replied "Yeah whatever, grandma.", causing the older redhead to fume at the insult before running off. After watching her run off for a few seconds, Misty chases after her.

-=O=-

"Oh geez...my everything hurts...neva expected a rat like dat ta be packin' dat much power..." mumbled Meowth as he slowly started to stand up. Once he was back on his feet, he looked around the area before asking "Speakin' of which, where did dat Pikachu go? I don't see it anywhere."

Before he could think further about where the Electric-Type had went, Meowth spotted both Jessie and James running away towards the hole they had created earlier. Hobbling right after them, Meowth screams out "Hey, wait up! Don't leave me behind!"

-=O=-

'Just a little further and I'll be able to make my getaway...I just hope James and Meowth had better luck than I did.' thought Jessie as she ran towards the hole. As she continued towards it, she spotted James heading towards it as well, looking just as upset as she was.

Upon seeing Jessie, James asks "Jessie, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to deal with that orange-haired girl?"

"I could say the same of you - why are you running instead of battling that white-haired twerp?"

"Both of ya need ta quit gabbin' and start runnin' - we've got some trouble headin' our way right now!" shouted Meowth as he hobbled over, pointing behind him. Turning to see what he was pointing at, Jessie and James spot Lincoln, Misty and Pikachu heading towards them.

Glaring at the three, Jessie snarled "Looks like we'll need to retreat for now, James."

Nodding in agreement, James answered " Agreed - let's get out of here!" before moving to make his escape through the hole, followed by Meowth.

While her two teammates make their escape through the hole, Jessie stops long enough to turn towards Lincoln and Misty. Pointing at them threateningly, she says "Don't think that you've won, you two - with your actions tonight, both of you have officially declared yourself as enemies of Team Rocket."

After making her threat, Jessie turns around and heads through the hole herself, following after James and Meowth. As soon as all three were outside, they started to run down the street in hopes of making their getaway.

Pointing at the three retreating Rockets, Lincoln orders "Pikachu, use Thundershock to stop them! Don't let them get away!"

"Got it!" replied the Electric-Type before jumping into the air and discharging a Thundershock attack at the three Rockets. Unfortunately for him, the attack had missed and the three managed to make their getaway.

Disappointed with the trio's successful escape, Lincoln mutters "Dang it, they managed to get away..." before letting out a sigh and walking away.

-=O=-

Upon returning back to the lobby, Nurse Joy walks over and bows, saying "On behalf of everyone here at the Viridian Pokemon Center, I'd like to express my gratitude for chasing those criminals away. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I just wish that they hadn't managed to get away though..." replied Lincoln before letting out a yawn. "But enough about those three - is there any chance you can show me where me and Pikachu are supposed to sleep, Nurse Joy? I'm beat."

"Certainly. Please follow me and I'll show you to your room." replied Joy before leading him through a nearby door.

After a brief walk through a small hallway, the three come to a stop at the door with the number '5' on it.

Holding out her hand, Joy says "Key, please.", prompting Lincoln to hand her the key she had given him earlier. Inserting the key into the lock, she unlocks the door and opens it.

Inside the surprisingly spacious room was a pair of beds, a small closet for keeping clothes in, a television and a small refrigerator. There was another door in the room that, if Lincoln had to make a guess, led to a bathroom of some kind.

Gesturing towards the room, Joy says "Here it is - I hope it's to your liking." before handing the key back to him. "And here's your key - be sure to return it back to me tomorrow morning."

"Will do. Thanks." answered Lincoln, getting a gentle smile from the older woman before she walked away. Once she was gone, he walked over to one of the beds and placed his bag on it. "Man, what a day...not only did we manage to survive against that crazy flock of Spearow, but we met a Legendary Pokemon and kicked Team Rocket's butt on top of that. I think we've earned this rest."

"I know what you mean - there's nothing like relaxing after a long day." replied Pikachu with a yawn.

As Lincoln started to rummage through his bag in order to find his pajamas, he started thinking about the events that had taken place prior to his arrival in Viridian City - capturing Pikachu, his encounter with the Spearow flock and meeting Ho-Oh for the first time.

