'The Ultimate Test'

Part 5

"We've gotta find em soon." Squirtle said

"I found their scent!" Bulbasaur exclaimed. Pikachu ran up and sniffed the spot.

"You're right. It's Ash and Misty." Pikachu sniffed again. "And some stranger following them.

"The scent is pretty fresh, we must be close."

"Zubat, fly higher and see if you can find anything." the bat nodded and soared up above the trees. It began to slowly rotate in a circle, listening for any sign of his friends.

"What do we have here?" a man said. Misty looked up. It was Jessie, James and the new guy. Misty had been using a wet cloth to clean Ash and Charmeleon off. She hadn't heard them come.

"Prepare for trouble," Jessie said

"And make it double," James added. The third man shot them a vicious look. For once team rocket shut up.

"Now look at you. Such a small lady taking on such a big responsibility. Why don't you come with us and let us care for the boy and the pokemon?" he smiled and took a step toward her. Misty lifted a rock.

"One more step, and I'll blind you like your Rydon." Mist threatened. The mans smile faded. He walked straight at her. Misty threw the rock, but the man caught it. He kept coming.

Charmeleon was up pretty fast. He positioned himself between Misty and the man.

"What the fuck is this?" he said. He started to step past Charmeleon.

"I wouldn't....." James began. Charmeleon tore into the mans leg, ripping a number of tendons. The guy stumbled back, out of the pokemon's range.

".....do that." Jessie finished. The man gripped his leg.

"You worthless peice of shit!" he said to the fire pokemon.

"Charmeleon, char char!" It shouted back. Charmeleon then proceded to flip the man off.

That was the last straw.

Zubat flew back down. He had all he needed.

"Well?" Pikachu asked.

"I heard Misty, Jessie, James, and a stranger all arguing." Zubat answered.

"What about Ash?" Bulbasaur pressed. The bat shook it's head.

"Let's go! If Misty is over their, then so is Ash!" Squirtle anounced. The rest of the group nodded and they dashed to wear Zubat directed them.

"Attack, Rydon!" Toran said as he threw his pokeball. Their was a flash of red light and the rock giant was their. Charmeleon backed up a few steps. It seemed to lose it's balance and shook it's head to regain it. To cover for it's vulnerability, it shouted a few pokemon obsenities at Rydon. Toran smiled 'This Charmeleon is taxed beyond it's limits. It dosn't have a prayer.'

Misty knew it was over. The Rydon was in perfect fighting form. Charmeleon, however, was sweating from the exertion of standing. She had to save at least one of them.

"Charmeleon run! Get clear before they kill you!" she yelled. The small red creature looked at her, then at the unconsious Ash, and shook it's head.

Charmelon immediatly returned it's attention to the Rydon. The fire pokemon opened it's jaws and a stream of fire surrounded the Rydon. It was the Fire Spin attack, or at least what was left of it. The Rydon laughed inside the thin walls of flame, then stepped out.

"Rydon, slam now!" the man commanded. Rydon reared back it's leg and kicked Charmeleon as if it were a football. With a sickening thud, Charmeleon slammed into the rock face. Where the back of it's head had hit, their was a horrible splash of blood. Misty looked at the small figure, and saw that the back of it's head was flat instead of pointed.

"Charmeleon." she whispered.

"Rydon, restrain the girl now." The rock pokemon started the task, but was stopped as two vines wrapped around it. Then it was soaked by water and slammed with a lightning bolt. Toran turned and saw that a Pikachu, a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur were working together to demolish his Rydon. "Rydon, use you fissure attack!" he shouted.

The pokemon raised it's fist over it's head and was about to bring it down when it was hit by another lightning bolt and a barage of leaves. The Rydon finally fainted as a powerful blast of water connected with it's head. Toran couldn't beleive it. He had been beaten by a gang of wild pokemon. He called Rydon back into it's ball and looked at Jessie and James.

"Can you two explain this?" he asked. James nodded.

"The Pikachu, the Squirtle and the Bulbasaur belong to that boy." James said.

"And that Zubat belongs to another kid named Brock."Jessie added.

"What Zubat?" Toran asked. Just then his ears exploded with pain. He looked up and saw the Zubat. It was using supersonic on them! If they didn't get claear they would all end up deaf. Toran lead the was as team rocket ran for the hills.

Misty watched as team rocket ran screaming from the area. She looked over at her saviors. Pikachu had assumed his victory stance, Squirtle was imitating it, and Bulbasaur was jumping from one foot to another. Then they all stopped celebrating the victory and dashed to Mist and Ash. Pikachu crawled onto Ash's chest and put his ear over Ash's heart. He looked back at the others and said something, the other pokemon cheered. In the distance Misty heard sirens, 'The police! If we can signal them they can help Ash!' she thought.

