Pokemon Fan Fiction ❯ Team Rocket Strikes Back! An AAML Story ❯ Prologue/Chapter 1- Inner Conflict and Evil Plans ( Chapter 1 )

Team Rocket Strikes Back! An AAML Story

 

Prologue/Chapter 1- Inner Conflict and Evil Plans

 

A/N: (2/26/2005) I'm rewriting this whole story, am adding a huge amount of back story to this chapter and changing some of the circumstances here, I had some recent inspiration about this story from watching some Pokemon episodes on DVD. I have also begun to remove the narrator parts and rewriting those to be part of the regular story. Please read and review and let me know what you think of the new story!

 

A/N #2: This is my original fanfiction story, this was started two years before the Neon Genesis story was posted. Some ideas in that story came from this one originally, readers of both stories should be able to put “two and two together”

 

 

The story begins with Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu traveling in the Johto region. Ash has recently won his 7th badge from Pryce. Ash wants to take a small break from all of this battling and relax for a bit. His thirteenth birthday is coming up soon, as is Misty's fifteenth birthday.

 

They continue traveling toward the last gym, but do so at a leisurely pace. Ash is thinking about Misty and what to get her for a present. He wants to get her something special, so he can tell her what he thinks of her. Misty is also thinking of Ash and what to get him for his birthday. She also wants to tell Ash about her feelings for him. All of these things occur as our group heads down a dirt road toward the next town on the way to Blackthorn City.

 

Of course, Ash and Misty constantly deny liking one another... so why the sudden change?

 

(Flashback) One week ago, just after beating Pryce... Ash has a few comments to say outside of the gym entrance.

 

Ash: I did it again! I'm the best, right Pikachu? (Turns to look at his faithful companion, who nods in response)

 

Misty: You did good Ash... but there's still one more gym leader to go. Claire is supposed to be really tough... I hope you can handle it...

 

Ash: (Loudly) Of course I can! Have some confidence in me!

 

Brock: (Waving his hands) Calm down, guys...

 

Misty: I was just kidding, Ash... (Shakes her head) You should learn how to take a joke... (Pauses) If Brock and I didn't believe in you, we would have left a long time ago...

 

Ash: (Shocked at her comment) I... suppose...

 

Brock: Misty has a point, Ash. (Changes the subject) Why don't we go over there... (Points at an ice cream stand) Desserts on me, in honor of Ash winning another badge.

 

Ash: Thanks, Brock!

 

Misty: Thank you!

 

Brock: No problem...

 

The trio walk over to the ice cream stand and order something for themselves and a cone for Pikachu. Misty shares her cone with Togepi. Brock silently eats his ice cream and contemplates an idea that he just had...

 

'I need to find away to get these two together... their fighting is driving me mad. I've talked with Ash once or twice about this... he does have some feelings for Misty. Both are too stubborn to directly admit their feelings... and I don't want a silly fight to jeopardize the chance of getting them together. They do make a great team...'

 

Brock stops thinking about the subject as his eyes notice a magazine rack with "Teen" magazines on it. 'I know Misty reads those kinda magazines sometimes... if I could only get them to read something about... having a secret crush...'

 

Ash and Misty are surprised to see Brock get excited and snap his fingers.

 

Misty: (Whispering to Ash) You think he's about to go after a girl or something?

 

Ash: (Whispering back) Maybe... it looks like there's one over there by that magazine stand...

 

Brock: I'll be right back, guys... (Runs over to the magazine stand and chats with the young woman running the stand)

 

Misty: Well, Ash, you were right... (Hands the last bit of her vanilla ice cream cone to Togepi, who happily eats it)

 

Ash: Maybe one day he'll actually get a girl...

 

Misty: Maybe...

 

Little do Ash and Misty know that Brock is not after this young ladies heart... though it would appear so to most observers. Brock explains what he's looking for... and is lucky. The last issue of "Pokemon Teen" has an article about traveling trainers and the "Top Ten Signs" of love for a fellow trainer. He buys two copies and places them in his backpack. He thanks the magazine stand worker and returns to the table...

 

'I'll have to find the right time to give the magazine to each one of them... and I have to make sure they read that one article with the Top Ten...'

 

Ash: (Teasing his friend) Soo... what happened, Brock?

 

Brock: Huh? I just bought some magazines... that's all.

 

Misty: Oh...

 

Brock: (Eyeing his two friends) What did you think I was doing over there?

 

Misty: (Trying to play innocent) Oh, nothing Brock. Let's umm... get going... Ash needs to get to the next gym...

 

Ash: (Playing along) That's right! I have one more badge to get and I'll have all eight Johto league badges!

 

Brock: Okay then, let's hit the road!

