Hour of the Houndour

Sometime after the events at the Pokémon Swap meet, the gang were having lunch at a café in a town.

"I'm glad we are eating at a town for once," Misty said, "It's been days since we were at Azalea Town."

"Yeah and we can relax and stock on supplies here." Brock agreed.

"Hey Misty, how are your new Water Pokémon doing at the Cerulean Gym?" Ashlyn asked.

"They're doing great. My sisters were over the moon with how cute they are." Misty kept Totodile with her.

"No doubt they will be staring in your sister's water ballet shows then." Brock commented.

Suddenly they heard a noise; somebody was shouting "Stop thief!"

Then they saw a black, white and red dog Pokémon running past, carrying a lump of meat in its mouth.

"That was a Houndour." Brock said.

Ashlyn took out her phone and looked up the Pokémon:

[Houndour, the dark Pokémon. It is smart enough to hunt in packs. It uses a variety of cries for communicating with others.]

Just then Nurse Joy turned up. "Did you see a Houndour run by here?" she asked.

"Yes we did, but it just left." Brock held her hand, "But you found me."

Misty grabbed his ear and pulled him away, "She wasn't trying to find you."

"Uh Nurse Joy, could you explain what's going on with the Houndour?" Ashlyn asked.

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Nurse Joy brought the gang to the Pokémon Center to explain to the situation.

"There has been trouble with a pack of Houndour during this week," she said, "They would sneak into this town and then they steal food and take it back to the forest with them. The worst part is that if you try to fight them, the Houndour pack will fight you back."

"Any ideas of why they are doing that?" Misty asked.

"None I'm afraid, but if they don't stop doing this soon, then they'll all have to be captured." Nurse Joy replied, sadly.

The gang didn't know who to feel sorry for; the people of the town or the Houndour pack. But Ashlyn already knew why the Houndour were stealing food.

"Why don't we investigate this? I'm sure there's a good reason why the Houndour are stealing food." Ashlyn suggested.

"I have an idea." Brock said.

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That night, when the full moon was out, the gang set up a way to find out about the Houndour pack. Brock had just cooked some hot dogs.

"No doubt that the Houndours will defiantly fall for this. When they come here to grab the hot dogs, we will follow them when they run off with them." Brock said.

"But how will we follow them in the dark?" Misty asked.

"With my Golbat," Brock replied and released his bat Pokémon, "Don't forget that Golbat can see where it's going in the dark."

The gang got ready for the Houndour pack to appear as Brock has left the cooked hotdogs out on a plate and they hid in the bushes.

Brock's Golbat hid in a tree, keeping an eye out for the Houndour pack. Suddenly the gang heard a growling noise.

"I think they're here." Ashlyn whispered.

They gang sat very still and quiet in the bushes, and then suddenly a Houndour arrived. The Houndour took one of the hotdogs and ran off with it.

"Follow it Golbat." Brock ordered.

Golbat got off the tree and followed Houndour in the sky. The gang followed Golbat, taking great care not to be seen by the Houndour.

Finally the Houndour stopped at the foot of rocky hills. The gang stayed out of sight on the top of a hill.

"Good work Golbat." Brock whispered and returned it.

"Rai Raichu. (Hey look there.)" Tesla pointing to the Houndour pack.

One of the Houndours was lying down on the ground and it looked very hurt.

"Hey I see food there." Ashlyn said.

There was half eaten bread and packets of meat.

"So that's what they were doing with the food. The Houndours were stealing food for their sick friend." Brock confirmed.

"We should help. I mean that Houndour will need Nurse Joy's help." Misty suggested.

Ashlyn and Brock agreed. Suddenly they heard a bellowing noise and saw a Golem in front of the Houndour pack. The Golem turned into a ball and the Houndour leader, which had an x mark on its left cheek and a scar on its right eye, fired flamethrower at Golem to stop it, although of course it didn't work much. Then it rammed into the leader and sent it flying. Ashlyn knew that the Golem was going to attack Houndour again. She quickly ran down there and grabbed Houndour and jumped out of the way before Golem body slammed it.

"Are you okay, Houndour?" Ashlyn asked.

Houndour nodded. Then Ashlyn and Houndour saw the Golem charging towards them. Ashlyn gently put Houndour on the ground and got in front of it.

"I'll handle this bully. Go Totodile!" Ashlyn released her Big Jaw Pokémon.

"Totodile!" Totodile appeared.

"Quick, use Water Gun!" Ashlyn ordered.

Totodile shot a powerful stream of water from his mouth and it hit Golem pretty hard. Then Golem ran for the hills and out of sight.

"Good job, Totodile!" Ashlyn complimented Totodile who smiled at his trainer's compliment, "Return." She returned Totodile back to his Pokéball.

Brock looked at the injured Houndour; its leg had a very nasty injury.

"How is it Brock?" Ashlyn asked.

Brock frowned, "Not good. From the look of the leg, it's bad and Houndour's inured leg is showing sign of infection." He place a hand on Houndour's forehead, "And I'm feeling a fever coming. We need to get it to Nurse Joy at once."

He was just about to pick up the Houndour, when the other Houndours surrounded him and started growling.