"Pikachu, I hear sirens, do you?" The rodent listened then nodded. "We need to signal those men. They can take Ash to a hospital. Please use Thunder to get their attention." Pikachu ran away from the group, finding a clear area a few yards away Pikachu closed it's eyes in consentration, then opened them and released a massive surge of electrical energy into the air. Misty had neve seen Pikachu unleash so much power. A few seconds later, the light faded and Pikachu needed to rest. The sirens started coming closer.

"Report!" the Giovanni bellowed.

"The cops are everywhere! Our men are running to avoid being arrested." A rocket member answered.

"And the devise?"

"It's being air lifted to security point beta now, sir."

"Good. Get me Toran." The man nodded his understanding an started hitting buttons on his control pad, trying to reach the feild agent. The screan soon lit up with an image of Toran.

"Report Toran. Is the tainer dealt with." The boss said.

"I'm sorry sir. His other pokemon arrived and overwhelemed us. I did manage to kill the boy's Charmeleon.... after it almost tore my leg off."

"Idiot!....Tend to your wounds and start tailing the boy. I have plans for that pathetic nucianse."

"At once sir." The screen clicked off. Giovanni turned to the men in the room.

"Let's get out of here. The project is canceked." The men activated the full evacuation alarms before they themselves ran from the building. The Giovanni walked to the wall, hit a secret panel, and walked through the hidden door that opened. His thought's lingered on the Boy and his interferring pokemon.

Ash opened his eyes slowly. It was very, very, bright. It took a while for his eyes to adjust, but he eventually saw that he was in a hospital room. He looked around and saw Misty and Brock sitting in the corner.

"Hey guys. Whats happening?" he said. Misty and Brocks heads snapped up, then they ran to Ash's bed side.

"I thought you would never wake up!" Brock joked.

"I'm to stubborn to stay asleep forever. How long was I out?"

"Ten days."

"Damn."

"Brock, could you go tell Pikachu that Ash is okay?" Misty said. Her eyes never left Ash's eyes. Brock smiled and left the room. Misty leaned over the bed rail and kissed Ash. "You idiot! How can we spend time together if your unconsious?" she said.

"Sorry. I'm sure when you get the shit kicked out of you and go into a coma, you'll be the perfect hostees." Ash said sarcastically.

"Of course! I'll shake everyone's hand and drool on command." they both laughed at the joke. Ash stopped laughing and got a grim look on his face.

"How's my Charmeleon?"

"I don't know, they won't talk about his condition unless the owner is their." Ash braced for pain and sat up. It didn't hurt. He was surprised that he had regained so much strength. Misty turned her back while Ash got dressed. 'Somethings missing' he thought. He looked around but couldn't find it.

"Misty, where's my sword? And my hat?"

"I had to hold onto the sword, their are no weapons allowed in the hospital. I couldn't find your hat." Ash nodded

"Is Pidgeotto okay?" Misty nodded. Ash smiled and walked to the door. No sooner had he opened it and stepped out that a pudgey ball of yellow fur leapt onto his face. Pikachu was so happy to see Ash, he refused to let go.

"Pika pi, pika pi!" (Your alive, your alive!)

"Of course I'm alive! But I won't stay that way if you keep shoving your foot in my mouth!"

"Kachu pi pika chu pi!" (I have a present gor you!) Pikachu jumped off Ash's head, crawled under a bench and produced Ash's cap. Ash smiled and accepted the gift. He dusted it off and put it on.

"Thanks, Pikachu. I was worried that Pidgeotto might have eaten it!"

"So that's where I put it..." Brock said. Ash nailed Brock in the head for his stupidity.

From the hospital the group headed to the pokemon center. Ash wished he could run their but he knew he might hurt himself if he did. It took about twenty minutes to walk their, a small eternity for Ash. They walked in and were greeted by nurse Joy.

"Welcome to the New Haven pokemon center, how can I help you?" She asked.

"My Charmeleon was brought in about ten days ago, how is it?"

"You must be Ash. I'm sorry but I have bad news for you." Ash's heart almost stopped.

"He..... he's dead?"

"No, not at all!"

"Then what?"

"The head injury your Charmeleon sustained ruined it's Evoluna gland."

"What the hell is that?"

"It's the gland that controls pokemon evolution. Without it, your Charmeleon will never become a Charizard. You must be very dissapointed."

"I don't care if he turned into an Arbok as long as he's alive! What does it matter that he can't evolve?" Nurse Joy seemed to be surprised, then she smiled.

"I usually only hear thing like that from older trainers, I can see you are more experienced than you look."

"Can I please see my pokemon?"

"Of course." the nurse hit a button and a buzzer rang. A moment later a door swung open and Charmeleon walked out. His head was still bandaged but he looked great otherwise.