 

The trio head onto the main road out of town and proceed towards Blackthorn City. After several hours of traveling, the sun begins to set and they decide to call it a day. Ash and Misty set up the tents while Pikachu assists Brock in making dinner. After everything is set up, dinner is served around a campfire. Brock decides this is the moment to pass out the magazines to his friends...

 

Misty: What's this? (Glances at the cover) Cool! The newest issue of Pokemon Teen! Thanks, Brock!

 

Brock: (Setting up the bait for Misty) Misty, make sure you read the article that I marked with the "dog-ear", it was pretty interesting...

 

Misty: Sure!

 

Ash: Hey Brock... why'd you give me one of these magazines? You know I don't read this "Teen" stuff...

 

Brock: Well... (Pauses) There was an interesting article about traveling trainers in there and some other stuff that I figured you'd like to read.

 

Ash: (Sold on Brock's little pitch of the magazine) Ok, I'll check it out... (Notices the dog-eared page) Is this the start of the article?

 

Brock: Yep. I hope you like it.

 

Ash and Misty start to eagerly read through the magazine, reading the whole thing from cover to cover. Both of them put the magazine away in their backpacks... the article Brock had selected for them still lingers in their heads. Brock is falling asleep in his sleeping bag when he notices both of his friends silently digging out the magazine again...

 

'Success! I think they're probably gonna reread that article again and really think about how many points that they scored. I know both would have to say at least eight out of ten questions would have a "yes" answer to them...'

 

With that, Brock falls asleep. He was totally right... Ash and Misty both couldn't resist the urge to reread the article in question and think about their own lives in the past couple years... was there that kind of bond between them?

 

After a good nights rest, Brock wakes up and stretches out. He is suprised with the quietness of his surroundings... normally Ash and Misty would be arguing... or at least talking. No noise at all... which answered his question about his mission. The silence could mean only one thing... the two were thinking about the other... his plan had worked out just fine...

 

(End flashback, return to the present)

 

Ash: Come on guys, let's keep moving!

 

Misty: (Thinking to herself) What should I get him for his birthday? It has to be special, so I can use

the occasion to tell him how I feel about him...

 

Ash: (Noticing Misty's distracted face) Misty, you look like something is on your mind.

 

Misty: (Very slightly blushing) Huh? Oh, its nothing Ash.

 

Ash: Were you thinking about my upcoming birthday? (Puts his hand on her shoulder)

 

Misty: (Slightly startled by what he just did) Yeah...

 

Ash: I was also thinking about what kind of present to get you...

 

Brock: (Interrupting the conversation) Come on, let's go! We gotta get to the next town before sunset, unless you guys want to camp out again.

 

Pikachu: Pi, Pi, Pikachu!

 

Ash: All right, lets keep going. Let's talk later Misty, ok?

 

Misty: Sure, Ash.

 

All three of our heroes and Pikachu keep on walking down the road. As they are doing so...

 

Ash: (Thinking to himself) Misty had that look again, I wonder what she was thinking about. It was almost like she was going to tell me something. She is the most wonderful girl I have ever met...

 

Brock: (Interrupting Ash's thinking) Hey, what's going on Ash. You haven't said anything in a while.

 

Ash: (Turning his head away slightly) Nothing, Brock.

 

Brock: What about you, Misty? Why are you so quiet now too?

 

Misty: (Thinks quickly to herself) I gotta tell him something... (Starts talking after a moment's pause) Brock, I was umm... thinking about Ash's birthday present. I mean I haven't decided what to get him yet.

 

Brock: Oh, ok. Cool. I already got a present for each you before Ash fought Pryce.

 

Ash & Misty: (In unison) Thanks, Brock.

 

Brock: No problem.

 

As the trio of heroes walk through the field talking to each other, they are unaware of the slight rumbling beneath them. Team Rocket is in a tank with a giant drill bit on the end, and they are following them from the underground.

 

Jessie: We're right under them now.

 

James: Let's surface and get their Pokemon!

 

Meowth: And don't forget our main prize, Pikachu!

 

Meowth starts to turn the control stick on the tank to turn it so it starts to head towards the surface...

 

Team Rocket: (Talking together) We got them now! Muhahaa!

 

Team Rocket heads toward our heroes, who are oblivious to the danger that is right below their feet. Currently, the trio is in the midst of crossing a large river running through a lush, green grassy field. To cross the river, they must hop across rocks of various sizes...

 

Ash: Come on Pikachu!

 

Pikachu: Pika, pika!

 

Pikachu hops across the river very quickly, zooming from rock to rock.

 

Brock: (Hopping down off the last rock and onto the other side of the river) Whew! That was tricky!

 

Misty: (Hopping onto the last rock) This is a challenge!

 

Suddenly a Magikarp hops out of the water and startles Misty.

 

Misty: Whoa! (Starts to lose balance on the rock)

 

Ash: (Leaping toward Misty) I got ya Misty!