Especially the latter - he was still trying to figure out why Ho-Oh had given him the Rainbow Wing and the Sacred Ash. He knew that there must have been some reason it gave the two items to him, but as for what that reason was...he did not know.

His thoughts then turned to Fearow and his promise to speak with her regarding her capture. Taking out the Flying-Type's Pokeball, he thought 'Guess I should keep my word and talk to her - I did promise to do so after all.'

Upon seeing his Trainer taking out Fearow's Pokeball and activating it, Pikachu asks "Uh...what are you doing? You're seriously not going to let that bird out in here, are you?"

"'That bird', in case you've forgotten, helped me out with defeating that guy's Koffing earlier. Not only that, but she's a member of the team now and I don't want her to hold any grudges against us just because we took her away from her flock."

"Fair enough. Just remember what I said earlier - she acts up, I'm zapping her."

"I'll keep that in mind." replied Lincoln before opening the Pokeball to let the Beak Pokemon out. "Come on out, Fearow!"

Upon taking form in the room, the Flying-Type looked around before spotting Lincoln sitting on the nearby bed while Pikachu watched her carefully, ready to act if she did anything.

"I take it you're ready to explain about what happened after our battle in the woods?"

The white-haired boy nods in confirmation before starting his explanation. Once he had finished a few minutes later, Lincoln says "And that's everything. So...uh, I hope there's no hard feelings between us about your capture."

"None at all. It was a good battle and I did keep my word about letting you leave if you won." answered Fearow. "Though I am surprised to hear that you had managed to encounter Lord Ho-Oh on your way to Viridian City."

"Thanks. And uh...you know, you're a lot calmer about this than I thought you'd be. I was worried you'd be freaking out on us about capturing you."

With a glint of amusement in her eyes, Fearow replied "Well then, I suppose that it's fortunate for you that I was hoping something like this would happen then."

"You were hoping that it would happen?" asked Lincoln before realizing what the Beak Pokemon was implying. "Wait...you wanted me to catch you?"

Much to his and Pikachu's surprise, Fearow nodded in confirmation before replying "Of course. Why do you think I bothered to challenge you to a battle instead of joining my former flock in tearing both of you to shreds?"

"But why? That's what I'd like to know." asked Pikachu curiously, wanting to know Fearow's reason for going along with his Trainer.

"To become stronger. I've heard stories of Pokemon that have managed to reach incredible levels of strength with the help of a Trainer and felt that I should do the same in order to reach, if not surpass them. That is why I challenged you - to see if you were worthy of becoming my Trainer in order to help me grow stronger."

"Wow...I didn't expect an answer like that, to be honest." replied Lincoln before giving Fearow a grin. "But it seems like both of our goals are in a way intertwined with each other - I want to become a Champion and you want to become stronger."

"And for you to become a Champion, I would have to become a strong enough Pokemon for you to do so." concluded Fearow with a nod. "Yes, I believe I can see where you're going with this."

"Exactly - I think you and I can help each other reach our respective goals during our journey through Kanto." answered Lincoln with a nod of his own before turning towards Pikachu. "And while I'm at it, what's your goal, Pikachu? What do you want?"

"I...haven't really thought about it, to be honest." replied the Electric-Type thoughtfully. "Though considering you want to become a Champion Trainer, I guess I can say that my goal is to help you succeed with that."

"Alright then, looks like all three of our goals intertwine with each other in some way." responded Lincoln with a satisfied nod. "Welcome to the team, Fearow - we're glad to have you on board."

"Glad to hear it - I'll try not to disappoint you." answered the Flying-Type with a raised wing. "Now if that's all you wanted to discuss, I'd like to get some rest - today really tired me out."

Nodding in understanding, Lincoln recalls Fearow back into her Pokeball. While he was putting the ball away, Pikachu shudders before saying "I'll never understand why other Pokemon seem to like being cramped up in those things so much..."

"Who knows? Maybe it's just a Pokemon thing." replied Lincoln with a shrug. "But she's got the right idea - we should see about getting some rest ourselves. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

-=O=-

After taking a few minutes to change into his pajamas, Lincoln was ready to finally get some well-deserved sleep. However, before he could lay down on his bed and start to get comfortable, the sound of someone knocking at his door caught his attention. Groaning in annoyance, he gets to his feet and walks over to go answer it.

