Pokémon – Thunder Yellow

Fanfiction By – Spirit Reader

Pokémon Original Creator – Satoshi Tajiri

Chapter 18: The Defender of the Forest – Part 2

Takashi's Pokémon

Pikachu (Male)

Froakie (Female)

Pidgeotto (Male)

Gym Badges

Boulder Badge (Brock)

"Alright…Everything looks good over here."

It's been a few days since Takashi first arrived at the Pokémon Preserve that was under Christopher's protection. Although he originally intended to leave right away so that he could continue on his journey, there were several things that prompted the young Trainer to stay a little bit longer. The first of which is that he wanted to make sure that the preserve would still be alright after he was gone.

Even though he was confident that Christopher could continue doing his job effectively, Takashi was worried that those Trainer from before might show up again. His experience dealing with those criminals from Team Rocket had showed him that people like that don't give up so easily. If they fail the first time, then the odds were pretty good that they'll try again sooner or later. To that end, Takashi wanted to stick around until those thugs were dealt with or, at the very least, until he was sure that they wouldn't be coming back.

With that thought in mind, Takashi would have his Pidgeotto scout the area around the forest every couple of hours each day. Being a Flying-Type, Pidgeotto was the perfect one for the job as he could cover more ground in short amount of time. In addition, Takashi felt that doing this would be a good opportunity for Pidgeotto to get use to flying around with a much larger body, as it wasn't long since he evolved from a tiny Pidgey.

As for the rest of his Pokémon, Takashi simply asked Pikachu and Froakie to help at the preserve wherever they were needed. Naturally, Pikachu and Froakie were more than willing to lend a hand as it was the least they could do since Christopher was willing to feed them for their efforts. Their job mostly consisted of protecting the younger Pokémon that were at the preserve and to try and prevent any infighting between them. Since the both were quite strong, that task was relatively easy.

For the last three days, this has been the routine and nothing unusual as happened. It was reaching the point that Takashi started to wonder if he was simply overthinking things and that nothing was going to happen. Even so, he was always taught that it was better to be safe than sorry. With that in mind, he decided to stay for at least one more day and if there were still no changes then he would leave and continue on his way.

Soon, as he was helping Christopher feed a few of the Grass-Types that were here, Takashi heard a loud cry coming from above him. Looking up, he saw that it came from Pidgeotto, who was circling above him. Upon signaling to him, the Bird Pokémon quickly flew down and landed right in front of Takashi, who gently petted his head.

"Great job, Pidgeotto." He said with a smile. "Did you find anything?"

Shaking his head, Pidgeotto revealed that he didn't find those thugs from before, nor did he see anything else suspicious. When he saw that, Takashi nodded his head at his Pokémon before petting his head again. He then took a moment to hand Pidgeotto some breakfast before taking the time to walk over to Christopher, who was just finishing up feeding the Bulbasaurs.

"Pidgeotto didn't see anything out of the ordinary." He revealed.

"That's good to hear." Christopher said as he stood up. "I've just finished up over here. Now that all the Pokémon have been fed, let's get something to eat ourselves."

"Yeah." Takashi agreed with a nod. "I'm so hungry that I could eat a Ponyta. I mean…not that I would want to eat one."

Christopher let out a small chuckle as he understood what Takashi meant when he said that. He then made his way inside his cabin so that he could fix the two of them so breakfast. While he waited for it, Takashi took the opportunity to call Pikachu and Froakie over so that they could have some breakfast too. Once the two of them arrived, Takashi handed them their food and watched as they ate their meal right next to Pidgeotto.

Shortly after that, Takashi took a moment to survey the area and was glad to see that everything was alright and that things were peaceful. He was then about head inside and check on Christopher, but stopped himself when he noticed something. He saw that there was still one Pokémon who hadn't come to eat breakfast and that Pokémon was none other than Treecko.

Instead of eating with the others, Treecko was instead sitting on top of a tree branch, staring out into the distance. As he watched the Wood Gecko Pokémon, Takashi wondered what Treecko would be thinking about, as it looked like it had a lot on its mind. Still, he knew that it wasn't a good to skip breakfast, so Takashi poured some Pokémon food into a bowl and began making his towards the tree that Treecko was on.

"Hey Treecko…!" He called out too. "It's time for breakfast. Come and get something to eat!"

