Episode 17:
Team Rocket Strikes

Author(s): IcyPikachu and Insanellama

The group had been spending the past few days enjoying the sights of Vermilion City. They had heard about the S.S. Anne coming to Vermilion Harbor in a few days and had to kill time. But, they had the feeling wherever they went, someone was watching them. It seemed Team Rocket wouldn’t rest until Clan Caterpie had been eliminated. Icy was being healed while the others finished their lunch.

“Let’s go check out the boats in the harbor,” Icy said into his translator.

“Nah, you and Mike go. You guys probably need to do some catching up.” Llama said.

“OK, but I’m taking my Dugtrio and Bulbasaur with me too. Just in case.” He tied their pokéballs to his tail. He and Mike left for the harbor.

“Sooooo…. What’s it like being a Pikachu?”

“Ahh. It’s not that bad. I have to be careful no one tries to capture me. But other than that, I feel great.” I thought about what he had just said. ‘I feel great? I wanna be human again…’

“Hmm. I wish I could be a pokémon too. If I were a pokémon, I’d want to be a Ditto. They are so cool!”

“Yeah. I want to capture one of them.”

They continued walking down the pier. They failed to notice three elite members of TR following them.

“Icy, do you think you’ll ever become human again?”

Icy stopped walking. His eyes started to tear up. He wiped them dry with his paw. “I… I don’t know. Bill never could figure out what made me a Pikachu to begin with. Without that knowledge, I don’t think I ever will be a human again.”

“I’m sorry Icy.” Mike turned his head back just in time to see three shady characters duck behind some boxes. “Icy… I think someone’s following us…” Mike pointed indirectly at 3 black figures a few meters behind them.

“I sense them. C’mon…” Icy led Mike down one of the piers. The Rockets followed them. “Quick, in here.” They jumped into a small boat with a cover over it. The Rockets walked by.

“Where did they go? I just saw them.” They looked and searched, but never thought about looking in the boat. “Forget this. If Giovanni wants that Icy kid so badly, he can someone else to do this. I’m tired of chasing after stupid little kids.”

“Yeah, let’s go. We can ambush always Clan Caterpie at night when they least expect it.” They ran off, laughing about the plan they were concocting.

“Are they gone?” Icy asked Mike.

“Yes. We’ve got to warn the others!” Mike replied. They jumped out of the boat and headed back to the pokécenter to warn Insane and the others.

Icy and Mike came running in, out of breath. “Tea…..ket…. ter… aterpie.” said Mike.

“Slow down there, catch yer breath and try it again,” said Insanellama. Mike and Icy waited a second, and then told them about the three members of TR, and the threat on Icy’s life.

“Well, that don’t change things too much, now we just gotta be twice as careful,” said Insanellama.

“I say we get outta Vermilion and meet the S.S. Anne at Fuchsia City,” said Lonewolf. “I bet we can stay with Koga at his gym.”

“Agreed. Let’s go now. Mike, you be careful ok?” Icy said to his friend.

“Hey no problem. Take care you all, and Icy, feel free to visit me and my folks anytime ok.”

“Thanks Mike. Cya!” Icy and the others made their way to the docks while X covered their tracks and made sure there was no one following them.

“We’d like to rent a boat please.” The harbormaster noticed Icy with them and smiled.

“Hey, you’re Icy aren’t you? Tell ya kids what, since that little Pikachu friend of yours is so famous, I let you have the boat for free.”

“Awesome! Let’s go guys.” Everyone jumped into the boat and they rowed into the sunset.

During the night, Lonewolf’s Vulpix kept a light going so they could navigate. Finally, it became too dark to see anything. Luckily, the group had spotted an island very close by and was able to land there for the night. As morning came, the group headed back out.

That day, Insanellama and Icy went fishing with makeshift polls they constructed earlier that morning on the island. Icy felt a little tug on his line. “Pi?”

“Hey, you got something there!”

Icy struggled to hold on. As a Pikachu, he didn’t really have that much strength so Insanellama had to help him hold on to his catch. “PIIIIIKKKAAA!!!!!!” They tugged hard until they were able to pull the fish out of the sea. It flew high into the air then landed flat on Icy’s head.

Insane broke down in laughter as the two pokémon sat there with spirals in their eyes. @.@ “Hahahahahaha!!!” Lonewolf just turned around to make sure they were still on course.

Icy finally came to and examined his catch. It was a bright blue Horsea. “Awww look!” He grabed the seahorse pokémon and raised it up. “I caught a Horsea!”

“Great work.”

“Land hoe! Hehe, I always wanted to say that,” Lonewolf said. She pointed towards the mainland. It was Fuchsia City!

“Alright! Let’s get to land and find Koga’s Gym. I’m starved.” Icy quickly scooped up Horsea. “Haha, don’t worry there Icy. I won’t eat yer Horsea. Not really a fish kinda guy.” Icy breathed a sigh of relief. They landed on the coast and made their way into town.

“Aha, the gym is just up this road.” The group followed the road till they reached a large mansion.

“Guess this is it.” A Venonat greeted them and let them in.

“Veno nat!” It led them to the room Koga was meditating in. He looked up to see his guests.

“Welcome to Fuchsia Gym. I am Koga, ninja master and Gym Leader here.”

“Please ta meet ya,” Insane said. Icy waved hello as well. “Is there a chance we could crash here till the S.S. Anne arrives? We’ve had to hide from Team Rocket.”

“Ok. I suppose you may stay the night.”

“Thanks a bunch Koga.”