Upon seeing Misty standing there at the door, the white-haired boy tiredly asks "Misty? What are you doing here? Can't you see that I'm about to head off to bed?"

With a raised eyebrow, the older girl replied "Have you forgotten already, squirt?" before gesturing around the room. "You got the last available room and I need a place to sleep."

Now more awake after hearing this, Lincoln glared at the redhead and snapped "And I already told you before - no! Go bother somebody else!"

"Aw, come on! I helped you out with getting rid of Team Rocket, didn't I? You owe me!" complained Misty before pointing at the other bed in the room. "Besides, you've got another bed that isn't being used - why can't I use that one?"

"I don't care. I said no." muttered Lincoln, crossing his arms.

Groaning in frustration at the boy's stubbornness, Misty says "Alright, look...what will take for you to let me have that other bed for the night? Name your price."

"Name my price, huh...?"

"As long as it's not any of my Pokemon or my body, I'll be willing to pay it."

"Like I'd want to do 'that' with you anyway." snarked Lincoln, getting an unpleasant scowl from Misty in return. "Now what could I possibly want that you can offer me..."

"You should ask for her help with catching a Water-Type Pokemon - I've heard some good things about how useful they can be in battle."

"Hmm...now that's an idea." mused Lincoln before pointing at Misty and asking "You said that you specialized in Water-Type Pokemon, right?"

Giving him a wary glance, the older girl replied "Yeah. What of it?", wondering on what he was up to.

"Which means that you know all the good spots to find those kind of Pokemon, right?"

"I think I'm starting to see where you're going with this." said Misty with a look of understanding on her face. "You're offering the other bed in exchange for helping you capture a Water-Type Pokemon. Am I correct?"

Grinning, Lincoln replied "That's right - it's a win-win situation for both of us - I get a new Pokemon on my team and you get a bed to sleep in for the night. So what do you say?"

"That's all you want? Fine by me - you've got a deal." replied Misty before walking over to the other bed. "And don't worry about me skipping out on fulfilling my part of the bargain - I'm good about keeping my word."

"Glad to hear it. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to bed - it's been a long day and I'm beat. Good night."

-=O=-

-The Loud Residence-

While Lincoln was heading off to bed, Luna had called for a meeting among the sisters to discuss their brother's whereabouts and Lisa's motive for sending him away to Kanto.

Unlike the last time however, everyone else aside from Lisa had attended this time.

"I don't understand on why you still insist on talking about that jinx, Luna. After all, with how unlucky he is, we'd be better off if he stayed at wherever he was and never came back." said Lynn crossing her arms, getting a few cold glares from some of her siblings in response.

"First of all, watch your mouth, sis - he may be unlucky, but that's our brother you're talking about." snapped Luna in anger. "And despite everything, he's still our brother and I'm not comfortable with him being so far away without any way of talking to us."

"And what makes you think that he'll want to speak to any of us after what we've done to him?" asked Lucy, causing the others to stop and look at her questionably.

"Whaddya mean by that, Lucy?" asked Lana curiously. "We're his sisters - of course he'd want to talk to us."

"Even though we treated him like a plague and even agreed to the idea of sending him away?" retorted the goth, causing a look of unease to appear on some of the others' faces as they recalled their treatment of their only brother over the past week.

"Who cares about what happened last week!? We're here to talk about how to get Lisa to spill the beans on why she wanted Lincoln to go to this Kanto place so badly!" snapped Lola in irritation. "After all, that's what this stupid sister meeting is about, right? I could be watching TV instead of this right now!"

Nodding in agreement, Lori says "The brat's got a point - let's keep to the subject at hand so we can get this thing over with and done."

"Then perhaps I can shed a little light on your current conversation in order to help move things along." said a nearby voice, causing a nasty look to appear on Luna's face as she turned to glare at the source.

"I don't remember invitin' you to this meeting of ours, Lisa."

"Well, considering the fact that I appear to be one of the subjects of interest, I felt that I should contribute somewhat to your discussion."

"Oh really? And just what do you have to say when it comes to Lincoln, huh?" asked Luna, eyes narrowed.

"Depends on whether or not you can keep that temper of yours in check."

