Tricks of the Trade

Ashlyn and the gang were now at a beach town called Palmpona Town.

"This is a nice place to relax." Ashlyn commented.

"I agree," Brock agreed, "the beach is lovely."

"Hey where's Misty?" Ashlyn asked, noticing that the red head was gone.

"She's at a phone booth. Her sisters wanted to speak to her." Brock replied.

"I wonder what they want." Ashlyn pondered.

Then Misty walked up to them.

"Is everything okay with your sisters, Misty?" Brock asked.

"Yes and no really," Misty sighed, "My sisters were complaining of how energetic my two Woopers and three Marills were."

"Well they're rather young, so it's obvious that they would be energetic." Brock pointed out.

"I know, but my sisters really want them to calm down, so that they can be used in gym battles and water ballet shows." Misty stated.

"I'm sure that problem will be solved soon, Misty." Ashlyn assured her.

"I hope so, Ashlyn." Misty said.

"Now let's say we all get going now." Brock decided.

The gang packed up and left the area, walking along the beach.

"Rai Raichu?" Tesla pointed at something in front of them.

The gang noticed a trainer with short dark green hair and black eyes, he was talking to a tall, cyan Pokémon with a black tail.

"What's that Pokémon?" Misty asked.

Ashlyn took out her Rotom phone and scanned the Pokémon:

[Wobbuffet, the patient Pokémon. To keep its pitch-black tail hidden, it lives quietly in the darkness. It is never first to attack.]

Ashlyn recognized this Pokémon. This is the exact Wobbuffet that Jessie accidentally trades her Lickitung for.

"Hey that's a nice Pokémon." Ashlyn complimented.

"Thanks," Wobbuffet's trainer said, "I'm Benny by the way."

The gang introduced themselves.

"What are you and your Wobbuffet doing, Benny?" Brock asked.

"I was making sure my Wobbuffet was in tip top shape, I'm taking it to the Pokémon Swap Meet." Benny explained.

"Pokémon Swap Meet? What's that?" Misty questioned.

"Every year they hold a swap meet here, so that Trainers can trade their Pokémon for a new Pokémon." Benny explained, "I plan to trade my Wobbuffet for a new Pokémon."

"Really? Why would you want to trade your Pokémon?" Misty asked.

"I do love my Wobbuffet, but I wish to have a new Pokémon." Benny answered.

Brock thought, "That makes sense, trading Pokémon is a good way for trainers to get new Pokémon." He said, "Come to think of it, I wish to trade my Poliwrath for a different Pokémon; the truth is ever since I caught it I haven't made a great bond with it."

"I wish to trade some Pokémon myself." Ashlyn added.

"So do I actually." Misty added.

"Come with me, I'm heading over to the Pokémon Swap Meet now." Benny said.

"Thanks." Ashlyn thanked him.

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Benny led the gang to the Swap Meet location and it is held in the center of Palmpona Town.

"Wow. This is like a festival." Misty awed.

Just then they heard a rumbling noise.

"Hey what's that sound?" Ashlyn asked.

Suddenly they saw a herd of Tauros coming their way.

"What's happening?" Brock asked.

"It's a running of the Taruos." The man beside Brock replied.

"Running of the Taruos?" Ashlyn questioned.

"Yes. It's Palmpona Town's tradition. You see if any person is brave enough to touch Taruos' Horn, while running with them, you get a special trophy." The man explained and then he ran to join in.

"Say what..." Brock almost face fault.

"That's the craziest tradition I ever heard." Misty dreaded.

"I'd rather wait till I was twenty to try it." Ashlyn dead panned.

The herd of Taruos started to run into a stadium.

"The Taruos have now entered the stadium! They are now ready for a the one-on-one Taruos Battling Competition!" The announcer inside the stadium announced, "In this tournament we will see whose Taruos is the strongest one of all!"

Ashlyn perked up at that, "Battling. Count me in!" She said and immediately got her Tauros from Professor Oak Lab's with her Rotom phone and she ran towards the Taruos Competition stadium.

"There she goes..." Brock said.

Misty shrugged while smiling, "It's Ashlyn."