"How are you feeling Charmeleon?" Misty asked.

"Char. Charmelon char char." (Fine. I'm hungry as hell though.)

"He says he's okay, but hungry." Ash translated. Brock got a confused look on his face.

"Ash, since when can you understand Charmeleon? And where did you get a sword?" Brock Asked.

"Iv'e been studing fighting techniques, Charmeleon's language and pokemon culture all month. That's why we've been going to strange towns. I knew their had to be a way to get Charmeleon to obey me and I found it. I challenged him to a fight in his own language. If I had one, he had to listen to me. If he won, I had to set him free. The sword was to even the odds a little. I won the sword by defeating a tic-tac-toe master in the shop down town." Ash looked down at the fire pokemon. "You won the fight Charmeleon, I set you free." Ash set Charmeleon's pokeball in front of the pokemon. Charmeleon looked up at him.

"Char mel meleon, charmeleon mel char?" (We never finished, how did I win?)

"You saved my life and Misty's life too many times to be weaker than me." Charmeleon thought about that, then smashed the pokeball flat with his heel. Ash smiled a sad smile at him.

"Have a good life, Charmeleon." He said. The three humans and the Pikachu turned to leave.

"Char char charmeleon?" (Where the hell do you think your going?") Ash turned back.

"To get something to eat."

"Charmelon char mel melon?" (Why aren't I coming?) Ash was a little confused. Charmeleon walked up to Ash and whispered something. Ash and Pikachu smiled.

"What did he say?" Misty asked.

"He said that he may not belong to me any more, but that he had better stay close to me. He says you, me, and Pikachu can't stay out of trouble without him." Misty smiled and laughed at the translation then bend down to the pokemon.

"You're welcome to be with us as long as you like." she said. She then kissed charmeleon's nose. The fire pokemon's face turned an even darker shade of red.

The group had dinner in the same restaurant Pidgeotto had landed at. The owner wasn't to happy to see Brock, but couldn't afford to turn down paying customers. On the way to the restaurant, Brock had invited a girl named Cassara to join them. The four humans ate and talked together while Charmeleon and Pikachu went from table to table greeting guests and stealing all the ketchup they could find. Everyone laughed when a womans Growlithe desided Pikachu would make for a good bone and tried to bury the rodent. Pikachu ran so much electricity into the dog it's fur would stand up for a week. When everyone had finished laughing and the two pokemon retuned to the table Brock asked for everyones attention.

"Ash, Misty..... It's been great traveling with you guys but I'm afraid our paths seperate here." Brock said. Ash and Misty stared in disbeleif.

"You're not coming with us?" Misty asked.

"I'm staying here."

"But.... Why?"

"Cassara's father is one of the top ten breeders in the country. She talked him into letting me become his apprentice. I just can't pass this opportunity up." Misty sighed. Ash extended his had and Brock took it.

"We'll miss you Brock, but you have to follow your dreams. Good luck with your training."

"Thanks, Ash. I've got to go, Cassara and I need to make room in her arpartment for me."

"In her apartment?" Ash and Misty said as one. Brock smiled.

"Your not the only one who got a boyfriend this week, Misty." Cassara said. Pikachu made a noise and everyone looked to see what he wanted.

Pikachu had put on a black wig that looked alot like Cassara's hair. Charmeleon had squintid his eye and put a jagged peice of wood on his head that looked like Brocks hair. Charmeleon was holding Pikachu in his arms. Pikachu fluttered fake eyelashes then the two started to make out..... or at least a resanable facsimile of making out. Ash and Misty laughed. Cassara stared in shock. Brock turned reder than Charmeleon. The pokemon stopped when they could no longer contain their laughter, they fell to the ground and rolled around and laughed till their throats hurt. Brock shook his head and said goodbye. Ash and Misty watched as their old friend left them, for now anyway.

"At least he got a girl." Ash said.

"A pretty one too." Misty added.

"Pika pi chu pik." (She smelled really good.)

"Char mel meleon." (Nice tits.) Ash and Pikachu both nailed Charmeleon for making such a disgusting (all be it true) statment. The group headed out after that, walking on a dirt road that wasn't on the major maps. Misty looked at the map, then the cumpas, then to Ash.

"Ash, Cinnabar Island is the other way." She said.

"I know."

"Then why are we going this way?"

"The Cinnabar gym is all fire pokemon right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well I want to be on better terms with my fire pokemon when I get there."

"So what's on this road?"

"A town called 'The Arena'. I heard it's a great place to power up your pokemon."

"Can't you just use Charmeleon on the way to the island?" Ash grew a sly grin.

"This town also has some great night clubs." Misty perked up and smiled. She grabbed Ash's hand and started jogging. Pikachu and Charmeleon dashed after them.

"Night clubs! What are we waiting for!" She said.

End