“ You've heard of Team Rocket, right?”

I froze. Pikachu looked at me, worried, and rubbed her cheek against mine. “ Chu?”

“ Saur?” Bulbasaur rubbed his head against my leg.

Gary sensed the change of mood. “  Mia?”

Before anyone could say anything, I bolted away, Bulbasaur running behind me and Pikachu on my shoulder.

Gary and Blue stared after me.

“ Uh…. what happened?” Blue asked, confused.

Gary shrugged. “ I dunno . But….. I get the feeling we should find her. Right now.”

___________

Team Rocket…… even that name gives me the creeps.

My recent encounter with them is still fresh in my mind. They almost beat my Pokemon!

…… And that Lieutenant.

I unzipped my bag in the dim light, pulling out my badge case.

I may have defeated Brock and Misty, but that’s because their pokemon were easy to beat!

I mean, sure, I had seen my brother do it on the TV and stuff but….”

“ Chuuuuu?”

I gave Pikachu a small smile. “ Don’t worry, buddy. I should be fine.”

“ Saur, Bulbasaur.”

I gave Bulbasaur a look. “ Yes, I'll be fine. I just…..”

I turned away from my Pokemon and buried my face in my knees.

Then the closet opened, and I heard someone yell “ Found her!”

I looked up to see Blue staring down at me with a smirk. “ Well well well. Look who it is.”

I sighed, burying my face back into my knees.

“ Hey, kid, what’s wrong?” He asked as he crouched to my level.

“ Nothing.” I muttered back.

Footsteps.

Familiar ones.

I looked up. “ Wait a se-”

I jumped up and looked out of the closet.

Red.

My brother was here!

Wait…… he was here?!

…. Something’s wrong.

“ What happened now?” I asked as he approached us,

Red raised a brow. “ Hello to you too, little sis.”

I rolled my eyes, put before I could say anything, Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder.

“ Piiiika?”

Red’s pikachu jumped to my other shoulder. “ Piiikaaaaa!”

I laughed. “ Okay, okay! Pikachu, you can go play!”

“ Piiiiiikaaaaa!” Pikachu exclaimed happily as Red’s Pikachu jumped to the ground. Mine followed suit, and soon they were running around in the hall.

I gave Red  look. “ What happened?”

Red gave me a look. “ I was just in town when Bue told me you were depressed.”

I froze. “ What?”

Red crossed his arms. “ Quit acting, Mia. We all know anytime you’ve been defeated your heart breaks..”

“ Saur?”

Red peeked behind me, “ Oh. Cool. You found a Bulbasaur.”

I nodded. “ Yeah.”

“ Saur, bulbasaur!” Bulbasaur pulled my badge case out of my bag and showed the two older boys my collection.

“ You defeated Brock AND Misty?” Red exclaimed as he studied the badges. “ You’re legendary sis!”

“ I don’t FEEL very legendary.”I muttered. “ I almost killed my Pokemon! How’m I supposed to take on the Lieutenant if I can’t keep my Pokemon alive?!”

“ Bulba!”

I looked at Bulbasaur and pet him. “ I know you’re trying to make me feel better and I appreciate it, it’s just…..”

“ You’re giving up again.” Red muttered.

I shot him a look. “ So what?”

Red turned to me, surprised. “ You wanna QUIT?!”

I shrugged. “ Yeah? I mean, I want to catch Pokemon and create a bond with them, not….. Do gym battles.”

“ But you looked so happy when you beat Brock!” Blue argued.

“ That was because I had never beaten anyone, ever!” I snapped.

“ Pika?”

I looked at my male Pikachu, Pichu, who gave me a concerned look.

“ No, Pichu, it’s not your fault. I never should’ve-”

“ Stop it!” Red exclaimed.

I turned. “ Sorry?”

“ Stop with all the self pity! You’re not gonna go anywhere in life if you keep doing it.”

“ Last I remembered you only cared about winning gym battles.” I snapped. “ I actually want to catch pokemon and create a bond with them!”

“ Pikachuuuuu….” Pichu said nervously.

“ Pika?” Pikachu asked as she approached my leg.

“ Let’s go, guys. We’re leaving.”

I turned to go, but two vines grabbed one of my legs.

I sighed without even having to look back. “ Bulby, we can’t win every battle! Sometimes you just have to move on.”

“ Says the one who always pushed us to do our best.”

I turned again to see Gary.

“ Pardon?”

“ Mia, do you remember those days? The ones when we were in school?”

I nodded. “ Sure I do. Why?”

“ Do you remember pushing us to do our best? Me, Daisy, Lily, Samantha, all of us?”

I nodded again. “ Sure. I kept telling you ‘ try, try, try your hardest. There’s always a way to get what you want’. Why?”

Gary smirked. “ I think you should listen to your own advice.”

I sighed, but before I could say anything, Bulbasaur, Pichu and Pikachu came to me with puppy eyes.