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At the moment a Tauros, belonging to a trainer named Fernando, was an undefeated Tauros. But when Ashlyn entered her Tauros into the competition, she over powered Fernando's Tauros and became the winner of the Tauros battling competition.

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After the Tauros battling competition; Ashlyn went to the Pokémon center and dropped off her Tauros and took her other eight along with the Gastly, Male Nidoran, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Poliwag, Goldeen, and Abra. She also dropped off her Heracross, Sentret, Shiny Carbink, Lurantis, Alakazam, Bulbasaur, Stantler, Chikorita, Alolan Sandslash, Cyndaquil, Togetic, and Totodile.

===============================

Then the gang went back to the Pokémon Swap Meet. There were lots of trading machines and trainers with Pokémon. A lot of trainers were going about how great their Pokémon was; like how shiny a Quagsire was, or how springy a Sentret was, etc.

"Wow they are sure bragging about their Pokémon a lot aren't they?" Misty asked.

"Well when you've raised a Pokémon a lot, you have a reason to brag about your Pokémon." Brock explained.

Just then three Pokémon trainers came up to Ashlyn.

"Your Tauros was amazing." One trainer said.

"Strongest one that I have ever seen." Another said.

"It was the bomb!" The third said.

"Erm... I don't want to trade my Taruos but I do have three other Taruos to trade and they are just as strong as this one. What Pokémon do you have?" Ashlyn asked.

"I have a Onix." The first trainer replied.

"I have a Mareep." The second trainer replied.

"And I have an Girafarig." The third trainer replied.

Ashlyn nodded, "Okay, I'll trade you my Taruos' for them."

The three trainers nodded.

They all headed towards one of the trade machines, Ashlyn traded her first Taruos for a first trainer's Onix, then the second Taruos for the seconded trainer's Mareep and her last Taruos for the third trainer's Girafarig.

"Thank you." They all thanked each other and the Three other trainers left.

"Did you catch other Pokémon, Ashlyn?" Misty asked.

"Yeah, I caught a Gastly, Male Nidoran, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Poliwag, Goldeen, and an Abra the day before we left for Johto," Ashlyn replied, "and I've been thinking about trading them for different Pokémon for quite a while now."

"That's a lot of Pokémon." Misty said.

"Now, let's see my new Onix, Mareep, and Girafarig." She sent out the rock snake Pokémon, wool Pokémon and long neck Pokémon.

"Roar!" Onix appeared.

"Mareep..." The Pokémon appeared.

Girafarig appeared with a neigh.

"They sure are strong and healthy." Brock said, looking at all of them.

Suddenly the rock snake Pokémon began to glow and then it changed into a giant metal-like snake Pokémon.

"Wow, Onix evolved into Steelix." Brock gasped.

Ashlyn looked at her Steelix on her phone:

[Steelix, the iron snake Pokémon. The evolved form of Onix. Its body has been compressed deep under the ground. As a result, it is even harder than a diamond.]

"That's cool." Ashlyn said, who was amazed with her new Pokémon.

Then she saw something around Steelix's neck; it was a metal object that looked like a small weight used for weight scales, tied with a very long piece of string.

"I see. It's a metal coat." She took it off Steelix's neck before returning him back to his Pokéball. She kept her phone out and scanned the other two Pokémon.

[Mareep, the Wool Pokémon. Mareep stores electricity in their wooly coats. They avoid battles and have mild disposition.]

[Girafarig, the Long Neck Pokémon. Girafarig has a second head on its tail that bites those who approach it carelessly.]

Ashlyn smiled, placing her phone away, "They're great." She return back her two Pokémon. "I'm going to see what I can trade for my other Tauros, Gastly, Male Nidoran, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Poliwag, Goldeen, and Abra." Ashlyn said.

"Yeah, I'm going to see who would want my Poliwrath." Brock said.

"I caught another wild Goldeen and another wild Staryu the other day," Misty said, "and I wish to trade them for different water Pokémon."

"Okay since all of us want to trade here's the plan; we will all split up, and then after we have traded our Pokémon we will meet up by the water fountain. Agreed?" Brock suggested.

"Agreed." Ashlyn and Misty said together.

So for the next hour the gang set out to trade Pokémon in the swap meet.