Sensing the tension starting to grow between the two sisters, Luan quickly asks "Say...uh, Lisa? Since you're here and all...any chance you can tell us about why you were so insistent on sending Lincoln to this Kanto place?"

"It's as I said before - I wanted him to assist a fellow scientist like myself with his research." replied Lisa, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but something about that doesn't seem right." countered Luan, tapping her chin. "Sure, you're helping out a friend with his research by sending Lincoln to him, but what exactly do YOU get out of it? You usually don't do something like that without getting something in return."

"Hey, that's right! Usually when you do something nice like that, you always end up wanting something out of it!" added Lola, pointing at her younger sister.

"...Now that I think on it, they raise a pretty good point." concluded Lori before facing Lisa once more. "So what is it, poindexter? What's your angle in all of this?"

Almost immediately, the attention of everyone in the room homed in on Lisa, hoping that the pressure would cause her to fold before spilling forth what they wanted to know. Inwardly, Lucy hoped that Lisa would crack and reveal the truth so that she wouldn't be able to hold the secret regarding her comics over her head anymore.

However, much to the confusion of everyone there, the brainy four year-old simply smirked before answering "Hmph...so you aren't complete dunderheads after all. Color me surprised."

Offended, Leni retorts "Hey, we're not...dumbder...dunder...we're not whatever you said we are!"

Pointing accusingly at her younger sister, Luna snarls "So you are getting something out of this! I should have known!"

"Of course. You honestly didn't expect me to do something like this without getting something in return, did you?" replied Lisa with a nod. "Professor Oak's research is connected to a subject I myself am interested in studying. Through Lincoln's efforts in Kanto, I should hopefully what I need in order to begin my own research."

"So this trip to Kanto is just a selfish ploy to get data for some of your stupid science stuff? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, considering that you use some of us for those twisted experiments of yours - Lincoln included." grumbled Luna in disgust.

"In a way, your assumption is correct." replied Lisa before a smirk appeared on her face. "However, there is one more important detail that all of you are overlooking."

"And that is...?" inquired Lori, giving Lisa a wary glance as she wondered what the four year-old had to say.

"Well...you already know that both Professor Oak and I will benefit from our brother's trip to Kanto...but what exactly does Lincoln get out of it?"

With the exception of Lucy, the others stop and give each other questioning glances - Lincoln was going to benefit from this as well?

Turning her attention back to Lisa, Lana asks "Wait...Lincoln's going to be getting something out of this, too?"

"Indeed he is. And in my honest opinion..." replied Lisa before a wry smirk appeared on her face. "I think he'll be the one with the most to gain from his trip."

"And just what do you mean by that?" asked Lola suspiciously, wondering on what her sister was implying. "He's having to help some scientist with his stupid research! How is that beneficial for him?"

'If only you knew, Lola. If only you knew.' thought Lisa before saying "I'm not going to spoil anything for you just yet, but you'll see what I mean within the next couple of days or so."

"Can you, like, at least give us a hint or something? Please?" asked Leni in a hopeful voice.

"...I suppose one hint couldn't hurt since you said 'please'." replied Lisa after thinking the request over for a second. "Lincoln is going to be doing a lot more than just hanging around Professor Oak's lab throughout his stay in Kanto."

This had caught the attention of everyone else in the room aside from Lucy, who had a thoughtful look on her face.

Interested, Lori asks "Is that right? So what is he going to be doing then?"

Smirking, Lisa answers "Now now...I said that I wouldn't spoil anything just yet - you'll just have to wait and see for yourself." before leaving the room.

Once Lisa was gone, the others look at each other questionably, wondering on whether to believe their younger sister's words or not. As they started to talk with each other about the subject, they were unaware that Lucy had followed Lisa out of the room.

-=O=-

"Lisa, I need to talk to you."

Turning around to face her older sister, Lisa asks "What is it? I need to get back to my room - I'm expecting another call from Professor Oak soon."

"You're going to speak with him again?"

"Yes. It's regarding the upcoming progress report he's sending." answered Lisa before giving Lucy a stern look. "So what do you want to discuss with me?"

"It's...about Lincoln." replied Lucy with a sigh. "Is there any chance you can get into contact with him?"