“ Guys? What a-”

Growlithe, Jigglypuff, Clefairy, Clefable….. They were all looking up to me with puppy eyes.

“ You all really want to do this, huh?”

They all nodded.

I sighed, defeated. “ How can I say no to puppy faces?”

They all cheered, and I shook my head fondly. “ Okay, okay. I hear you. I’m gonna go onto the deck, K?”

They all nodded as Pikachu hopped onto my shoulder.

“ If anything happens, run to me, get it?”

They all nodded again.

“ See you all later!” I called as I ran to the steps and walked up them, getting closer and closer to the light.

When I finally stepped onto the deck, Pikachu ran to the edge of the boat, and I followed.

The ocean was so beautiful.

I sighed. “ Isn’t this the life?”

“ Pika pika…. Pikachu!”

I scratched my pokemon on the cheek, and she squealed happily.

“ Hey Pikachu?”

Pikachu looked at me confused. “ Pi?”

“ I love you.”

Pikachu hugged my tightly, and I hugged her back.

“ You’re one of the best Pokemon ever, okay? You all are. I love each and every single one of my Pokemon.”

I looked at Pikachu. “ Think you can go round ‘em off?”

“ Pika pika chuuu!” Pikachu hopped away, and I sighed.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching me. Before I could do anything, I found myself falling from the S. S. Anne.

No one noticed as I plunged into the freezing waters, and struggled to surface.

When I did, though, the boat was gone!

And I was also in unfamiliar territory.

That’s when I realized when I fell off, I must have swam under the ocean as I tried to breathe.

I must be fast when I need oxygen.

Huh.

I needed to get to land, though.

Real bad.

Because as time ticked away, I realized  how cold I was getting.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_
I gasped for breath as I struggled to stay afloat.

I needed land, now!

If only I had my Growlith, or even a water Pokemon.

They would have helped me get to dry land.

Also, I had to stay in Vermillion until I got that Squirtle. It needs a good trainer, and I know I’ll be a good one!

….. But I don’t think I’ll get any Pokemon.

IN fact, I don’t thi-

“ Pikaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

I turned in to direction it was coming from.

There was a boat with three people and a bunch of Pokemon.

All of which I could distinguish as mine.

:” Pikaaaa!” Pikachu jumped into the water.

“ Pikachu, it’s too cold!” I yelled feebly.

But it was too late. She had paddled over to me and looked at me worried. “ Pika?”

“ Oh, trust me Pikachu, when we get back on the ship, we’re checking the cameras.”

=_=_=_=_=_=_=_

Ten minutes I found myself in a room wearing fuzzy clothes, sipping hot chocolate as Growlithe used a gentle ember on me.

“ Oh thank goodness.” I muttered.

“ Bulba?” Bulbasaur put his front paws on my knees. I grunted slightly as I leaned down and picked him up.
“ Don’t worry.” I reassured him. “ Red’s checking the security. We’ll find who did this in no time!.”

“ Saur.”

I sniffed. “ Bulbasaur, tissue box please.”

“ Bulbasaur!”

I took one gratefully and blew my nose. Gary didn’t even look up from his phone.

Because he was in full detective mode.

…. Yeah he’s been like this since we were young.

Really. Young.

And guess who Blue was talking to?

“ … She’s fine….. No, no, Pkachu’s fine too…. Yes, I know she caught her Pikachu……. You’ve told me…. Yeah yeah, gramps.”

Exactly.

Red came in with an angered expression.

“ Who was it?” Blue asked, still on the phone.

“ Team Rocket.”

I blinked. “ How’d they get here so fast?! I was lost in that cave for days!”

Red turned. “ You SAW Team Rocket?”

“ Battled ‘em too. They really need to work on their Ekans and Koffing.”

Red grabbed my shoulder. “ Were you hurt?”

“ Heyo!”

I looked at Growlithe and grinned. “ See?”

Red gave Blue a weary look. “ She goes after you.”

Blue shook his head. “ Nah. She’s your sister. She goes after you.”

Gary cleared his throat, and we all turned to him.

“ Team Rocket’s also been spotted in Cerulean City yesterday, but a ‘ brave, heroic brown haired girl with a pikachu defeated the member’.” Gary read outloud.

All eyes turned to me.

“ Chill, guys.” I muttered. “ It was easy.”

Blue sighed. “ I shoulda told her sooner.”

Gary was staring at me. “ You’re crazy.”

I shrugged. “ Been there, heard that.”

Red shook his head. “ Just…. Stay safe, wil ya?”

I nodded, and he turned.

“ Oh, and just some advice for your battle with the Sargent.”

“ Bu-”

“  Use ground type Pokemon with high stats.”

“ Thanks, bu-”

“ And don’t give up.”

I remained speechless.

He really wanted me to win.