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One hour later they all met up at the water fountain.

"How did it go everyone?" Ashlyn asked.

"It went great," Misty replied, "I traded my wild Goldeen and wild Staryu for two new water Pokémon."

"I traded my Poliwrath for a new Pokémon too." Brock said.

"I ended up trading my other Tauros, Gastly, Male Nidoran, Rhyhorn, Scyther, Poliwag, Goldeen, and Abra as well." Ashlyn said.

"Let's let them out to show each other." Misty suggested.

So they all did. Misty traded her wild Goldeen for a blue Pokémon that looked like Marill, but bigger and had long ears like a rabbit. And for her wild Staryu, she got a blue Pokémon that looked like Wooper but bigger.

"Wow Misty, you've got an Azumarill and a Quagsire, the evolved forms of Marill and Wooper." Ashlyn stated.

Misty smiled, "Yes and I'm really happy about it too."

"Now your sisters will have help with training your Woopers and Marills." Brock said.

"What Pokémon did you get, Ashlyn?" Misty asked.

"I'll show you." Ashlyn released her new Pokémon: Misdreavus, Sobble, Grookey, Shiny Froakie, Shiny Chespin, Jangmo-o, Goomy, male Espurr, female Espurr, Nickit, Rapidash, and Gothita.

"So what Pokémon are they?" Misty asked, curious.

"Here I'll show you." Ashlyn took out her phone:

[Misdreavus, the Screech Pokémon. Misdreavus are extremely mischievous and like to cry out at night just to startle people.]

[Sobble, the Water Lizard Pokémon. When Sobble touches watery substances, its body takes on the color of its surroundings. Because it's timid, it produces large amounts of sweat and tears that cause it to become invisible. It is said that when Sobble cries, its tears have the same effect as chopping one hundred onions.]

[Grookey, the Chimp Pokémon. When it uses its special stick to strike up a beat, the sound waves produced carry revitalizing energy to the plants and flowers in the area.]

[Froakie, the Bubble Frog Pokémon. From its chest and back, Froakie creates bubbles called Frubbles, which act as a cushion and soften the blow of an opponent's attack.

Note: This different coloration indicates that this Pokémon is a shiny Pokémon.]

[Chespin, the Spiny Nut Pokémon. The quills on its head are usually soft. When it flexes them, the points become so hard and sharp that they can pierce rock.

Note: This different coloration indicates that this Pokémon is a shiny Pokémon.]

[Jangmo-O, the Scaly Pokémon. It expresses its feelings by smacking its scales. Metallic sounds echo through the tall mountains where Jangmo-o lives.]

[Goomy, the Soft Tissue Pokémon. The weakest Dragon-type Pokémon, it lives in damp, shady places, so its body doesn't dry out.]

[Espurr, the Restraint Pokémon. It has enough psychic energy to blast everything within 300 feet of itself, but it has no control over its power.]

[Nickit, the Fox Pokémon. Nickit likes to steal food that other Pokémon have found. It uses its fluffy tail to erase any footprints it leaves behind.]

[Gothita, the Fixation Pokémon. Gothita's Psychic powers are made stronger by its ribbon-like feelers. When Gothita becomes fixated on something, it's looking at something only it can see.]

"Wow Ashlyn," Misty awed, "You got some good Pokémon then."

"I also got a Pokémon egg as well." Ashlyn showed them the egg she got.

"Who did get it from?" Misty asked.

"I got it from the trainer I traded my Rhyhorn with his shiny Chespie. He told me that he didn't have much time to raise an egg and he heard about this event. For thanks of giving him the Rhyhorn, he let me have the egg." Ashlyn replied, "By the way, Brock, what did you trade the Poliwrath for?"

"Meet Magcargo." Brock smiled as he released some sort of a snail type Pokémon.

Ashlyn looked at Magcargo on her phone:

[Magcargo, the lava Pokémon. The evolved form of Slugma. Its body is as hot as lava and is always billowing. Flames will occasionally burst from its shell.]

"Hey Brock, my Rotom phone says that it's both a fire and rock type. Are you going to send it back to your gym?" Ashlyn asked.