"I'll need to talk to Professor Oak about that, though I'm certain our brother wouldn't exactly be happy about wanting to speak with any of us at the moment. Why do you ask?"

"...I've been thinking about what you said during our meeting in your room earlier." answered Lucy before lowering her head in shame. "I want to try and make amends with him after what happened last week."

"So you finally realized your folly, I take it?"

"You were right - I should've known better than to go along with this whole 'bad luck' mess." replied Lucy, sighing.

"Well, at least you admitted that you were wrong. That's a start." answered Lisa with a sagely nod.

"So can you see if you can contact him? I want to apologize for how I treated him over the last few days."

Sighing, Lisa replied "Look...I can't make any promises, but I'll see what I can do. Just don't get your hopes up."

"That'll have to do for now. Thanks." replied Lucy gratefully before remembering something else. "...One more thing - what are you going to do about that footage you're holding over my head once the others find out about what Lincoln's really doing in Kanto?"

Shrugging, Lisa responded "Considering that I most likely won't need it as 'insurance' anymore, I'll most likely dispose of it." before giving her older sister a hard look. "Though I expect you to come clean with the truth about what really happened one of these days. You owe our brother that much."

After a few seconds of silence, Lucy lets out a resolute sigh before nodding in agreement. "Fair enough. So when will Professor Oak send this progress report he mentioned before?"

"Probably within the week, if I have to make an estimate." replied Lisa, adjusting her glasses. "Now if that's all you wanted with me, I really must be going. Excuse me."

While Lisa walked away and went into her room, Lucy stood there alone in the hallway, lost in thoughts about her wayward brother. Would he be willing to speak with her again after how she had treated him over the past week? Was he safe out there wandering the Kanto region?

...Would he ever come back home?

As she mulled over these thoughts, the sound of something falling to the floor catches her attention. Walking over to see what it was, she spots a picture of the entire family lying on the floor.

Picking it up, she noticed that aside from a small part that displayed the image of her brother, everything else had been damaged somewhat by the fall.

With an ominous chill running down her spine as she stared at the picture, Lucy thought '...I hope this isn't an ill omen of some kind...'

-=O=-

-Somewhere In The Kanto Region-

Inside of a darkened office, a man clad in an orange suit with dark brown hair was sitting at an expensive-looking desk, stroking the head of his pet Persian as he glares at the three quivering figures standing in front of him.

"You three had one job - one that even you dolts couldn't screw up - and you come back empty-handed. For your sake, you better have a good excuse for this failure."

Shaking in fear, Jessie stutters "I-it was that twerp and his girlfriend - they interfered with our mission and..."

Slamming his fist on his desk, the man snarls "A mere pair of children defeated you?!", scaring the three Rockets. "You three are absolutely useless!"

"B-but Boss, those two were strong! Really strong! One of them was even a gym leader!" whimpered James, causing the man to growl before turning towards one of the male grunts standing guard in the office.

"Bring me the footage from the Viridian Center feed - I want to see these two children for myself."

With a quick salute, the grunt leaves the office. After a few minutes, he returns with a videotape in hand.

"Here it is, Boss - the Viridian Center footage from last night."

The man nods, prompting the grunt to walk over to a large television with a VCR set up beside it. After inserting the tape, he presses the play button.

As he watched the footage, the man's look of anger gradually changes to one of slight intrigue. He had immediately recognized Misty as the Gym Leader of Cerulean City, but it was the person battling alongside her that had caught his interest.

Turning to face the grunt from before, he asks "Who is that boy? I don't think I've seen him anywhere before in the Kanto databases.", prompting the grunt to take out a tablet-like device.

"Let's see...ah, here we are, Boss - the boy's name is Lincoln Loud and from what it says here, he's a new Trainer from the United States that only just started his journey yesterday."

James grimaced upon hearing this - despite the fact he had plenty of experience as a Trainer, he had been defeated by a rookie that had only just started becoming one himself.

Needless to say, his pride as both a Trainer and a member of Team Rocket had taken a major beating.

'Thank goodness I decided to fight the gym leader instead - I don't know if my confidence could take the idea of losing to some greenhorn.' thought Jessie as she gave James a pitying glance.

