Vs. Team Rocket (Rewrite)

Ash and Gary stood side by side, staring at the Team Rocket trio as the last wisps of smoke cleared. The whole room seemed frozen in a weird mix of tension and disbelief. Finally, Ash broke the silence, voice dry as dust.

"I have... so many questions. Like, why are you even here? What's going on? And more importantly—why can that Meowth talk?!"

Jessie gave an exaggerated scoff, stepping forward with a flick of her hair. "We'll answer your questions, kid—though it's not like you'll have much time to ponder them."

James sidled up beside her with a grin, dramatically pointing toward the Pokémon Center. "We're here for Pokémon, of course! The rarest, the strongest, the best of the best!"

Meowth leapt between them with a flashy spin, claws raised. "Rare and powerful Pokémon! So you'd better hand them over nice and easy, or we'll take 'em the hard way!"

Nurse Joy, standing behind the counter, tried to keep her voice calm, though she was clearly rattled. "You're wasting your time. This is a Pokémon Center for weak and injured Pokémon. There's nothing here worth stealing."

Jessie smirked, placing a hand on her hip. "Oh, that may seem true, but sometimes, among the junk... you find a few gems."

Gary, arms crossed and clearly still bitter about the 1000 Pokédollars, huffed loudly and stepped forward. "Alright, that's it. You three are seriously annoying me."

He grabbed a Pokéball from his belt and shot Ash a quick glance. "What do you say, Ash? Wanna beat the bricks off these clowns?"

Ash grinned, tilting his head toward Pikachu. "What do you think, buddy? Up for a real fight?"

Pikachu looked at him, then at Team Rocket, then back to Ash. His cheeks sparked as he gave a smirk and a nod. "Pika-Pi!"

Ash smirked, his eyes narrowing as he turned back toward Jessie and James. "Let's send 'em blasting off."

James laughed, clearly not taking them seriously. "These kids think they can fight us? Koffing, let's show them how it's done!" He threw his Pokéball, and with a puff of dark gas, Koffing appeared, floating menacingly in the air.

Jessie struck a dramatic pose. "Ekans, you're up too!" She threw her Pokéball, and Ekans slithered out, hissing and curling menacingly.

Gary, not missing a beat, grinned wide. "Let's get 'em, Squirtle!" He tossed his Pokéball, and with a flash of light, Squirtle popped out, striking a little fighting pose like a boxer, fists up and ready.

Ash nodded to Pikachu. "Alright, bud you up,."

Pikachu leapt down from Ash's shoulder, cheeks sparking in anticipation as he stared down Koffing and Ekans.

Jessie smirked. "You kids are in way over your heads."

Ash grinned right back. "But you are outmatched,"

Gary cracked his knuckles, Squirtle mirroring him with a little flex. "Time to teach Team Rocket a lesson."

And just like that, the battle began.

Jessie pointed dramatically at Pikachu, her voice filled with over-the-top flair. "Ekans, show them that Team Rocket is not to be messed with! Use Bite on that rat!"

Ekans hissed loudly, slithering forward in a blur, fangs bared and ready to sink into Pikachu.

Gary reacted fast,, "Squirtle, counter with Water Gun! Let's take down that snake!"

Squirtle didn't hesitate, he inhaled deeply, puffed up his cheeks, and blasted a high-pressure stream of water straight at Ekans. The snake Pokémon was mid-leap when the water hit, sending it tumbling backward in a wet, hissing heap.

Ash seized the opening in a flash. "Pikachu, don't miss this chance! Hit it with a Thunder Shock, full power!"

"Pika-CHUUU!" Pikachu cried as sparks burst from his cheeks. The electricity crackled across the soaked battlefield, slamming into Ekans with a burst of static energy. The combination of water and electricity left the snake smoking, twitching, but still barely clinging to consciousness.

Jessie's eyes twitched, her face red with frustration. She glared at James. "Well, don't just stand there! Do something!"

James flinched, then shook his head, snapping into action. "Koffing, Smokescreen! Follow up with Smog!!"

Koffing floated up, spinning lazily as it unleashed a thick, choking cloud of dark smoke. The entire room filled with a heavy haze, and they were hidden behind it.

Gary frowned seeing the poison smoke, then he quickly looked around and saw the window, "Hey Nurse Joy, sorry about this, put it on Oak's tab, Squirtle Rapid spin at the window,"

Squirtle went into his shell and launched himself through the air slamming into the window and breaking it open as he did the poisonous smoke started to flow out of the Pokemon center and they could see Koffing again

Ash smiled, as he waved his hand, "I call dibs, Pikachu Iron tail!"

Pikachu ran up and jumped up using James's face as a platform he got into the sky and flew over Koffing, then his tail glowed silver and he slammed the rock sending it crashing into Ekans

As Jessie and James blinked in surprise and started actually getting worried, Ash and Gary didn't give them a chance to keep talking

"Squirtle, Water Gun! Full power NOW!" Gary shouted.

"You too Pikachu, Thunder Shock! Give it everything you have!" Ash copied.