 

Misty falls toward the shore, there is not much space between the rock and the shore where Ash, Brock, and Pikachu are, but it looks like she is going to fall in the river.

 

Ash catches her just before she falls into the water, both of them fall backward on the hard ground and roll, Ash to the left, Misty to the right.

 

Ash & Misty: OWWW!

 

Ash & Misty: (Speaking at the same time to each other) You okay?

 

They both are now looking each other straight in the face and both of them start to blush.

 

Ash: I'm... (Rumbling noises start to be heard below his feet... and they're getting louder by the second)

 

Misty & Brock: What's that?

 

Pikachu: Pi?

 

The ground starts to rumble and shake. The drill on the end of the tank pops out of the water in the middle of the river. The drill bit opens up and Team Rocket starts to come up.

 

Jessie: Prepare for trouble!

 

James: And make it double!

 

Meowth: (Franticly) Hey, we're in the middle of a river here! We're starting to drift downstream here!

 

Jessie & James: (Looking at river at same time) Huh?

 

Jessie & James: (Very agitated) Meowth! Why did you bring is up here?

 

Ash, Misty, Brock, and Pikachu look across the river together at Team Rocket... they have goofed up again.

 

Team Rocket: (Yelling all together) AAHH!! Help, Help!!!

 

The current pushes Team Rocket's tank downstream towards Ash, Brock, and Misty, who just shake their heads silently...

 

Ash: Should we help them?

 

Misty: Yeah, why not? What do you think Brock?

 

Brock: Yeah, sure. Just watch them when they get over here. We don't know what they'll try to do.

 

Ash: Ok. (Grabs 2 of his pokeballs and throws them) Go Bulbasaur! Go Chikorita!

Use your vines and grab Team Rocket and bring them over here!

 

Bulbasaur: Bulba!

 

Bulbasaur extends vines to grab Jessie and Meowth and brings them to the shore.

 

Chikorita: Chika!

 

Chkorita extends vines to grab James and brings him over to the shore.

 

Team Rocket: (All are out of breath from the swimming and the ordeal in the water) Thanks, but...

 

Jessie: We want your...

 

James: Pikachu, so..

 

Meowth: Hand it over! (Points at Pikachu)

 

Misty: (Yelling) You guys never learn! We just helped you out!

 

Brock: That's right.

 

Team Rocket: Thanks, but still... hand over all of your pokemon!

 

Jesse and James start to reach for their pokeballs.

 

Ash: Oh, no you don't! Bulbasaur, Chikorita! Razor leaf, now!

 

Bulbasaur and Chikorita send their razor leaf attack against Team rocket, who dodge the leaves but almost fall in the river again.

 

Team Rocket: Missed us! Hahaha!

 

Ash: Ok. Go Pikachu!

 

Pikachu: Pikaaa!

 

Pikachu runs towards Team Rocket, powering up his electric attack.

 

Jessie throws out the pokeball with Arbok in it, and Arbok comes out, just a moment later, Pikachu shocks Team Rocket.

 

Arbok: Char-bok!

 

Arbok jumps toward Pikachu, who jumps out of the way just in time.

 

Ash: Pikachu! Give them a thunder attack!

 

Pikachu: Pikaa!

 

Pikachu sends electricity out, shocking Arbok and Team Rocket, who don't get a chance to dodge the electric attack.

 

Jessie: Let's get outta here! Come on Arbok!

 

Arbok starts going back towards Jesse.

 

James: (shouting) RUN!

 

Meowth: Ok!

 

Team Rocket and Arbok start running away, heading down the river bank as fast as they can.

 

Ash: (Talking loudly) Don't come back!

 

Misty: They sure left in a hurry, I'm surprised they didn't battle us more.

 

Brock: You may be right, Misty, but let's not worry about that now. How about a break for dinner? All of this excitement has got me hungry.

 

Ash: Good idea, Brock. What do you say, Misty?

 

Misty: Yeah, its a good idea. I'm hungry myself. I'm sure Togepi is hungry, too.

 

(Togepi, who has been asleep for this whole story in Misty's backpack, begins to awaken)

 

Togepi: Togepriii!

 

Misty: Me, too, Togepi.

 

Brock starts to get dinner ready, by setting up a fire and getting out his cooking utensils. Ash and Misty are just sitting down, holding their respective pokemon, Pikachu and Togepi, in their arms. Both are deep in thought from the earlier incident, where both were looking each other right in the face and blushing. Ash and Misty continue thinking silently to themselves.

 

Brock: (Who has by this time finished cooking up some soup for lunch) Dinner is ready! I didn't know you two could be this quiet. Is something wrong?

 

Ash: (Quietly) No, nothing Brock. (Excitedly) Let's eat!

 

Misty: (Also in a subdued voice) I'm fine. (In a normal voice) Let's get to the food. Ready to eat, Togepi?

 

Togepi: Togepriiiiii!