"What!? Ya mean ta tell me dat the only reason our mission failed was because of a complete newbie and his girlfriend!?" screeched Meowth in dismay, unable to believe the words he had heard.

"Be silent, you fool." snapped the man, causing the Scratch Cat Pokemon to quickly clam up. After watching the battle for a few more seconds, the man pauses the video and turns his attention back to the three Rockets once more.

"You three will be given a new assignment - one that I believe even you idiots can complete." said the dark-haired man before pointing at the television, which had Lincoln and Fearow displayed on its screen. "You three are to follow that boy and monitor his every move, understood?"

"Everything, Boss?" asked Jessie questionably.

"Everything. The people he contacts, the Pokemon he catches, things of importance that he does - I want you to monitor everything and report it back to me."

The three look at each other questionably before James replies "Sure thing, Boss...but why?"

Smirking, the man says "Despite the fact that the three of you are among the lowest in our ranks, the fact that a child had successfully managed to defeat a member of Team Rocket is no small feat, especially one that had just begun his career as a Trainer. Such potential talents would be beneficial to the organization's future if we were to recruit him to our cause."

Inwardly, he added 'Not to mention that it'll keep you three bumblers away from our larger-scale operations.'

"Wait...you want us to scout the brat to see if he's Rocket material?" inquired Jessie, getting a nod from the man in return.

"Exactly. You are expected to battle him every now and then as well, mainly to assess his skills along with your regular duties as a member of Team Rocket." said the man before he glared at the three once more. "Be warned that this is your last chance to prove yourself useful to me. If you screw this up..."

The three Rockets gulp nervously before quickly saluting the man and replying "Yes, Boss! We won't let you down, we promise!"

"Good. Now get out of here before I change my mind."

With another quick salute, the three hurry out of the office, leaving the man and his grunts behind.

-=O=-

-The Next Morning-

Giving Lincoln and Misty a polite bow when they entered the lobby the following morning, Joy says "Good morning. I hope you had a restful sleep last night."

"One of the best I had in a while, Nurse Joy." replied Lincoln as he removed the key from his pocket and handed it to her. "There's your key back."

"Thank you very much. Now before you go, I believe that Officer Jenny and one of our PokeMart clerks would like to speak with you."

Giving the two adults a questioning glance as they walked over, Lincoln asks "They want to speak with us? Did we do something wrong?"

"Not at all, young man - this is about your battle with Team Rocket last night." answered Jenny reassuringly before a broad smile appeared on her face. "On behalf of the Viridian City Police Department, I would personally like to thank the two of you for your role in protecting the Pokemon Center."

"As I told Nurse Joy last night, it was no trouble at all, Officer - anyone else would have done the same if they were in our place." answered Lincoln with a smile of his own.

"Not only that, but we got the chance to thwart one of Team Rocket's operation as well. Something like that doesn't happen very often." added Misty with a smirk. "Speaking of those guys, did you manage to catch them, Officer?"

Shaking her head, Jenny replied "Unfortunately not. We've searched all over Viridian City and couldn't find them anywhere."

"Sorry about not being able to stop them, Officer Jenny. I tried, but..." mumbled Lincoln as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it - just the fact that you managed to keep this place safe is good enough for me." said Jenny before gesturing towards the PokeMart clerk. "But anyway, I believe that this gentleman has something to give the two of you as a reward for your actions last night."

Stepping forward, the PokeMart clerk said "On behalf of us working at the Viridian PokeMart, I'd like to offer you two these." before handing Lincoln a plastic bag with what appeared to be clothes inside while Misty got a bag filled with Potions and Pokeballs.

Opening the bag to get a better look at them, Lincoln saw an orange-colored jacket with white trim, a pair of dark brown-colored pants, black fingerless gloves, a pair of black and orange-colored sneakers and what appeared to be an orange-colored bandana with a Pokeball marking on it.

"You're giving me clothes?"

Gesturing towards the clothing with a look of pride on his face, the clerk says "Those are imported directly from the Kalos region and made with materials that excel in standing against the elements. Now normally, clothing like this would carry a hefty price tag, but since you and your friend managed to ward off those horrid criminals last night, you can consider those a gift from us at the Viridian PokeMart."