"Yes I am. It will go great against grass and ice type Pokémon. And his egg move Smokescreen will really help in gym battles." Brock replied.

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Ashlyn sent her new Pokémon back to Prof Oak, and her Pokémon team were Tesla, Talos, Heracross, Sentret, Shiny Carbink, Lurantis, Alakazam, Bulbasaur, Stantler, Chikorita, Eirwen, Cyndaquil, Togetic, and Totodile. Misty sent her new Azumarill and new Quagsire to Cerulean Gym. Brock sent Magcargo to Pewter Gym. The gang were happy with their new Pokémon, when suddenly Misty remembered Benny.

"I wonder if Benny has traded his Wobbuffet yet." She said.

The gang decided to see how he was doing. When they found Benny, they found out that he hadn't traded his Wobbuffet yet. Then Ashlyn got an idea.

"I think we need to demonstrate how great Wobbuffet can be." She suggested.

"How should we do that?" Benny asked.

"Well, Wobbuffet can only use the moves Counter, Mirror Coat, Safeguard and Destiny Bond. The moves Counter and Mirror Coat are amazing because they bounce back attacks that are thrown at them. So what we should do is demonstrate those moves." Ashlyn explained.

"I get it. If we demonstrate what those two moves can do, people will see how great a Pokémon Wobbuffet can be." Brock said.

The gang and Benny all agreed to the idea and they went to set up the plan.

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Later the gang started to demonstrate Benny's Wobbuffet.

"Now everyone, I'm pretty sure that don't think that Wobbuffet is a great Pokémon. But we're here to prove you wrong." Brock spoke, through a microphone.

Benny and Ashlyn were facing each other like in a Pokémon battle.

"Okay Tesla use Quick Attack." Ashlyn ordered.

Tesla charged at Wobbuffet to tackle it.

"Use Counter Wobbuffet." Benny commanded.

"Wobbuffet!" Wobbuffet's body became outlined in pink and as soon as Tesla tackled it, Tesla just bounced off and became hurt.

"What Wobbuffet just did is used the move Counter. The move Counter bounces off physical moves like Double Slap from the opponent and then the attacks hits the opponent back double the damage."

"Okay Tesla use Thunderbolt." Ashlyn ordered.

Tesla sent a bolt of electricity at Wobbuffet.

"Use Mirror Coat Wobbuffet!" Benny countered.

Wobbuffet's body became surrounded in a white color and then bounced Tesla's Thunderbolt attack back at Tesla who jumped out of the way.

"And Wobbuffet's next move is Mirror Coat. Mirror Coat is a move that bounces back special moves like Water Gun and doubles the damage. So even if Wobbuffet don't do attacks like Psychic or Solar Beam or whatever special attacks, it has brilliant defensive Pokémon when it's uses Counter or Mirror Coat."

The crowd was impressed with what Wobbuffet did.

Just then a guy with a Stantler came up to Benny.

"I would like to trade my Stantler for your Wobbuffet, please." The guy requested.

Benny was happy, "That would great." He said.

Benny and the guy went to the real trading machine. But Ashlyn knew that Benny won't get the Stantler. He'll get Jessie's Lickitung.

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A few minutes later, a crowd of people turned up and they looked mad.

"Hey! My Pokéballs are empty!" A man shouted, angrily.

"Yeah! Where is my Pokémon?!" Another man demanded.

"Give back my Pokémon!" A woman shouted out.

The gang heard all the shouting and saw a large crowd of people yelling.

"What's going on?" Ashlyn asked.

Then the gang saw the trainers getting mad at Team Rocket, who were in disguises. The trio introduced themselves and explained about their fake Pokémon trading machine.

"You're not getting away with this!" Misty shouted.

Meowth took out a sort of gun thing and fired it at the crowd. A big long rope came out of the funny gun and it tied up everyone together.

"Time for the getaway!" Jessie said.

She, James and Meowth jumped into the balloon and flied away.

"They're not getting away with this." Ashlyn said. She quickly got out Chikorita, "Quick Chikorita, use Razor Leaf!"

Chikorita summoned her leaves which soon cut the ropes, everyone was free.

"Come on," Ashlyn said to Misty and Brock, "Let's go and stop Team Rocket."

