My Pokémon Anime Journey | BOOK ONE: KANTO

The Hunt for Squirtle!

It was a stroke of luck for Ari.
"Just you watch, Misty," she said. "I can catch a Squirtle." Ari strode foward. The Squirtle took notice of her. "Hey, Squirtle, want to Battle-,"
Without warning, Squirtle blasted Ari with a Water Gun. She almost toppled; Eevee slid from her head. Ari's wet fringe was plastered over her eyes.
Squirtle cackled at the sight of Ari spitting her own soaking hair out of her mouth.
"Ok, you just made this personal," Ari warned. "Eevee, Quick Attack!"
"Vee!" Eevee dashed foward. Squirtle span on his back to dodge the attack, then retreated into his shell. Eevee examined the shell with a curious sniff. Squirtle emerged and knocked her away with Mega Kick. Laughing wildly, Squirtle unleashed his Water Gun to defeat Eevee.
"Eevee!" Ari ran fowards, but Squirtle held the unconcious Eevee over his head, and escsped with surprising speed. He had abducted Ari's partner. "Get back here!" She demanded, but Squirtle was gone. She went to give chase, but Brock held her back. "Let me go!"
"It could've taken Eevee anywhere," Brock said. "We should get help from Vermillion City. The people there will know the area better."
"But... my Eevee..."
"I'm feeling some déjà vu," Misty remarked. "How would your Butterfree feel?"
"Misty, do you have to-," Brock began, but he stopped when Ari broke free of his grip.
"How petty are you?" She asked Misty. "Eevee needs our help, and you're not even worried!"
Brock had to restrain Ari again, this time to keep her away from Misty.
Misty turned red. "Of course I'm worried-,"
"What's going on here?"
Officer Jenny had arived, no doubt interested in why three people were having a shouting match in the wilderness, one of them a man grasping a girl five years younger than him.

Brock instantly dropped Ari.
"Officer Jenny!" Brock's blush consumed his entire face. "Your lovely, fierce complextion is exactly what we need-,"
Misty grabbed Brock by the ear. "Stop scaring the Officer!" She hissed.
Jenny's mouth was tightening every second.
Ari tried to express her panic in words. "Officer Jenny, a Squirtle just took my Eevee away."
Ari expected Jenny to suprised, but Jenny simply sighed. "That darn Squirtle has gone too far this time. It's a troublesome Pokémon. It steals from any Trainer who visits Vermillion City, then scarpers before we can retaliate. Luckily, we've found the general location of the rascal's den. I'll call for backup, and we can find your Eevee together."
After making a call Ari was too distressed to eavesdrop, Jenny lead Ari, Misty, and Brock in the direction of Squirtle's suspected den.

Team Rocket were experiencing their own misfortunes.
Meowth's knees threatened to collapse. The only thing keeping him trudging along was the idea of stealing the twerp's Eevee. They knew the girl was nearby.
He was in worse shape than Jessie and James. In an attempt to motivate himself, Meowth had eaten a tremendously spicy pepper. Instead of being revitalized by the burning sensation, it stung the Scratch Cat Pokémon with every step he took. His throat was burning. Meowth's skin crawled at the thought of what the love of his life would think if she saw him in this state, threatening to collapse like a deck chair from one little red pepper. Meowth didn't even know where James had got the pepper - he had swiped it from James's pocket when he thought James wouldn't notice. James did notice. Jessie and James promptly ignored Meowth, clearly beliveing he had brought his misery upon himself, which he would never admit was true.
"I've procured some state-of-the-art bombs," James boasted as he walked, presenting a bag Meowth knew contained small explosives.
Jessie laughed. "Ooh, you shouldn't have."
"I knew you'd prefer going out with a bang to a whimper," James joked.
"I'd rather not go out at all."
James tapped the bag. "We won't. We'll grab Eevee while the twerps run for cover!"
"I'm already on my way out," Meowth groaned. He lay flat on his back, prepared to fall into wistful dreams about presenting Eevee to the boss. He noticed a flash of blue in the bushes. He forced himself up and cut the bush down, revealing a Squirtle.
Meowth was greatly relieved. "A Squirtle! Give me a drink, would ya, my mouth is burning."
Squirtle 'complied', striking Meowth with a Water Gun so powerful that he crashed into Jessie.
The water did cool Meowth off slightly, allowing him to notice that the chortling Squirtle was carrying an Eevee, bound by rope.
"That's the twerp's Eevee!" James realised.
Before the Team Rocket Trio could act, Squirtle knocked them down with multiple Water Guns, then fled with the captured Eevee.
Meowth chose to be optimistic. "My tongue isn't a bonfire anymore!"
"We could use a fire." Jessie was dripping wet.
Team Rocket's rotten luck was solidified when the twerps arrived with an Officer Jenny.
James sprang to his feet so fast that he shook himself dry. "It's the police!"
"Team Rocket!" Ari growled.
"We saw your Eevee!" James taunted. "Seems she can't stop getting pilfered!"
"Squirtle got to you too, huh?" Ari asked dryly.
Jessie turned purple. "We'll neither confirm nor deny that."
Ari smirked. "I know a way to dry you off. Charmander, I choose you!"
Meowth jumped as a familiar Charmander materialised. "Not fire, not the heat, I only just cooled down!"
"Charmander, Flamethrower!"
Charmander's explosive fire blasted Team Rocket off again. As Meowth soared like a comet, all he wanted was relief from the heat.