Nodding appreciatively at the outfit, Lincoln smiles and replies "Thanks! Do you have a place where I can put these on?"

Pointing at a small booth, the clerk answered "Changing room's right there, sir.", prompting Lincoln to head towards it and quickly step inside. After taking a few minutes to change out of his old clothes, he came out of the changing booth dressed in his new outfit.

"So how do I look?" asked Lincoln as he turned around to show off the new clothes.

"Not bad. You almost look like a respectable Trainer now." said Misty with a smirk.

"It's a very nice look for you, sir." commented the PokeMart clerk with an approving nod as he gave Lincoln a thumbs-up.

Nodding in agreement, Nurse Joy adds "I think the new look suits you." with a smile on her face.

"Could do with a little less orange, but aside from that, it looks good on you." said Jenny, grinning.

"And that's not all, sir. If you would be so kind as to check your pockets?"

At this, Lincoln starts fishing through the pockets of his new pair of pants, eventually finding a dark silver-colored USB stick. Taking it out and giving it a curious glance, he asks "You're giving me a TM, too? What move is it for?"

"The move Steel Wing - Officer Jenny mentioned that you had a Fearow on hand, so I decided to include one of our spare TMs for that particular move as well. Feel free to use it how you see fit."

To Misty, he added "I've also included a TM in your bag for you as well, miss - one for the move Water Pulse."

With an appreciative grin, Misty replied "Nice - I've been after that particular TM for a while. Thanks." before turning to walk away. "Well, I've got to be going, squirt - when you're ready for me to uphold my end of the deal, meet me on Route 2. Later."

"See you then, Misty." responded Lincoln as he waved her off.

-=O=-

As soon as Misty had left, Nurse Joy stepped forward and said "I would like to offer you a token of gratitude as well." before presenting him with a small container that looked to have been made with incredibly advanced technology.

"What is that? It looks like some kind of futuristic shoe box." asked Lincoln as he looked the item over curiously.

Pointing at the container, Officer Jenny says "That's a Traveler's Kit, young man - developed and sold by the Silph Company in Saffron City. It contains equipment that will make life easier for any traveling Trainer - camping equipment, cooking utensils, medical stuff for emergencies - all of that stuff in one easy-to-carry container."

"How in the world does all of that stuff fit into something as small as this?"

"Not too sure myself. I just know that it involves the same pocket technology used for Pokeballs, but that's about it." replied Jenny with a shrug as Joy handed Lincoln the container. "Should make your journey a lot easier to deal with, though."

"And anything that makes things easier for me is always welcomed. Thanks, Nurse Joy." answered Lincoln as he put the container into his bag. Once it was put away, he asked "By the way, do you happen to know where I can find Pewter City? I want to challenge their gym for a badge.", causing the woman to tap her chin in thought.

"Well, you won't have to look far - Pewter's just north of Viridian City. Of course, you'll need to get through Route 2 and the Viridian Forest first. If you're quick, you might be able to make it there by noon."

"So, north of Viridian...got it. Thanks for the help, Nurse Joy." answered Lincoln before turning to leave the front counter. As he started to walk away, he heard the sound of Misty swearing loudly in anger coming from outside, followed by the sight of the furious stomping through the entrance and towards him.

Before he could do or say anything, she snapped "You, come with me right now!" before grabbing his wrist and dragging him out of the Pokemon Center, much to the confusion of both Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy as they watched the two leave.

-=O=-

"Misty, what the heck is wrong with you? Where in the world are you dragging me?"

Lincoln's questions went unanswered as Misty continued to drag him behind her towards the side of the Pokemon Center where the Rockets had detonated their bombs the night before.

Upon reaching the hole, Misty lets go of Lincoln's wrist and points at what appeared to be a mangled heap of metal and snarls "Look what those Rocket jerks did to my bike!"

Glancing at the former bicycle, Lincoln and Pikachu couldn't help but wince at the sight - to say that it was completely beyond repair would be an understatement.

Before he could offer his condolences, Misty quickly grabs Lincoln by the front of his shirt and exclaims "Do you have any idea how much that bike cost?! Do you?!"

"N-no?"