After hearing him call out to it, Treecko took a moment to glance down at Takashi before looking back and continue looking out into the distance. Takashi happened to notice that and soon looked out in the same direction as Treecko. However, he couldn't see anything but trees when he did so. This caused Takashi to realize that he needed to get higher if he wanted to have a better look. As a result, the young man began climbing up the tree and soon found himself sitting on the same branch that Treecko was on.

Once he was there, Takashi looked out and saw that Treecko was watching the sunrise. Because the preserve was surrounded by large trees, climbing above them was the only way one could get a good look of the beautiful scene. It was quite nice, which made Takashi understand why Treecko was skipping breakfast too see it.

"This really is a beautiful scene…isn't it?"

Turning its head slightly, Treecko saw that Takashi was now right next to it on the tree branch. When Takashi noticed that the Grass Pokémon was looking back at it, he simply let out a small smile. He then took the opportunity to hand Treecko the breakfast that he had prepared for it.

"Here you go." He said. "Eat up."

Treecko took a moment to stare at the food before looking up at Takashi again. At first, it seemed like the tiny Pokémon was about to accept the food that it was being given. However, it instead used its large tail to knock the bowl out of Takashi's hand, causing all the food to fall onto the ground. Then, before Takashi could question Treecko about its actions, the Wood Gecko Pokémon jumped up and hit him in the back of the head, causing Takashi to fall as well.

As Pikachu and the others looked in shock and worry, Takashi tried his best to brace before he could hit the ground. Fortunately, before that could happen, the young man found himself landing on some bushes instead. Stunned by this development, Takashi quickly got out of the bushes and saw that he was caught by Torterra, who had just arrived to eat. Upon seeing it, Takashi let out a huge sigh of relief before climbing down and gently petting Torterra's head.

"Thanks for the save, Torterra." He said in a grateful tone. "I owe you one."

Torterra let out a small nod as it accepted Takashi's thanks. It then slowly lifted its head and stared at Treecko, who was looking back at it with a nervous expression on its face. It was clear from this silent exchange that the elder Pokémon wasn't pleased by the younger one's actions. Torterra wanted Treecko to apologize before its behavior, but the latter refused to do so. Instead, Treecko jumped down from the tree and walked into another section of the forest.

As Treecko vanished from sight, Pikachu and the rest of Takashi's Pokémon were visibly angry at what just transpired. They were about to chase after it, but Takashi stopped them from doing so. Although he understood their feelings and was appreciative, the young man didn't want his Pokémon to act on anger and revenge. Instead, he wanted them to try and understand Treecko, as he could tell that there was a motive behind its behavior.

While Takashi was busy pondering that reason, Torterra took a moment to look at the young Pokémon Trainer. As it did so, the Continent Pokémon took its time to recall Takashi's short time here and how it was clear that he had a special interest in Treecko. Upon seeing that an idea began to stir inside Torterra and after three days of pondering it, it decided that the time was now to act on it.

With that thought in mind, Torterra slowly walked off in the direction where Treecko went. As he looked on, Takashi started wondering about the situation as he could tell that there was something on Torterra's mind. Although he knew that it wasn't any of his business, a part of him just had to know. Because of that, Takashi followed after Torterra, which in turn caused Pikachu and the others to follow him as well. By the time all of them were gone, Christopher had finally returned with breakfast.

"Huh…?" He said as he looked around for Takashi. "Where did he go?"

Unbeknownst to Christopher, as the young man decided to eat breakfast by himself, a small plant-like Pokémon known as a Bellsprout was busy observing him from a distance. It had a big yellow head with beady eyes and a wide circular mouth. Its limbs mostly consisted of skinny vines and it had leaves for hands. As Bellsprout continuing looking at Christopher, it took a moment to check to see if Takashi and the others would be returning. Once it determined that they weren't, the little Pokémon silently left the preserve and began running off into the distance. After about 15 minutes of running, Bellsprout arrived at its destination and waiting for him was none other than the thugs from the other day; Ryo and Gin.

Since their battle against Takashi a couple of days ago, both Ryo and Gin knew that they needed to change tactics if they wanted to steal all the Pokémon that was at the preserve. To that end, the two of them sent Bellsprout in as a spy, wanting it to see how things were so that they would properly prepared for when they made their next attempt.

"So Bellsprout…" Gin said as he looked down at it. "Is that boy still at the preserve?"