 

Narrator: All 3 of our heroes, Pikachu, and Togepi enjoy the dinner that Brock has made. Ash and Misty eat up, but don't look too much at each other, still uneasy about what happened earlier. They still have to think about what happened earlier. Both of them were thinking about revealing their true feelings for each other. As they eat and engage in small talk, Team Rocket is up to no good...

 

Jessie: (Panting from all the running) Hey, there's a telephone!

 

James: (Also exhausted) Jessie, who are we going to call?

 

Meowth: Yeah, who?

 

Jessie: The boss!

 

Meowth: Are you crazy? What are we going to tell him if he asks how our Pokemon catching is going?

 

James: (With a sigh) We haven't caught anything.

 

Jessie: That's ok. (With a devilish grin) I think I can get around that. We need to get back at those twerps and I think the boss is getting tired of them interfering with our plans, and with Team Rocket in general.

 

James: You're right! Maybe he'll even help us get back at them!

 

Meowth: (Cautiously) Maybe. Go ahead and call, Jessie.

 

Jessie: Ok. Here goes nothing.

 

Jessie begins to dial the phone number to reach Giovanni. After dialing the number, the other end of the line rings a few times and then is picked up.

 

Giovanni: Hello?

 

Jessie: (Very nervous) Hhhii, boss.

 

Giovanni: (Starting to raise his voice) Who is this?

 

Jessie starts to shake and answers Giovanni.

 

Jessie: Its Jessie. How are you, Boss?

 

Giovanni: Never mind me. Why are you calling? Have you caught some new Pokemon?

 

Jessie: Not exactly. (Pauses) Umm... we were beaten again by the twerp trio. We are getting tired of this and I wonder if you could help us get revenge on them. They've caused trouble for some of your other operations, too...

 

James: (Interrupting and speaking into the phone) Like with Pokemon Land!

 

Meowth: (Follows James example, in order to jog the Bosses' memory about other plans that the twerp trio had fouled up) And don't forget the St. Anne incident!

 

Giovanni: (Scratches his chin) True, very true. They are a problem. (Long pause as he thinks up a plan) I guess I could help you guys out. Maybe this plan I've come up with will help you guys actually CATCH something for once!!

 

Jessie: (Excitedly) What do you have in mind, boss?

 

Giovanni: A plan that I haven't had to use in a while. I used this plan to weaken the morale and spirit of some past trouble makers that interfered with Team Rocket.

 

Team Rocket: (All speaking together into the phone) Sounds interesting... tell us about it, Boss!

 

Giovanni: It involves striking, not the person directly, but their hometown and homes and gyms that they used to be in or run. The end result of this action makes the person or people think twice about messing with Team Rocket because of the dire consequences they just experienced.

 

Jessie: (Liking the plan) Sounds pretty good.

 

James: (Still wondering about the specifics of Giovanni's idea) What kind of damage is caused to the city? Do we take any Pokemon?

 

Meowth: (Expressing his questions as well) What about other people that know these guys? Do they get hurt or anything from this plan?

 

Giovanni: Meowth, we don't injure other people directly. James, no Pokemon are to be taken with this plan, just heartbreaking destruction to home, gym, and city- spirit and morale breaking! Maybe these guys will be so consumed with grief and confusion after this that they will leave Team Rocket alone. Let's start talking about specifics here- what town you want to hit first?

 

Jessie: How about Cerulean City? That girl Misty sometimes gives us more trouble then Ash. Let's attack there first!

 

James: (Enthusiastically) Sounds good, Jess.

 

Meowth: (Getting excited as well) Lets get going!

 

Giovanni: Good. I will send the materials you need to our secret outpost in that area, then you guys set up those specialty charges around Cerulean City; let me know when you are finished. I will give you a special signal to proceed. After the damage in Cerulean is done and they come back, you guys proceed to Pewter City to do the same thing and then later Pallet Town. No one will want to mess with Team Rocket after all of this is done... (Begins to do evil laugh)

 

James: Sounds good, boss. We'll let you know when we get there, it'll be a couple of days.

 

Jessie: We won't let you down, boss.

 

Meowth: If we get this to work, the twerps might stop bothering us and we can get back to the Pokemon catching business.

 

Giovanni: I hope you guys don't bumble this one up! Do this right and you get another chance, and with these three maybe out of your way permanently, maybe you guys can prove your worth to me- make sure you start to steal Pokemon again after the way is cleared... or else! (Hangs up phone)

 

Jessie: Well, you heard the Boss. Let's go to Cerulean City!

 

Meowth: Okay!

 

James: I can't wait to start, hehe.

 

Team Rocket starts to run off to their secret hideout near Cerulean City to begin their sinister plot.

 

 

To be continued in Chapter 2: Love and Revenge. Hope you've enjoyed the story so far, please rate and review my story. Thanks for reading!