Whee! Another chapter!
DISCLAIMER: Pokemon belongs to Satoshi Tajiri, Nintendo, and Shogakukan Comics. This non-profit, non-copyright infringing fanfic belongs to me under international copyright laws.

Notes: <> for telepathy, ** for thoughts, italics if a pokemon talks

Recap: Ash at the moment has 3 pokemon – Butterfree, Beedrill, and Venonat (who he won in a gamble) – and the first two badges

Chapter 7

The day after, Surge was still gone. Ash spent another day training Venonat. He liked his pokemon to be around roughly the same level, so there was some catching up to do. Currently, he was in Diglett tunnel, near the entrance, but instead of Digletts, he was finding… Zubats?

Oh well.

“Venonat, use Confusion!”

Venonat’s big red eyes glowed brightly as he shot multicolored psychic waves from his antennae.

One down! Indeed, Zubat had fallen to the ground. Ash smiled and gave Venonat a hug. More Zubat showed up.

Plethora of bats = more training opportunity! Venonat was at least six levels higher when they retired for a late lunch. Venonat had pokemon food while Ash had milk and two hot dogs he purchased at a hotdog stand.

He was enjoying his lunch when he saw to his horror, another Gambler using his Growlithe to attack his Beedrill!

“Hey! That’s my pokemon! Beedrill, use Twinneedle!” Beedrill heard Ash’s command and buzzed angrily, driving his pincers into Growlithe’s underbelly, causing several yips of pain for the dog as it ran around in circles, before he retreated to Ash’s side and followed up with Poison Sting.

“What? No way! That’s a wild pokemon! I saw it first!”

Ash sighed. Some people were just predisposed to thieving, he assumed. “Beedrill, return.” Laser-red light sucked the pokemon back into his ball.

Wait a minute…

“Venonat, can you find Butterfree?”

Venonat scrunched his face up in concentration, psychic waves going all out. She’s safe and sleeping in a flowerbed, that way, about ninety yards.

“Thank you, Venonat.”

Not a problem, Ash. Venonat stretched. So, are we going to do more training? I’m up to it.

“Sure, if you want. Not tired yet?”

Nope!

“Cool, then.” Ash finished his lunch, ignored the raving Gambler, and was heading to the Pokemon Center for healing when a blast of fire hit him in the back. He immediately stopped, dropped, and rolled.

Gambler was there…

“Hey! What was that for?”

“You stole that Beedrill I wanted!”

“For the last time, it was my pokemon originally! I just let him out for some fresh air! Officer Jenny!”

The Gambler turned, noting with surprise that an Officer Jenny was indeed, just passing by.

Law enforcement in a nubile female form walked up, high heels clacking. “How may I help you?”

“He tried to steal my Beedrill, and then he attacked me!” Ash pointed to the large hole scorched in the back of his black t-shirt and pants. Luckily, he had taken off his league jacket earlier…

He was rather partial to it.

Officer Jenny frowned. “Do you have proof?”

“It’s recorded on my pokédex.” Ash grinned. He always had the recording on when training, just in case he needed to reference it himself later…also, the League kept records of the first three months of a beginning trainer’s journey. That way, any potential problems would be quickly spotted.

Jenny nodded as she watched the recording. Dexter was registered to this trainer, it matched his ID, and his pokédex did say he only had three bug-type pokemon on his team. Beedrill, Butterfree, and Venonat. Also, there weren’t any wild bugs besides Caterpie in the area.

The boy must be telling the truth.

She turned to the Gambler, who was changing colors. “Well, sir, what is your name?”

“Jim Matthews, ma’am.” Fear was starting to register in both invisible and visible cues on his body.

“Jim Matthews, for attempted theft of pokemon and then attempted murder,” She said, as she clicked the handcuffs on his wrists, “I’m taking you in.”

“Take care of yourself!”

“I will!” Ash promised, waving goodbye.

Cool. Venonat whistled. I didn’t know you had it in you.

Being attacked tends to change people though. Butterfree had returned.

Ash continued on his original path, healed all three pokemon in the Center, and resumed training.

Pity Venonat wouldn’t evolve into Venomoth until level thirty-one. He would have to keep working on it.

They trained for another two days in Vermillion, but Surge was still missing, so Ash decided to go to Celadon first.

He could come back for the Thunder Badge later.

Celadon gym was lovely, resembling a giant vileplume. Also, bugs were strong against grass-types. Her junior trainers did not stand much of a chance against his proud Venonat.

Erika smiled. “Well, I will try my best then. This is a three-on-three match for the Rainbow Badge. Tangela, go!”

Pure grass type, that one, so he should use… Beedrill!

Butterfree and Venonat had almost identical attacks, but they were grass and psychic moves.

Beedrill nodded.

“Tangela, use Bind!”

“Beedrill, fly and evade. Now use Poison Sting!” As Beedrill deftly twisted and ducked, the vines narrowly missing him, multiple shots of poisonous purple darts shot at Tangela. Several hit the closest vines, causing Tangela to wince in pain and retract them.

“Excellent work! Follow up with Twinneedle!”

Beedrill did not need to be told twice. Successive bursts of speed ensued, as he flew in and repeatedly stabbed Tangela with both claw-like appendages, before tergiversating. Poor Tangela fainted.

“Not bad,” Erika approved. “In that case, I’ll use Weepinbell! Use Stun Spore!”

“Beedrill, return!” Ash said, seeing his pokemon turn into a statue equivalent. “Butterfree, I choose you! Use Psybeam!”

Luckily, Weepinbell was part poison and poison is 4x weak to psychic. Weepinbell went down, so Erika sent out Vileplume.

“Vileplume, Petal Dance!”

Butterfree nodded as she used Supersonic, confusing Vileplume. Vileplume hurt itself in its confusion, so Butterfree now used Gust, having just learned it after raising a level from Weepinbell. No, that wasn’t quite right… in any case, Gust was applied and Vileplume went down after two blows.

“Here.” Erika smiled, handing over the Rainbow Badge. “But be careful. There’s a Team Rocket base somewhere in this city, I’ve heard rumors…”

“I will be.’ Ash smiled. “Thank you!”

End Chapter

Completed 9/21/04

Lance: Not too bad if I say so myself

Ash: *hugs Lance*

Phantomness: Merciful Mew, I have a physics test and chemistry lab tomorrow… and then a Calculus test the day after…