She, Misty, and Brock ran after Team Rocket right away.

==============

The gang soon arrived where Team Rocket was hiding.

"Hold it right there Team Rocket!" Ashlyn shouted.

"Oh great it's the twerps!" James exclaimed.

"Give back those Pokémon!" Misty demanded.

"Well we're not giving up the Pokéballs without a battle. Go Lickitung!" Jessie sent out her Pokémon.

"Tesla, Chikorita, Alakazam let's go!" Ashlyn sent out Tesla, Chikorita, and Alakazam to battle.

Instead of Lickitung appearing, it turned out to be Wobbuffet which surprised Misty and Brock along with Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"I don't understand, how?" Jessie gasped, "Unless it must have happened in the real machine!" She paled as her color drained, "So this Wobbuffet belongs to me!"

"Wobba." Wobbuffet said.

"Alakazam, use Psychic!" Alakazam's eyes glowed blue and it lifted Wobbuffet in the air and threw it to the Team Rocket trio. It landed them in a pile.

"Tesla, Thunder Shock! Chikorita, Energy Ball! Alakazam, Psybeam!" Ashlyn ordered.

All of the attacks hit Team Rocket and sent them flying into the air.

"I can't believe it! I got a useless Pokémon!" Jessie snapped angrily.

"All of our hard work for nothing." James whined.

"Yeah." Meowth sighed.

"LOOKS LIKE TEAM ROCKET'S BLASTING OFF AGAIN!" Team Rocket screamed as they disappeared into the sky.

"WOBBA!" Wobbuffet screamed after them.

Brock opened the bag of Pokéballs and took a look. "The Pokéballs are okay." he said.

Ashlyn let out a sigh of relief, "Good. now let's take them back to the trainers now."

Ashlyn picked up the big bag of Pokéballs and then the gang ran back to the swap meet.

==================================

The sun was setting and the day of the swap meet was coming to an end. When Ashlyn and the gang brought back the Pokéballs, the trainers got them back and thanked the gang.

"Looks like they're all happy." Misty smiled.

Brock nodded, "Yeah."

Just then Benny turned up and he had his new Lickitung out of the Pokéball.

"I'm glad you were able to trade your Wobbuffet, Benny." Ashlyn said.

"So am I, because I think this Lickitung is great and I like it a lot." Benny smiled.

"Licky!" Lickitung started to lick its new trainer face in affection, it liked Benny a lot and it was happy being with him than with its previous trainer.

"I was hoping to see that lady I traded with again." Benny frowned, "I mean, we did thanked each other after the trade but I wanted to say goodbye again."

Misty shook her head, "I'm afraid we haven't seen her. She must have left some time after you two traded."

Ashlyn knew that Misty and Brock didn't know that the Wobbuffet they battled earlier was really Benny's.

Benny sighed, "Oh well, but I will take good care of Lickitung, like I did with Wobbuffet." He said.

"That's good." Brock said.

"Well I think today has been a great day for all of us," Ashlyn stated, "I mean not only did Benny trade his Wobbuffet for a Lickitung, we all managed to get great new Pokémon by trading."

Misty, Brock, and Benny agreed with that.

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Pokémon on hand: Raichu (Tesla)(F), Type: Null (Talos)(Genderless), Heracross (M), Sentret (F), Shiny Carbink (F), Lurantis (F), Alakazam (M), Bulbasaur (Cedar)(M), Stantler (F), Chikorita (F), Alolan Sandslash (Eirwen)(M), Cyndaquil (M), Togetic (F), Totodile (M), Pokémon Egg

*Marshadow is hiding in Ashlyn's shadow

Pokémon Caught: Heracross (M), Sentret (F), Stantler (F), Chikorita (F), Cyndaquil (M), Togetic (F), Totodile (M), Steelix (M), Mareep (F), Girafarig (F), Misdreavus (F), Sobble (M), Grookey (M), Shiny Froakie (Genji)(M), Shiny Chespin (Cybele)(F), Jangmo-o (M), Goomy (F), Espurr (Orin)(M), Espurr (Bella)(F), Nickit (F), Gothita (F), Rapidash (F)