Chapter 6: Who Ripped Off My B Button!!
2024-05-15 Author: Samsung Charmander (Author Name)
The next day, early in the morning.
Ash and his Pokemon were lined up neatly, doing Radio Calisthenics.
It was said to prevent bone fractures in old age.
"Alright, let's continue on our path to becoming a Pokémon Master!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu raised its little paws, the first to respond.
The Harder You Work, The Luckier You Get!
Ash and his Pokemon shouted their vow, a rush of excitement and fervor rising up, so loud that it caused black lines to form on the forehead of a just-awakened Misty.
What in the world does being a Pokémon Master even mean?!
"Hmph, a Pokémon Master is, of course, the greatest existence there is."
BOOM!!
Before Ash could finish his sentence, a loud bang suddenly echoed from the horizon.
Then, three dark figures descended from the Sky. Though there were no speakers around, it was as if an explosive, exhilarating BGM had started playing.
"Who's there!?" Ash yelled subconsciously.
"****".
"****".
"****".
"Jessie!"
"James!"
"Meowth, that's right!"
"We are Team Rocket, weaving through the galaxy!"
The trio struck a bizarre new pose on a Rock Platform, looking somewhat cool.
"Hey! You guys from Team Rocket are like lingering spirits!" Misty frowned and complained bluntly.
"Hmph, we came specifically for a little brat with good taste."
"That's right, that Pikachu must be a precious Abnormal Variant! It must belong to Team Rocket!"
"You Idiot, Meowth! Don't tell them the whole plan!"
At first, Ash thought they had come to encourage him.
He hadn't expected them to be after his Pikachu. He quickly scooped Pikachu into his arms.
"Oh? Still trying to resist?"
"We only lost to you last time because we were careless. This time, you're sure to lose!"
With that, the two of them once again sent out Ekans and Koffing.
It couldn't be helped. Funding was limited, and Low-level Members like the Team Rocket trio could only apply for Pokemon like these.
However, rumor had it that Team Rocket was undergoing internal restructuring to actively improve supply-side demand. Perhaps in a few days, they might have the chance to requisition the powerful Pokemon available to High-level Members.
Ash, on the other hand, was completely bewildered.
Wasn't this their first meeting? What were they talking about, him having defeated them before?
Were they trying to pull a Faked Accident scam?
But looking at the Koffing and Ekans, which were clearly no pushovers, Ash didn't dare to be careless. He prepared to send his Pikachu into battle.
Come to think of it, this was his very first Battle. The mere thought made his blood boil with excitement.
"Wait a minute! Pikachu is Spoils of War, so you can't use it in battle!" Jessie suddenly declared, her face a mask of righteousness.
Ash was taken aback, stunned for a moment.
That actually seemed to make sense.
"Then come back, Pikachu."
Misty: "???"
What was with this bizarre sense of mutual understanding?
"In that case, I choose you, Pidgeotto!"
Ash sent out his number-two general.
From the red light, Pidgeotto emerged, flapping its wings. Its brown feathers were vibrant, and it looked majestic.
Seeing that Ash seemed to really be planning on a one-on-two, Misty quickly reminded him from behind:
"There are two of them! You should send out a second Pokémon creature, too!"
"But that would violate the battle rules, wouldn't it?" Ash retorted weakly.
In the Kanto Region, one-on-one battles were the trend; Double Battles were rare.
"Then does your League's law state that you can get your opponent's Pokémon creature just by defeating them?!"
Misty was about to faint from anger. How come the Ash from last time acted like a seasoned veteran, but now he was like a greenhorn who's just starting out?
Are you just trying to mess with me? Do you really need to take the act this far?!
Team Rocket wasn't about to wait for the two of them to finish their verbal sparring. Seizing the opportunity, they had already launched their attack.
"Ekans, use Bite!"
"Koffing, use Poison Gas!"
Facing Ekans's gaping maw, Pidgeotto, with its considerable Speed, flapped its wings and soared into the air to dodge.
Seeing the purple gas approaching, it flapped its wings again, stirring up a pale yellow whirlwind that blew the gas away.
Gust!
After all, Pidgeotto was already a Second Stage Evolution Form, so its Strength wasn't too weak. It could fight right from the start.
Ash quickly used his Pokedex to scan his Pidgeotto.
"Pokedex Beep. Pidgeotto, a common-as-dirt little bird Pokemon. Likes to eat Caterpie."
"Moves: Tackle, Quick Attack, Gust, Sand Attack."
Hearing this, Ash felt a sense of certainty and commanded:
"Our turn! Use Quick Attack!"
"Pidgeot-to!!"
Pidgeotto nodded, let out a high-pitched cry, and turned into a streak of White Light, charging toward Ekans.
However, having already witnessed the god-like Speed of the Round-faced Pikachu, the latter didn't panic much. It leaped directly into the dirt, avoiding the attack.
"Koffing, use Mud-Slap!" James launched a surprise attack.
Splat!
The black mud ball spat out by Koffing flew past Pidgeotto's body in a hair-raisingly close call.
"Now's your chance, Ekans, use Bind!!"