Shaking him violently, the redhead screamed "One million PokeDollars! I had to save up my money for years to be able to afford it!"

"Misty..." murmured Lincoln with a slightly green face, only for Misty to ignore him as she continued to shake him around.

"I can't go back to borrowing my sisters' bikes - they'd never let me hear the end of it!"

"Misty..." repeated the white-haired boy, this time with annoyance in his voice as he once again tried to get the redhead's attention, only to fail.

"And it'll take forever for me to be able to buy a new bike! I can't wait that long!"

"MISTY!" shouted Lincoln in irritation, causing the redhead to stop shaking him around. "Look, I know that you're upset about your bike and I can understand how you're feeling right now, but I'd appreciate it if you'd put me down - you're starting to make me ill."

Realizing that she had lifted him off of the ground during her outburst, Misty blushed in embarrassment before putting him back down.

"Uh...sorry about that, squirt. I guess I just went a little crazy there."

"...That's alright. Just please...don't do it again." replied Lincoln as he dusted himself off. "So what are you going to do now?"

With a depressed look on her face, Misty answers "I don't know. All I can think about at the moment is my bike." before letting out a heavy sigh.

After watching Misty mope for a few more seconds, Lincoln sighs and mutters "...I just know I'm going to end up regretting this later..." before walking over and placing a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to give him an odd look. "Misty, how about you tag along with me and Pikachu for a while until you get yourself sorted out?"

"You...want me to come along with you? Why?"

"Well, I can't just leave you here moping, now can I?" countered Lincoln before crossing his arms. "Besides, I could use the advice of someone who knows what it takes to be a successful Pokemon Trainer. And as much as I hate to say it, you know more about this kind of stuff than I do."

"Well, at least you're willing to admit that I'm a better Trainer than you are - that puts you up a notch."

"And where do I stand now?"

"Notch one." replied Misty with a cheeky smirk, causing Lincoln to grumble under his breath at the reply. "As for your proposition...I guess I could tag along for a while, but only until we reach Cerulean City. After that, you're on your own. Deal?"

"Deal." answered Lincoln as the two quickly shook hands with each other.

"So now that we've got that out of the way, I'm guessing you're heading to Pewter City to challenge the gym there for a badge?"

"That's right." replied Lincoln before taking his map out of his bag. "Nurse Joy said that we'll need to get through Route 2 and the Viridian Forest first before we can get there. I'm planning on seeing if there's anything of interest there for me to catch on the way."

"Viridian Forest?! Oh man, how could I forget that we had to go through that place first?!" exclaimed Misty with a panicked look on her face.

"What's your deal? You're not afraid of a bunch of trees, are you?"

"It's not the forest itself that I dislike...it's what lives inside of it..." murmured the older girl with a shudder before giving the white-haired boy a worried glance. "Do we really have to go in there?"

"Yep." replied Lincoln, keeping his eyes on the map.

"...Is there any chance I can change my mind about tagging along with you?"

"Nope."

"Crap."

-=O=-

-Professor Oak's Laboratory-

"And you say that he, alongside the Cerulean City gym leader, managed to thwart a Pokemon theft attempt by Team Rocket?" asked Oak with raised eyebrows as he spoke into his VideoPhone's receiver.

On the screen, Officer Jenny nodded before replying "That's right, Professor Oak - if it wasn't for their interference, those three crooks would have most likely succeeded with their plan."

"I see. So, any idea on where he's heading now?"

"Pewter City - said something about challenging for the badge over there." replied Jenny before giving Oak a curious look. "Why are you so interested in this kid, anyway? Is he a relative of yours by any chance?"

"Not at all, Officer." answered Oak before a grin appeared on his face. "Rather, he's assisting me with my research. I've even given him a Pokedex to help out with that particular task."

"Ah, I see - so he's one of 'those' kind of Trainers, huh?" responded Jenny before moving her VideoPhone's receiver away from her ear. "Well, I've got to go now - I'm on duty right now and my job unfortunately isn't going to do itself. Goodbye, Professor."

"Goodbye, Officer." replied Oak as Jenny ended the call. With a wry smile as he hung up the receiver, he mused "Well now...I believe this is going to be the most interesting first progress report I've sent in a while..."