Chapter One: Night Raid It had been a warm night, and Chris had not been able to sleep. But this was only one reason. The main reason he was tireless was because tomorrow would be his 10th birthday, and he would be getting his First pokemon, from Proffesor Birch. Chris had decided that he was going to pick Mudkip, a Water type pokemon which would be available for him the next day. Chris was so exited that he would be 13 so soon, he kept pinching himself, to make sure he hadn't fallen asleep. But, soon enough, he became tired, and laid down in his bed. It must have been nearly midnight before he had finally dozed off. Meanwhile, a Hot Air balloon was passing over New Bark Town, Chris's home. as the balloon floated above a street lamp, light flooded onto it, showing that the balloon was in fact in the shape of a Meowth. 'Watch where you're steering this thing, you moron!' a female voice hissed. 'if you keep flying past street lamps, we'll be seen!' 'Well sorry. You try steering smething with no steering wheel.' A drawling male voice replied. 'Look, just shut up and get us to the lab before the police know about us. Boss'll kill us if we don't get this haul.' the Female voice said, angrily. Moments later, the balloon had came up above the Pokemon Lab, where Chris would be going the next morning. Four ropes were uncoiled from the side of the balloon, stopping inches from the roof of the Lab. then, silently, four figures, Two Male, Two Female, slid down them. As they all reached the roof, the drawling voice spoke again. 'Ow, now I've got friction burns on my hands...' There was the sound of a hand meeting a cheek, and the Female's voice said 'Will you shut up!' Then, another male voice was heard. A sort of grunting, low voice. 'Oi, you mind getting off the glass? I need to cut it.' A drilling sound was heard, and then a loud shatter. 'Ah. Forgot about that part.' The grunting voice said. Meanwhile, Proffesor Birch and his daughter May were asleep in their house, the closest one to the Lab. At the sound of glass shattering, Both he and May (Proffesor Birch and Mrs Birch were divorced) woke. May rushed into the hallway, her Coat half on, and saw Birch doing the same. 'It came from the lab' they said, in unison. may went downstairs and found a torch, and Birch got the keys for the door and the lab. He also picked up three red and white balls. When they met up at the door, Birch gave May two of them, and said 'let's go.' Back at the lab, the balloon dropped the four ropes down, somehow, and the four people hooked them to the side of the roof, where the glass had been cut, and slid down, a whimpering sound coming from the 3rd rope. As they all touched the bottom, a torch was turned on, and a female voice, a new one, talked into a radio. 'meowth, we're in. get the balloon higher, before someone sees you in the light.' 'Okay, moving out. Or, Up, rather.' A cattish voice replied, maybe a bit too loud. it sniggered. 'Good luck, Team Rocket.' As may and Birch reached the doors of the Lab, they didn't think to look up and see the slowly retreating Hot Air balloon above them. Instead, Birch unlocked the door, and they slid inside. May headed towards four voices, which could clearly be heard in the echoed lab. As may saw the four figures around a Corner, one turned their head towards her. She quickly ducked down. a second later, a torch flashed on, and May could see the outline of her father, directly in the light. Team Rocket grabbed hold of Birch, and then caught may. They were pushed into two chairs, and then the Male with the drawling voice picked up a red and white ball from his own pocket, and said, 'Go, Tangela. use Bind on these two.' As he said this,he pressed a button on the ball, releasinga glowing red light, which formed a siholette. The siholette then materialised, in it's place a Tangela, a grass type pokemon which was writhing with purple tentacles. 3 of these tentacles shot off of it's owner, and tied Birch and May to the chairs. 'You'll never get away with this, Team Rocket!' may shouted, at the retreating back of the man with the drawling voice, who had Blue hair down to his shoulder. He was dressed in a long white shirt and trousers. The Shirt had a red 'R' on the front. 