"Calm down," Ashlyn said. Then she turned to the leader, "Your friend needs to be taken to a Pokémon Center; otherwise its condition will worsen."

The Houndours continued to growl.

"Please, we just want to help." Ashlyn pleaded towards the leader.

The two stared at one another. Then the leader turned to the others.

"Arf. (Stand back.)" The leader said, the other Houndour looked at their leader with shock, "Arf arf. Arf arf arf (The girl is right. He needs help.)"

The other Houndour obeyed their leader and stepped back. Brock helped put Houndour on Ashlyn's back.

"Don't worry. I promise that he'll be okay." Ashlyn promised.

"Hold it, twerp!" A familiar voice called out. Everyone turned to the familiar voice, it was Team Rocket, "Don't run away! Prepare for trouble!"

"By all means, stay and make it double."

"To protect the world from devastation."

"To unite all people within our nation."

"To denounce the evils of truth and love!"

"To extend our reach to the stars above!"

"Jessie!"

"James!"

"Team Rocket blasting off at the speed of light!"

"Surrender now or prepare to fight, fight, fight!"

"Wobba-"

"That's right!"

"Tesla, Thunderbolt!" Ashlyn ordered.

Tesla shot her electric attack towards Team Rocket and they were sent flying into air.

"The twerp interrupted us again!" Jessie yelled angrily.

"Not to mention that we lost our beloved ham." James whined.

"We didn't even get a single bite." Meowth added.

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

"WOOBAA!" Wobbuffet added.

"Alright, let's go! Talos!" Ashlyn released her Type: Null.

Talos grunted as it appeared. "Talos, I need to get to the Pokémon Center. This Houndour needs help."

Talos nodded and lowered itself down so that Ashlyn could get on.

"We'll see you at the Pokémon Center." Brock said.

Ashlyn nodded, "Right."

Then Talos took off fast.

Misty and Brock ran as fast as they could to get to the Pokémon center. The Houndour pack followed them.

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Talos, Ashlyn, and Tesla finally got to the Pokémon center with the injured Houndour. Ashlyn immediately picked up the Houndour and ran inside.

"Nurse Joy we need help!" Ashlyn shouted out.

Nurse Joy ran up to Ashlyn and checked the Houndour in her arms, she gasped, "This Houndour fever is very high. I must treat it at once. Chansey!" She called out.

"Chansey!" The nurse Pokémon appeared quickly with a stretcher.

Ashlyn place the Houndour onto the stretcher and both Nurse Joy and Chansey, wheeled it towards the treatment room.

Misty and Brock arrived with the Houndour pack.

"Ashlyn!" Misty called out as she and Brock entered the Pokémon Center.

"Houndour is getting treated right now. We have to wait." Ashlyn said.

The Leader of the Houndour pack was inside, waiting with the humans, while the other pack members stayed outside the Pokémon Centre and waiting.

Ashlyn noticed how hard the Houndour leader was staring at the door. Ashlyn gently placed her hand on its head and it looked up at her.

"Don't worry, Nurse Joy and Chansey are going to make sure that your friend will get better." Ashlyn assured Houndour leader.

Houndour nodded and stared back at the door.

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One hour later, the gang saw the treatment light goes off.

Nurse Joy came out of the treatment room, the gang and leader Houndour got up from their seat or floor, looking at the nurse.

"How is Houndour Nurse Joy?" Ashlyn asked.

"Doing fine, the fever has just broken down and it will be just fine." Nurse Joy replied with a smile.

The gang sighed in relief.

Ashlyn turned to the Leader Houndour, "You hear that Houndour, your friend will be just fine." She smiled.

"Rai Raichu." Tesla said.

The leader Houndour stared at Ashlyn, knowing now that the humans were trustworthy after all.

"Arf!" Houndour barked.

The Houndour that was sick is now all healed, needing to recover its strength and it will be ready to leave tomorrow.

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The next day, the Houndour was much better and it was returned to its pack, who were all glad that one of its member is now better.

"All of you take care of yourselves now." Ashlyn said.

"That's right and no more stealing." Brock added.

The Houndour pack nodded and barked, leaving the town.

"Bye!" The gang said.

"Goodbye and thank you!" Nurse Joy waved at the gang.

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As the gang were starting to walk in the wood, the Houndour pack suddenly turned up.

"Houndour pack? What are you doing here?" Ashlyn asked.

The leader of the Houndour pack stepped forwarded and beside it was a young Houndour.

"Arf! Rarf!" The Houndour Leader barked at the young Houndour.

The young Houndour barked in reply and ran over to Ashlyn who was confused by this.

"I see. The Houndour Leader wants you to take the young Houndour as gift and thank you for helping their friend." Brock said.

"Eh, is that true?" Ashlyn asked the Houndour Leader.

"Arf!" Leader Houndour nodded.

Ashlyn smiled at the leader and knelt down to the young Houndour and petted him. The young Houndour licked Ashlyn's face. Then she took out her level ball and caught Houndour with it.

"Thank you Houndour and don't worry, I'll take great care of the young one." Ashlyn said.

"Arf!" The Leader Houndour barked, understanding.

"Goodbye!" The gang waved towards the Houndour pack.

The Houndour pack watched as the gang left.

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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, Houndour (M)

*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), Houndour (M)