The room fell silent as Red walked out, his words lingering in the air. I stared at the door, conflicted. On one hand, his advice was solid—ground types were the best choice against Lt. Surge’s electric Pokémon. On the other hand… I wasn’t sure if I was ready.

“Hey.” Gary’s voice broke through my thoughts. I turned to see him leaning against the wall, arms crossed, his phone now tucked away. “You’re overthinking again, Mia.”

“Am I?” I muttered.

“Definitely.” He pushed off the wall and walked over to me, Bulbasaur hopping aside to give him space. “You’ve already beaten two Gym Leaders. That’s two more than most kids ever manage. Don’t let Surge intimidate you just because he’s got a reputation.”

“Yeah, but…” I hesitated, looking down at Pikachu, who was curled up beside Growlithe, resting after the ordeal. “He’s not like Brock or Misty. He’s a war hero. His Raichu’s probably stronger than my entire team combined.”

Gary knelt down and ruffled Pikachu’s fur. “And yet, you’ve got something Surge doesn’t—a bond with your Pokémon that’s unshakable. That’s worth more than all the raw power in the world.”

“Pfft, sentimental much?” Blue chimed in, finally hanging up his call. “Don’t listen to him, Mia. What you really need is strategy. Study his tactics, learn his weaknesses, and exploit them. That’s how you win battles.”

I blinked at them, unsure whether to laugh or groan. “You guys sound like an old married couple arguing over how to train me.”

“Because we care,” Gary shot back, smirking.

Blue rolled his eyes. “Don’t get used to it.”

Before I could respond, Red popped his head back into the room. “By the way, I called Oak. He said there’s a Diglett cave nearby. Perfect spot to catch a ground type.”

“Wait, what?” I gaped at him. “You’re saying I should just waltz into a cave full of Digletts and hope one of them decides to join my team?”

Red shrugged. “Worked for me.”

Gary snickered. “Don’t worry, Mia. I’ll come with you. Besides, I need to stretch my legs after all this detective work.”

“Fine,” I said, standing up and stretching. “Let’s do this. But if I get buried alive by an angry Dugtrio, it’s on you.”

Gary grinned. “Deal.”

The entrance to Diglett Cave loomed before us, dark and a little eerie. Pikachu perched on my shoulder, her tail twitching with excitement.

“You ready for this?” Gary asked, holding a flashlight.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, trying to sound confident.

We stepped inside, the light from Gary’s flashlight bouncing off the narrow walls. The air was cool and damp, and every so often, we could hear the faint rumbling of Digletts burrowing beneath the ground.

It didn’t take long before the first one appeared, popping up right in front of us with a curious “Diglett!”

Pikachu tensed, sparks crackling from her cheeks.

“Easy, Pikachu,” I said, holding up a hand. “Let’s not scare it off.”

Gary chuckled. “Good call. Digletts are skittish. You’ve got to approach them carefully.”

I crouched down, reaching into my bag for a berry. “Hey there, little guy. You hungry?”

The Diglett sniffed the air, inching closer. I held my breath, heart pounding. If I could just—

The ground suddenly trembled, and a much larger Dugtrio burst out of the earth behind the Diglett, glaring at us with intense eyes.

“Well,” Gary muttered, taking a step back. “This just got interesting.”

I swallowed hard, standing my ground. “Pikachu, you up for this?”

“Pika!” she chirped, leaping off my shoulder and landing in front of me, sparks flying.

The Dugtrio growled, ready to fight.

“Okay, let’s do this,” I said, my adrenaline kicking in. “Pikachu, use Quick Attack!”

The battle for a ground-type ally had officially begun.

After the flash of light from Pikachu’s Thunderbolt faded, the Diglett wobbled and collapsed into the ground, completely defeated. I quickly reached into my bag and grabbed a Pokéball, hurling it with all my might.

The ball struck the Diglett, and with a flash of red light, it disappeared inside. The ball shook once… twice… three times… and then stopped with a satisfying ping.

"I caught it!" I exclaimed, jumping up in excitement.

“Pika pikaaa!” Pikachu cheered, bouncing happily on my shoulder.

Bulbasaur gave an approving grunt, “Bulba-saur.”

Holding up the Pokéball, I smiled. “Welcome to the team, Diglett. You’re going to be a huge help against Lieutenant Surge.”

I attached the Pokéball to my belt and turned to my Pokémon. “You both were amazing! Pikachu, that Thunderbolt was incredible.”

Pikachu blushed and rubbed her cheek, “Pikachu!”

Bulbasaur chimed in with a proud, “Saur!”

I knelt to pet both of them. “Alright, team. Let’s get to the Pokémon Center so Diglett can recover, and we can prepare for the battle tomorrow.”

As we made our way back to the Pokémon Center, I felt a surge of confidence. I wasn’t just a trainer who stumbled her way through battles anymore. My bond with my Pokémon was growing stronger, and for the first time, I felt like I could really take on Surge and win.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day.