'Oh, won't we now?' the female voice that had spoke first said, menacingly. She had long, red hair, falling to her hips.She also wore a long white shirt with an R on it, but she wore a white skirt, with a black one underneath, instead of trousers. She also wore tall boots. The other two members of Team Rocket wore Black versions of the previous two, but both had Blonde hair, the female's reaching to . 'Believe me, punk. Nobody's stopping us from taking those pokemon. so you just be a good little girl and shut up.' How very wrong she was... Chris woke up, at a start. For a moment he thought that he had overslept, but then looked at his clock. It showed 1:07 AM. he was about to go back to sleep when he heard noises. He looked out the window, and saw lights flickering in the lab. He walked over to his cupboards, and put on a White T-shirt and Black tracksuit bottoms. He then went to his toy cabinet, and picked up a torch. he thought he would go and investigate, as he knew May or Professor Birch would be up unless it was an emergency. Chris went donstairs, put on his shoes and Coat, and placed a note for his Mother. His father, the Petalburg Gym leader, wasn't at home that night. "Something happened in Petalburg Woods. I've been called to help." He had said. Chris picked up the front door key, and went outside. It was cold. He turned on the torch, and headed for the lab. Meanwhile, above, Meowth saw a torchlight flicker on, in the direction of the lab. He picked up his walkie-talkie, almost dropping it over the side, and said 'Guys, you've got company on it's way! hurry up and meat me at the DMZ!' The female who had comtacted meowth before replied. 'Damnit. We won't be done before they get here. meowth, is there any way to hold him back for a little longer?' 'Cassidy, there's no time. Just get out of there.' Meowth said. Cassidy cut off. She turned the walkie talkie off and want over the others. 'Guys, we've got company on it's way. We need to get out of here, quick. Grab as many pokeballs as you can, and let's -'She froze. She slowly turned around, sure she had seen someone in the corner of her eye. She heard a squeal sounding like 'Tangela!' when... WHOOSH. The lights flashed on, and, after their eyes had adjusted, they saw a boy, standing there, with the girl they had captured behind him. Two red and white balls in his hands, one from hers, three glowing red siholettes forming out of them. Chris had made it to the door, and found that it was open. There was definately someone inside. he opened the door, and saw four figures; two men and two women; moving around the cupboards. they were all holding bags, and pulling small balls into them. He looked around, and saw 2 more figures; one, a man, wearing glasses, and a girl, with neck length hair. Chris instantly knew they were Professor Birch, and his daughter May, and they were strapped to two chairs, by a small, 2 and a half foot tall figure, writhing with tentacles. 3 of these tentacles were wrapped around May and Birch. Chris snuck over to them, and whispered to them. 'What's happening? Who are they?' Chris pointed at the four figures, still moving between the shelves. 'They are Team Rocket, and by what we can see, they're stealing all of the pokemon!' May answered, drastically. 'There's nothing we can do, wrapped up like this.' Professor Birch said, sighing. 'But, you might be able to stop them.' 'Me?' Chris said, bewildered. 'Yes, you.' Birch said. 'There are two pokemon that they don't know about.' he pulled two of the red and white balls from his coat pocket. 'These are Pokeballs, as you know. These lot aren't too bright, and didn't search us.' he gave the Pokeballs to Chris. 'Use these on them. I and May will try to get free. I'll get the lights, then call the Police, and May will help you.' 'Okay. Good luck, Professor.' Chris started to creep towards Team Rocket, and then looked back, just in time to see May stick her teeth into one of Tangela's tentacles. it squealed, and May got up, reached into her pocket, and brought out her own pokeball. Birch ran to the lights, and one of the Female Team Rocket members turned round, just as the lights went on. he pressed the ingition buttons on the pokeballs, and a glowing red light shone out. they formes the shape of two pokemon, but May's had already formed. Her Torchic, a fire type pokemon, was standing there. Chris's pokemon formed, and Chris saw what they were instantly. Chris had been given an Eevee, an Normal type, and a Pichu, an Electric type. he then saw Team Rocket reaching for their pokeballs, apart from the Blue haired man, who's Tangela was alreedy out. 