SWITCHING PLACES A Pokemon Fanfic written by Shaun Garin <><><> Chapter 2 : A Double Trouble? Make that Triple! “Here we are, Veridian City! And you have another Pokemon.” Ashley frowned sourly. “Yeah but it’s not that Cute Tangela I wanted.” “So its a Oddish, big deal. You can still take on Brittney with that thing,” Matt countered. Ashley looked up at him. “Brittney? Who’s Brittney?” Matt pulled out a picture of a pretty young girl with brown hair and a goregeous tan. “Brittney Stone, leader of the Pewter Gym. We’re in Veridian so we’d better get some supplies and rest at the Pokemon Center.” Just then, a man drove up in a white cycle with carrier, dressed in a blue uniform. “Hold it you two, where’d you come from?” “Um...Pallet Town,” Ashley replied. “Who’re you?” He tilted his hat in acknowlagement. “I’m Officer Julian of the Veridian Police Department. Can I see your ID?” “Um, ID?” she stammered. “Your Pokedex,” Matt said, aside to her. Withdrawing the red rectangle, she gave it to the Officer who flipped it open. The Pokedex chimed and said, *I am Dextor, owned by Ashley Ketchum. If lost, I cannot be replaced.* Julian clicked it back together and handed it to her. “All checks out. Lets get a move on, there’s been reports of Pokemon Bandits in the area.” “Pokemon Bandits...” she mummured before she piled into the sidecar and Matt swung his leg over the side of the cycle itself. With a roar of Kawasaki engines, they roared off towards the Pokemon center, totally missing the fishing line which was lowered towards the sign with two shadowy sillohettes in the wanted picture area. The sign was reeled up towards a balloon which floated high above in the skies. A gloved hand reached out and pulled it off the hook. “Hmmm....in bad taste I must say,” came a deep voice. “And I can’t see my face,” complained a second, lighter, female. “No guy is gonna want to see a picture like that!” “What do you think, Janet?” asked the first. “Should we live up to our expectations as wanted people?” “Your call Jeremy,” she replied, smoothing back her short cut hair. “We’ll have to see what comes up.” “In the meantime, we’ll nab all the Pokemon from the Pokemon Center!” chimed in a third voice, light and riddled with catlike overtones. The two stood up and posed. “We’re going to make the best nab in the history of Pokemon Thieving!” Announced Jeremy, his red hair waving in the wind. “And we’ll do it with style!” Janet added. “Meowth!” The Meowth added. <><><> Back at the Pokemon Center, Dr. Jared pushed a tray with a Pokeball and Pikachu sitting atop it. “Your Pokemon are fully recovered. Thanks for coming.” Ashley sat down in the lobby, carrying Pikachu atop the tray. The mousey Pokemon munched happily on a apple as she set him and the tray holding a Oddish in a Pokeball on the table. Within seconds, she had unwrapped a sandwich from her backpack and bit into it. Matt sipped thoughtfully at a drink before saying, “So, why are you so unhappy with your Oddish?” She chewed for a second before saying, “Well....it’s just that I wanted a Tangela. But I like Oddish as well.” “That’s good to hear. So, have any dreams? What do you want to be?” Ashley beamed with a wide smile. “I want to be the World’s Greatest Pokemon Master! Then, I want to open my own Gym too over near Stormfire Mountian!” “What are you going to theme the Gym?” Matt asked. “I don’t really know yet. We’ll have to see.” Suddenly, a call rang out on the Public PA system. “Attention, Attention. There is a sighted balloon over the city belonging to the notorious Team Rocket. Please protect your Pokemon, as the Police will be dispatched around the city to protect the citizens. Do not be alarmed.” “Pokemon thieves?” Ashley said. Suddenly, two Pokeballs smashed through the roof skylight with a crash, sending the shattered glass everywhere. Then, the Pokeballs split open. From out of the first one rose a Ekans, its tail rattling with vicious intent. The second split open to reveal a Koffing, its gasseous body floating in the air. “Ekans!” Announced the first. “Koffing!” Seconded the other. Then, two bodies lowered through the skylight, theme music blaring in the background. “Prepare for Trouble!” Announced the girl. “And make it double!” Added the male. “To protect the world from Devistation!” “To unite all peoples within our Nation!” “To promote the goodness of truth and love!” “To reach for the stars above!” “Janet!” “Jeremy!” “Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light!” “Surrender now or prepare to fight!” “Meowth, that’s right!” Janet flipped a bang out of her face and smirked a bit condencingly. “So, hand over your Pokemon and no one will get hurt!” “This is a hospital for sick and weak Pokemon,” Dr. Jared said, coming out from behind the counter, Chansey following him close behind. “Now I believe you should leave,” he then dropped into a Jujitsu stance, “Or I will have to force you out myself.” “Chansey!” The pink egg Pokemon dropped into a slightly modified stance as well. “Don’t make me laugh,” Jeremy said. Janet shot him a glance. “But he’s serious,” she said, chewing on a fingernail. “Maybe we should go.” “But the boss won’t tolerate failure. Ekans, poision sting attack!” The Ekans rose up on its tail and opened its mouth, unleashing several poisonous barbs. Janet then snapped into action as her partner took on the Doctor. “Koffing, smog attack!” she pointed at Matt and Ashley who grew big sweatdrops on their foreheads. With a sound of acknowlagement, the Pokemon zoomed past, pouring out smoke from its body. The two coughed before Ashley shouted through her covered mouth, “Pikachu, thundershock attack!” “Pikachu!” A bolt of electricity lanced outwards, slamming against the gas Pokemon who was knocked backwards into the wall. A second later, a pitiful “Ekans” was heard as Ekans joined its partner in the wall. Dr. Jared held his arm where a barb stuck into his upper shoulder, and he was breathing rather hard. “I suggest you two go.” “We won’t,” Jeremy spat out. “Ekans, acid the good Doctor here!” The Ekans extracted itself from the wall but a shouted command of, “Tackle attack!” distracted it. A second later, a Starmie slammed into the Pokemon, knocking it away into the distance. Then, it rounded on the Team Rocket Members before being intercepted by a Meowth. “Ahhh! Get away, get away!” Well, perhaps “Intercepted” is a too strong of a word. Running like a bat out of hell was a stronger term.