Squirtle fired a blast of water, while Pikachu's body glowed with electric energy and he shot a bolt. The two attacks collided midair, and mixed making electrified water, the combined attack cut through the smoke and slammed into both Ekans and Koffing with a deafening CRACK.

Neither Jessie nor James had time to react, Ekans let out a strangled hiss, and Koffing's eyes spun as they both collapsed to the ground in smoking heaps.

Jessie stared at the scene, wide-eyed, her jaw practically on the floor. "We were... beaten..."

"By two kids," James finished, voice weak, disbelief dripping from every syllable.

As they hurriedly recalled their Pokémon, Ash and Gary shared a triumphant high five, grinning like they owned the place.

But the moment was cut short by a low growl.

Meowth stepped forward, claws extended, his expression dark. "You know what they say... If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself!" He slowly stalked toward Pikachu, eyes glinting menacingly.

Ash and Pikachu exchanged a deadpan look, completely unimpressed. Pikachu hopped onto Ash's shoulder, his cheeks sparking lazily as if this whole situation was barely worth the effort.

Ash crossed his arms and stared down Team Rocket, voice calm but firm. "Remember what I promised? Pikachu, let's send them blasting off."

Meowth's confidence faltered. He backed up a step, waving his paws nervously. "N-now, hold on a minute! I know what you might be thinking, but the answer may surprise you—"

"Pika-CHUUUUU!"

Pikachu's electricity surged out in a massive blast, zapping Jessie, James, and Meowth in an explosion of light and sound. Their screams echoed as they were launched clean through the Pokémon Center's window and up, up, up into the air, right through the conveniently parked Meowth-shaped balloon.

As the balloon burst with a loud POP, they vanished into the distance, their voices trailing behind them:

[Cut to Team Rocket tumbling through the air, spiraling toward the horizon.]

Jessie groaned, her hair frizzing from static. "Great. A cat losing to a mouse. That's just perfect."

Meowth glared at her, crossing his arms. "Hey! That Pikachu's no ordinary Pikachu. It's got some serious spark."

James, floating in midair with arms folded behind his head like a lazy day at the beach, added thoughtfully, "It's certainly rare. The perfect prize for Team Rocket's glory."

Jessie's eyes gleamed. "Let's catch it."

Meowth smirked. "Perhaps we will."

All three of them, despite their situation, threw up their arms dramatically. "But for now... Team Rocket's blasting off!!!"

Twinkle.

—

[Back to the Pokémon Center]

As Ash and Gary watched Team Rocket vanish like a shooting star, they barely had time to breathe before a warm voice called out behind them.

"Thank you for saving the Pokémon Center," Nurse Joy said with genuine relief. She clutched her hands together as she smiled. "I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't stepped in."

Ash waved his hand in front of him, "Ah, don't worry about it... Sorry we had to fight in the middle of the lobby."

Joy waved it off kindly. "Trust me, this is hardly the worst thing I've seen."

Before anyone else could speak, Gary tried again. "Well, like I was saying before those morons showed up—"

His sentence was cut short by a sudden burst of energy as Misty and Green came sprinting down the stairs, looking wide-eyed and disheveled, like they had to put on their clothes quickly

"What happened?! We heard a commotion, and then the whole building shook!" Misty exclaimed, eyes darting around the room.

Ash grinned and waved casually, like it was just another Tuesday. "Nothing much. Team Rocket showed up, Gary lost a 1000 Pokédollars, then we sent them flying. Same old, same old."

Misty and Green froze, blinking in unison. Green glanced at Gary's sour expression and smirked. "They actually showed up? I was all ready to tease you about paying Ash, but wow... They were really dumb enough to attack a Pokémon Center?"

Before anyone could answer, the front doors burst open dramatically—BAM! A familiar figure stormed in, siren wailing on her motorbike outside. It was none other than Officer Jenny.

Jenny looked around, hair windswept, eyes sharp as she barked, "What happened here?! I got an urgent alert, raced over as fast as I could, and then I saw the fireworks! Did someone throw a party without inviting me?"

Nurse Joy, utterly unfazed, raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "We have a driveway, you know. You don't have to park on the sidewalk every time."

Jenny blinked, looking sheepish. "Right, sorry."

Gary stepped forward, arms folded. "Well, you're a little late to the party. Team Rocket came in, we beat them, not much else to it."

"Don't forget the part where you lost a 1000 Pokédollars," Ash chimed in with a grin as he handed Pikachu back to Nurse Joy for a quick checkup.

Gary scowled, glaring at Ash like he might tackle him on the spot,

Jenny glanced at Joy, who nodded in confirmation. Jenny sighed, pulling out her notepad. "Well, I appreciate you two helping out... but next time, maybe let the professionals handle actual criminals, alright?"

Gary muttered under his breath, 'then maybe get here in time…'

—-

[Later that night…]

After a chaotic evening, everyone retired to their rooms. The Pokémon Center's guest rooms were simple, with two twin beds, a desk, and a window overlooking Viridian City's quiet streets.

Ash plopped onto his bed, pulling Pikachu up beside him. "Alright, buddy. You've earned this." He handed Pikachu a bottle of ketchup.