At that moment, Ekans suddenly burst out from the ground beneath Pidgeotto.
It leaped up, reaching the bird's altitude, its purple tail and body wrapping around the Pidgeotto, coiling tightly around it before it could react!
Facing two opponents at once was still too much for Pidgeotto.
James pressed his advantage, commanding again:
"Koffing, use Mud-Slap again!"
"Splat!"
This time, the dark mud successfully splattered all over Pidgeotto's face, dealing considerable Damage.
"Damn it, Pidgeotto!"
For a moment, Ash was in a panic, unsure what Skill to use next.
This was his first-ever Battle against another person.
"Idiot, hurry up and use your second Pokemon!" Misty quickly reminded him.
Her words snapped Ash back to his senses. No longer caring about fair Rules, he quickly threw out a second Poké Ball.
"I choose you, Rayquaza!"
Following his call, a Caterpie with a dazed expression appeared in everyone's Line of Sight.
Team Rocket: "?"
Had Caterpie been officially renamed by the Pokémon League The Officials recently? And they'd changed it to such a dominant and arrogant Name?
Rayquaza?
Isn't that just asking for trouble?
If that was the case, they, Team Rocket, couldn't afford to fall behind the times.
From this day on, every Caterpie they saw would be called Rayquaza.
Otherwise, people might think they were just a bunch of country bumpkins from nowhere!
"Hmph, but what can Rayquaza even do?" Jessie said with disdain.
"That's right, Rayquaza is just as useless as Magikarp!" James chimed in mockingly.
Misty: "."
Did I get out of bed the wrong way again today?!
The Battle had reached a stalemate.
With Rayquaza's frail body, it was indeed difficult to break the deadlock, which left Ash in a dilemma.
When in doubt, turn to quantum mechanics!
Ash quickly scanned the Caterpie with his Pokedex.
"Pokedex Beep. Caterpie, Nickname: Rayquaza. Moves: Tackle, String Shot, Electro Web."
"Electro Web?"
Ash frowned. What kind of Move was Electro Web? He had never heard of it.
But it sounded like an Electric-type Move, so it definitely couldn't be used. Pidgeotto was still surrounded by those two Pokémon creature.
"Then use String Shot! Rayquaza!" Ash commanded.
Hiss hiss hiss!
The Caterpie opened its small mouth and spat out a large amount of white thread.
Unexpectedly, the volume of this white liquid was so great that it instantly turned the unprepared Ekans into a ball of silk.
"Pidgeot-to!"
Pidgeotto seized the chance to break free.
"Good opportunity! Rayquaza, use Electro Web!" Ash commanded quickly.
The Caterpie flicked its mouth, and the color of the white silk it spat out changed, turning into a bright yellow. It formed a massive net that covered both Koffing and Ekans.
Zzzzzt!!
Instantly, an Electric Current caused Paralysis. The crackling sound made the two Pokémon creatures freeze up, letting out muffled groans.
Seeing this, Ash's eyes lit up. He whipped his Hat around backward and finally roared out:
"The final blow! Rayquaza, Pidgeotto, use Tackle!"
At his word, one Bug Pokémon and one bird, a double Tackle, viciously sent both Koffing and Ekans flying.
They took the Team Rocket trio behind them along for the ride, once again turning into a shooting star and disappearing over the horizon.
"Rayquaza is such an amazing Pokemon…"
The trio in the Sky was beginning to understand why the Pokémon League would change Caterpie's official Name.
The Battle came to a close.
The victory in his first Battle made Ash incredibly excited.
With a joyful expression, he recalled his Utility Bird and hugged the Caterpie, spinning around several times. Even Misty and Pikachu at the side were clapping.
She had never thought that Rayquaza could be so powerful.
"Crap, I got sidetracked by them too!"
Misty quickly shook her head to clear it.
But just as Ash was about to return the Caterpie to its ball…
Hiss hiss hiss!
The Caterpie spat white silk towards the Sky, which fell like a stream of water, enveloping itself in a Cocoon. At the same time, a strange White Light began to shine from its body.
"This is…?"
Ash's eyes widened in bewilderment.
"That's the Light of Evolution," Misty quickly explained.
Battling earns Experience, and Experience allows Pokemon to evolve. This was common knowledge.
"Evolution… ah, no, the Pokedex, the Pokedex!!"
Ash reacted in an instant. Now was not the time for Evolution!
Only by constantly Suppressing Evolution until Caterpie reached its perfect Max Level Form could it directly evolve into the Invincible Rayquaza.
"Right, the B Button… the B Button…!"
He stared intently at the Light of Evolution, pulled out his Pokedex, and pressed down on the spot where the B Button was.
"Huh?"
Why couldn't he feel a button?
Ash quickly looked down and saw that the spot on the Pokedex where the B Button used to be was, for some reason, bare.
It had been covered with some strange glue, molded into a shape that couldn't be pressed.
At this moment, all he could do was stare helplessly as the Caterpie in the White Light continuously changed its Form…
"Damn it! Which bastard ripped off my B Button!!"
Ash's demonic roar instantly echoed throughout the entire Viridian Forest!
——
(New author, asking for votes.)