Disclaimer: Um, I really wish I owned pokemon, but nobody has given it to me for my birthday or Christmas yet… *Droops dejectedly* Destiny is mine though!

4 x 23 Episodes done!

Notes: <> indicates telepathy, ** indicates thoughts, italics indicates translated pokemon speech.

Timeline: 2 weeks

Episode 94: On the way to Victory Road

“Look at all the trainers.” Teresa whispered. She was now back to her normal, annoying self. Ash wasn’t sure if that was better than her being insane or not.

“It’s going to be hard to reach Indigo Plateau.” Lance said.

“Oh, we’ll get there, Crystal. It just might take a while.” Ash commented.

“Ah.”

“Come on, guys!” Ash told his pokemon. They nodded and he began walking into the tunnel that led to the Plateau.

“I challenge you!”

“That was quick.” Teresa commented. Then, she got a light bulb above her head. “Wait!” She dragged Ash over behind a rock cropping and presented him with a costume. Ash stifled a groan.

However, he did put the costume on. He did not want Teresa to become hysterical (and possibly insane).

Ash wore a knee-length dark red robe with black flowers around the edges, open but belted at the waist with a black silk belt. Underneath, he wore black Chinese silk pants, black slippers, and lighter red shirt with black ties. (Think Tamahome’s outfit from FY at the beginning).

“Kawaii!” Lance said, clapping her hands.

Ash sighed.

“Are we going to battle or not?” The trainer demanded.

“All right, let’s begin.” Ash said. The trainer nodded.

“Cooltrainer Joseph chooses Starmie!”

“Oddish, I choose you!” Oddish popped out and sat on the rocky ground, blinking at the Starmie.

“That’s pathetic! Starmie, send it flying with water gun!” The water gun did send Oddish into the air. But Oddish didn’t even look disturbed.

“Oddish, wait until you’re above it, then douse it with Stun Spore!”

Oddish inclined its head. Floating around on the air currents for a while, until it finally was above the Starmie, which was now trying to hit it with Bubblebeam. Oddish smiled and sprayed it with glowing orange dust.

The Starmie’s movements slowed down dramatically.

“Argh! Starmie, use Tackle!”

Starmie slowly charged at Oddish, giving it plenty of time to get out of the way.

Oddish shrugged and used Petal Dance. Cuts appeared on Starmie’s hard chitin surface.

“Are you sure you still want to battle?” Ash asked.

“Grr! Starmie, we can’t lose! Heal yourself with Recover!”

Starmie glowed and did manage to regenerate most of its lost HP.

“More work for us, then.” Ash said. “Oh well. Oddish, use Acid!” Oddish nodded and sprayed Starmie with the acerbic solution.

Starmie wavered, before it toppled over.

“Now finish it off with Absorb!” Oddish smiled, hopped onto the Starmie, and drained its energy.

“Starmie, return!” Joseph said. “Fine, then I’ll use Victreebel!”

“Grass vs. grass.” Lance commented. “Ash, maybe you should switch.”

“Good idea, Crystal. Oddish, Return! Okay, you’re up, Pidgey!”

Pidgey smirked as it appeared.

“A Pidgey? You have got to be kidding! Victreebel, use Acid!”

Pidgey easily dodged, since it was much quicker. Its small size also helped too. Pidgey shrugged and started up a Gust attack.

The trainer began to panic. “Um, use Razor Leaf!”

“Why is he using grass attacks against a flying type?” Pika-chan asked nobody in particular.

Shrugs were her answer.

Pidgey whacked the leaves away with her claws. Then, she used Gust. Victreebel smashed into a rock. It stayed still.

“Oh no! Victreebel!”

“Is it okay?” Ash asked.

“Of course it is; I’ll just have to go to the pokemon center.” The boy snapped. * What kind of trainer is he anyways? *

“But we still have a match! I’m not finished with you yet! Kingler, go!”

Pidgey yawned. * Beat Giovanni’s Kingler before. This shouldn’t be too hard. *

“Guillotine!”

Startlingly, the guillotine attack did not miss. Since it was a one-hit K.O, Pidgey fainted. Little stars circled her head.

“Not bad.” Ash said. “You did great, Pidgey! Return.”

“Are you going to use a card?” Lance whispered.

Ash shrugged. “Well, I have two Jolteon and Storm, but… maybe you’re right.”

Underneath his shirt, his key flashed white once and a card was changed.

“Magneton, I choose you!”

Joseph groaned. Ash had the elemental advantage again. It wasn’t fair. He sighed; maybe he could finish it off first…

“Guillotine!”

Alas, Kingler’s guillotine missed this time.

Joseph began to sweat nervously.

“Magneton, use Lock-On!”

Joseph blinked. Nothing had happened. Oh well, if Ash was going to waste a turn, he would make the most of it.

“Kingler, use Crabhammer!” Kingler nodded and slammed one of its massive claws into Magneton.

“Now! Thunder!” Since Magneton had already been prepared, its accuracy was unerring and Kingler was instantly fried.

“Game, set, match! Ash wins!” Teresa cheered.

Joseph gave Ash half his money. “Are you a pokemon specialist?”

Ash blinked.

“Oh, never mind.” Joseph sighed and began walking back to the center. He had no pokemon left, except for a level fourteen Abra that hadn’t evolved to Kadabra yet.

Ash shrugged and watched him abscond.

“Prepare for Trouble!”

“And make it double!”

“To protect the world from devastation!”

“To unite all peoples within our nation!”

“To denounce the evils of truth and love!”

“To extend our reach to the stars above!”

“Amy!”

“Jake!”

“Team Rocket blasts off at the speed of light!”

“Surrender now or prepare to fight!”

“Ninetails!”

Giovanni had assigned these rockets to keep an eye on Ash two days ago. Or, more accurately, his words had been ‘steal his pokemon’. However, Giovanni knew that Ash could easily defeat them; he just wanted to know what was going on with his soon-to-be adopted son.

“Slowpoke, Snubbull, go!”

“Mankey, Diglett, go!”

Ash sighed. * Absolutely nothing has changed… *

“Lickitung, go!” The pokemon card appeared in a flash of light. Smiling, it quickly licked the Mankey into submission. The Diglett dove underground to avoid a similar fate.

“Slowpoke, use Disable!” Lickitung froze. Ash sighed.

“Fine, return! Hmm, psychic/water and normal… how about Butterfree!” Butterfree popped out of his poke ball and narrowed his eyes at his opponents.

“Use Poisonpowder!” Butterfree nodded and drenched both pokemon in green powder, forcing Amy to recall her two pokemon.

“Still not working? Ninetails get out there and fight that bug!” Amy said, annoyed.

Ninetails yawned and loped onto the battlefield, before she used Flamethrower. But Butterfree just dodged.

“Whirlwind!”

The attack blew Ninetails into Jake, who was standing next to Amy. Since they had been holding hands, they both flew into the air.

“Looks like Team Rocket’s blasting off again!” They shrieked.

There was a *ping* and they vanished into a star.

“Bye, Team Rocket!” Teresa called as she turned off her video camera. “Okay, Ash. Let’s keep walking.”

Several blinks ensued, but the group continued walking.

End Episode 94! No, I do not own pokemon. Just restating it again. Reviews make the authoress very happy! Flames will be used to forge Big, so that I can turn into a giant and break Nelvana’s HQ!