Pikachu happily took it and started licking it up, it's been a fill 5 hours since his last bottle, he was having withdraws

Ash laughed softly, glad to see Pikachu happy. "Just don't eat too much or you'll get a tummy ache, we are about to go to sleep,"

He reached for Spearow's Poké Ball and glanced at Pikachu, who was now happily gnawing on the ketchup bottle like it was a chew toy. "Hey, can I count on you to keep an eye out if Spearow acts up?"

Pikachu gave a thumbs up not stopping his ketchup meal

Ash gave a thumbs up back, "Thanks bud,"

As Pikachu nodded, Ash took a deep breath and sent out the feisty bird. "Spearow, come on out!"

With a burst of light, Spearow materialized in front of him, wings spread, eyes narrowed. It locked onto Pikachu with a cold, piercing glare, feathers ruffling aggressively. Pikachu, for his part, seemed entirely unimpressed, he just kept licking his ketchup bottle like this wasn't his problem.

Ash crossed his arms, firm but calm. "Okay, that's enough."

Spearow's glare shifted to him, but Ash didn't flinch. "Listen, you lost. I caught you. That means I'm your trainer now, and as your trainer, you need to get along with everyone. That includes Pikachu."

Spearow tilted its head, clearly not thrilled by the idea.

Ash kept going, voice steady but kind. "But I'm not gonna force you. If you really don't want to be my Pokémon, I'll release you right here, no strings attached."

Spearow froze. That... wasn't what it expected.

Ash shrugged, hands in his pockets. "But if you do stay, I'll help you get stronger. Stronger than ever. No one will be able to beat you again. What do you say?"

Spearow looked back at Pikachu, then at Ash, then at Pikachu again, as if weighing its options. Finally, it gave a sharp, determined nod. "Spearow!"

Ash smiled. "Glad to have you on the team. Now, let's eat."

He opened his bag and pulled out some Pokéfood. It wasn't fancy, just basic dry feed and a few Pokéblocks, but it would do. He'd packed extra for bird Pokémon, just in case.

Spearow dove into the food like it hadn't eaten in days, and Pikachu happily munched alongside him, pausing only to take occasional swigs of ketchup.

Ash chuckled. "Alright, no training tonight. We'll hit Viridian Forest tomorrow for some real practice. And then, Pewter Gym. First badge, here we come."

After feeding his team, Ash settled into bed. Pikachu curled up next to him, ketchup bottle gripped like a plushie. Ash propped himself up with the Pokédex, flipping through data. It worked like a phone, he could look up Gym battles, Pokémon habitats, and even type advantages.

"Huh... they record every Gym battle and post it online?" Ash muttered, scrolling through a few clips of Brock's matches. "Sweet. Gotta take notes on this."

He leaned back, mind racing, 'Viridian Forest tomorrow. I'll catch a few more Pokémon... Maybe Magikarp too, Gyarados could be crazy strong. But that's a problem for later. For now... sleep.'

And with that, he drifted off.

—-

[The next morning, outside the Pokémon Center]

The sun was rising, and the gang stood by the entrance, packs slung over their shoulders. Misty had already wandered off toward Route 1, fishing rod in hand, determined to find... something, not sure what she'll find though.

Ash yawned and stretched. "So, what's the plan, guys? I'm probably sticking around Viridian Forest for a couple days. Need to train and maybe catch a few Pokémon."

Green nodded, arms crossed and Bulbasaur at her side. "I'm heading for Pewter City. Figure I've got the best shot at beating Brock as we are now,"

Gary, shrugged and scratched his head, "I'm going to get a car or something. Gotta move fast if I'm gonna beat you all."

Ash blinked. "...What?"

Green's face mirrored his disbelief, "You're seriously gonna get a car?"

Gary grinned, smug as ever. "Hey, Gramps is funding us. I'll use the money smartly."

Ash snorted. "Yeah, real smart. Next thing you know, you'll be picking up those cheerleaders who were basically begging to sit on your lap."

Gary's face flushed. "Wha—?! First off, Gramps is sponsoring all of us. And second... I might! They're probably better company than you two!"

"Surrreeee, a bunch of gold diggers following you around~" Green said playfully, "I mean at least i tell you what i expect right away, i don't hide, not like those girls"

Ash smirked, backing away as he slung his bag over his shoulder with Pikachu still sleeping inside of his bag, "Ha good one Green, I bet you any amount of money that they got hired to follow him. Anyway, time to split up. Green, it was great traveling with you. Gary, it was great taking your money. Later!"

Gary looked ready to yell something back, but Ash was already gone, waving over his shoulder as he disappeared into the trees.

—

[In Viridian Forest]

Ash inhaled deeply as he ventured into the forest, the morning air crisp and cool. Spearow sat perched on his shoulder, looking around, wings twitching. Pikachu, still sleepy, was curled up inside his bag, peeking out occasionally.

They moved deeper, and soon Ash found himself surrounded by wild Pokémon. Mankey swung through the branches, Sandshrew dug near the roots, and a flock of Doduo sprinted across a clearing. Butterfree flitted overhead, while a swarm of Beedrill buzzed by.

'Well it's time to start looking around' Ash thought as he pulled out his Pokedex and started scanning everything until he found something interesting.