'Go, Lickitung!' The red-haired woman shouted. 'Go, Zangoose!' The Blonde-haired man called. 'Go, Seviper!' Cassidy cried. Three pokemon came out from their pokeballs. The tallest one, Lickitung, was a Normal type pokemon.It had pink skin, with orange markings, and a very long tongue. Zangoose looked somewhat like a bear, but had only one eye, and it was White with red markings, and was a Normal type. Seviper, a Snake, was Black with yellow, blue and red markings, and was a Poison Type. 'Eevee,Tackle Zangoose, and Pichu, Thundershock Seviper!' Chris bellowed. 'Torchic, use Ember on Tangela!' May shouted. The fight was on. Eevee's tackle hurt Zangoose, but it was knocked away by the normal type's Slam. Pichu was able to paralyse Seviper, and Torchic got a perfect hit on Tangela, which was badle injured. Lickitung was able to hit a Lick on torchic, paralysing it, and puttingt it out of the battle. Eevee and Pichu fought bravely, but were eventually outnumbered. All hope seemed lost, when the Police arrived. almost 40 Growlithes, which are Fire type pokemon, cornered the exits, and a woman with light red ahir, and in blue police uniform entered. 'Officer Jenny!' May cried. 'I thought you would be too late.' 'It's okay, May. we've been trying to find these theives all day.' Jenny said, then turned towards Team Rocket. 'You four! You are under arrest! Come quietly!' She shouted. 'Oh, are we?' Cassidy said. 'Seviper, Smoke screen!' A black fog erupted from Seviper's mouth. Chris heard a catty laugh, and saw four ropes dangling from a Hot air balloon above the lab. Team rocket were pulled up, into it. 'May, we need to get outside! Chris called, and they picked up their pokemon and ran outside. May passed Chris a bottle. 'Quick, use it on Pichu and Eevee. It's a Potion.' she said. Chris squirted it on Eevee and Pichu, and May did the same to Torchic. As they reached the cold air outside, Chris saw the bags of pokaballs inside the Balloon, and thought of a plan. 'Pichu, use Thundershock on the balloon!' He called. Pichu used he attack, but the balloon was too high. 'Damn.' Chris said, beaten. 'There's nothing we can do now.' 'Not yet!' A voice said behind them. A trainer, who Chris knew as his schoolmate Spedz, who must have decided to help too, ran towards him, holding a pokeball. 'I have an idea!' He threw the pokeball in the air, calling 'Wingull, go!' A pokemon resembling a seagull came out. Wingull, a Water/Flying type, lowered itself enough for Pichu to hop on. 'Wingull, get up to that hot ait balloon!' Spedz cried. Wingull, with Pichu on it's back, flew up high enough to touch the balloon. 'Now, Pichu! Thundershock!' Chris bellowed. Pichu obeyed, firing a bolt of lightning at the balloon, causing it to burst. While Pichu did this, wingull had cut the ropes tying the bags of pokeballs to the balloon with it's claws. As the bags fell, Team Rocket shouted 'We'll get you nixt time, twerps!!...' as their balloon was sent miles away by the force of the air in the balloon. Wingull and Pichu landed, and Spedz pulled back out Wingull's pokeball. 'Wingull, return.' he said. Chris did the same, to Eevee and Pichu, as did May, to Torchic. Suddenly, the bags of pokeballs hit the ground with loud thuds. At that moment, the Police ran towards them. Officer Jenny made it first. 'May, what happened? Where are Team Rocket?' She said, tensely. 'Well, we came out here, and Pichu and Wingull were able to stop Team Rocket's balloon. Team Rocket got away, but at least we got the pokemon back.' May replied, happily. 'Well, that's good. Don't worry, we'll catch up with Team Rocket.' Jenny said. Chris yawned. He suddenly remembered that he had to get his first pokemon at 10 tomorrow. 'Hmm. I suppose youhad better get off to bed, kids.' Jenny said. Chris, May and Spedz all said goodbye, Chris giving May the pokeballs containing Pichu and Eevee, and went off to bed. Chris had barely got changed into his pajamas and laid down before he fell asleep.