Ari recalled Charmander, observing the sky. She and Brock had sent Butterfree and Zubat to scout Squirtle's location; the duo of Flying-types returned, beckoning for Ari, Brock, Misty, and Jenny to follow them.
Eventually, they found a small den amongst the bushes, crammed with goods; Pokè Dolls, glittering bottle caps, Potions, and other valuables. Squirtle lurked in the den, with Eevee, bound in ropes, stuffed behind him.
"Let her go!" Ari demanded, diving past Squirtle and scooping Eevee into her arms. Before Squirtle could retaliate, Brock's Onix emerged from his Pokè Ball, trapping Squirtle in Bind. Squirtle wriggled, but was completely trapped.
Ari pulled Eevee free of her restraints. She and Brock recalled Butterfree and Zubat.
A group of Trainers crashed through the trees. When they saw Squirtle struggling against Onix's grip, they jeered, yelling at the Tiny Turtle Pokèmon.
"It's time for payback!" One declared.
"That Squirtle deserves this!" Said another.
"You told everybody in Vermillion City about this?" Misty asked Jenny.
Jenny nodded. "The citizens are the victims here. They've wanted Squirtle to pay its dues for its thievery for a while."
Some of the Vermillion Trainers started lobbing rotten food or pebbles at Squirtle. Ari could almost feel Squirtle's humiliation and pain. She couldn't explain it, but she found herself connecting with Squirtle, and imaging him calling out to her for help.
Ari couldn't take it anymore; she stepped before Squirtle and Onix, blocking the projectiles.
"Stop it!" She cried. "You should be ashamed of yourselves, assaulting a defenseless Pokèmon!"
The crowd thought Ari had gone mad.
Jenny pursed her lips. "Young lady, this Squirtle kidnapped your Eevee. It's practically a felon."
"He just needs guidance," Ari argued. "I'd be happy to take responsibility for him."
Squirtle was observing Ari as if he'd never seen anything like her before.
"There's clearly a reason Squirtle's old Trainer abandoned it," Jenny pressed. "It has behavioural issues."
"He just wants a strong Trainer to take him under their wing. No wonder he was trying to get your attention. He must've been so alone."
The angered crowd must've thought Ari was deluded, but she believed everything she said, even if she wasn't entirely sure where the words came from. She knew what it was like to start feeling unrecognised, and seek out attention... she'd never been a delinquent, but she suddenly wondered how the other people of Pallet Town had perceived her lax and wild personality.
Jenny closed in. "So what you're saying is that you'll take full responsibility for whatever Squirtle does next."
Ari remembered Viridian Forest, where she'd vowed to become responsible, and the answer came easily. "Whatever he does will be my fault, and mine alone."
Brock's face was impassive. "Onix, let Squirtle go."
Onix dropped Squirtle. The Tiny Turtle Pokèmon only relaxed when Onix returned to his Pokè Ball.

Ari and Eevee approached Squirtle. "Squirtle, what you really want is a Trainer, right? I know you won't go down without a fight."
Squirtle dashed away, stopping a couple metres from Ari, waiting for her to Battle it.
Ari threw a Pokè Ball. "Bulbasaur, I choose you!"
Bulbasaur emerged, with a croaking growl of, "Bulbasaur!"
Squirtle smirked at his opponent. Bulbasaur leered back, disapproving of Squirtle's attitude.
"Use Vine Whip!" Said Ari.
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur extended his vines towards Squirtle. Squirtle used Withdraw, letting the vines bounce off his carapace, before firing a Water Gun. Bulbasaur squealed as he was doused, and blasted into Ari's feet.
Bulbasaur shook himself dry and charged Squirtle with Tackle. Squirtle Mega Kicked Bulbasaur away, but the airborne Bulbasaur dealt major damage with Razor Leaf.
Ari's Pokè Ball hit Squirtle's head. He was encapsulated, and although he put up a fight against the Pokè Ball, the Catch was successful.
Bulbasaur retrieved Squirtle's Pokè Ball with his vines, proudly returning it to Ari.
The crowd weren't pleased. They stalked away, muttering about Ari being a fool, and in over her head.
"Good luck. You'll need it." Jenny followed after the Vermillion citizens.
"Jenny's not wrong," Misty sniggered.
Ari tightened her grip on Squirtle's Pokè Ball, so hard it hurt. Vermillion City, Jenny, Misty... she'd prove everybody who doubted her wrong.
The Pokè Ball burst open. Squirtle appeared between Eevee and Bulbasaur.
"We're going to be the stars of the Pokèmon League, Squirtle," Ari vowed. "We're going to work so well together."
Squirtle blasted Ari in the face with Water Gun, cackling wildly at her fury. Ari and Bulbasaur dived at the trickster Squirtle. Eevee avoided the conflict, retreating to Misty's side.
"She'll never be able to control that Pokèmon," Misty said.
"If Ari does learn to control that unruly Squirtle, it'll say a lot about her potential as a Trainer," Brock said wisely. "I wouldn't count her out yet, Misty. Be honest - you wouldn't have sympathised with Squirtle like Ari has."
Brock left Misty to ponder that.
She watched Ari chase Squirtle and snorted. "Brock's right - they're made for each other. They're both inconsiderate blockheads."