Knowing that he was referring to Takashi, Bellsprout shook its head, informing Gin that Takashi wasn't present at the preserve. Upon seeing that, Gin let out a small nod before pulling out Bellsprout's PokéBall and returning the tiny Grass-Type to it. He then took a moment to ponder what to do next. As he did so however, Gin noticed that Ryo had a rather frustrated look on his face.

"What's your problem?" He asked.

"What do you think?!" Ryo angrily replied. "It's that kid! If it wasn't for him this job would've been over with already! Instead, we've spent the last three days just sitting on our asses, just waiting for him to leave. Do you know how humiliating that is?!"

"I do." Gin said as he let out a small sigh. "But right now, how you're feeling isn't of any concern to me. All that matters right now is completing our mission and with that kid gone, our job just got a little bit easier."

Ryo was a bit angered by Gin's words, as it was clear that his partner truly didn't care how frustrated he was. A part of him wanted to tell him off about that, but he quickly stopped himself from doing so, noticing that Gin was giving him a rather intimidating glare. Instead, the thug simply kept his anger to himself, which quickly began to boil over.

Eventually, after thinking quietly for a few more minutes, Gin realized that the time for waiting was now over. As a result, he grabbed another PokéBall that he had on him before signaling over towards Ryo, who responded with grabbing a PokéBall of his own. The two of them then began making their way over to the Pokémon Preserve.

"Let's not screw up this time." Gin told him.

"Don't you worry." Ryo replied as he firmly grasped his PokéBall. "With this secret weapon I right here, nothing can go wrong."

In another section of the forest, Treecko was busy staring a large tree that had a lot of marks on it. As it did so, the Wood Gecko Pokémon took a moment to clear its eyes and think quietly to itself. However, upon doing so, the only thing that popped into Treecko's mind was Takashi's face. This both angered and annoyed the Grass-Type, prompting it to run towards the tree and strike it with multiple Pound attacks. Each strike that landed did a little bit of damage to the tree.

After finishing its initial assault, Treecko backed off for a moment in order to rest. It then took a deep breath before firing off a barrage of energy bullets from its mouth. Although the bullets hit the tree randomly, Treecko soon began directing them so that they hit only a single part of it. By doing so, the attack with be far more concentrated and do a lot more damage. Eventually, after about a minute of this, Treecko stopped and took another quick break.

Once it finished catching its breath, Treecko stared at the tree one last time before trying to build up all the power it had within him. It then tried to focus all that power into its mouth, causing a glowing green orb to form near it. However, upon reaching that point, Treecko was having a hard time stabilizing this energy, causing it to break apart. To make matters worse, while attempting to focus, Takashi's face appeared in its mind again. Seeing it caused Treecko to lose control, causing the attack to explode right in its face and send it flying backwards.

The force of the attack caused Treecko to hit the ground hard, but its refusal to give up gave it the strength to stand again. The Grass-Type then attempted to perform the attack again, but like before it couldn't control it and was sent flying by another explosion. This would continue for several more minutes and each time, Treecko would fail to launch the attack.

After the tenth failed attempted, the damage Treecko was taking was beginning to take its toll as it had a hard time staying on its feet. Eventually, while trying to charge the attack again, Treecko lost its footing and soon found itself falling backwards, causing the attack to fire up into the air. Before it could hit the ground though, something suddenly caught Treecko from behind. When it turned its head, the Pokémon saw that it was none other than Takashi.

"Don't worry, little guy." He said in a reassuring tone. "I got you."

Stunned by his suddenly appearance, Treecko stared at Takashi for about a moment before instantly getting off him. It then attempted to give the young man a fierce some glare, but saw that Takashi wasn't fazed by it. Instead, Treecko watched as Takashi gave it a small smile before reaching into his backpack and pulling out a Potion. He then sprayed the medicine onto it, causing Treecko to cringe as the Potion stung its body.

"Easy Treecko. You'll feel better in a moment."

As Takashi sprayed the Potion on Treecko one more time, the pain that it was feeling quickly started to fade away. Then, just as Takashi put the Potion back into his backpack, both his Pokémon and Torterra arrived on the scene. Treecko took a moment to look at all of them, but mostly focused on Torterra. As the two Grass-Types stared at one another, Treecko noticed that Torterra was trying to catch its breath. Seeing it do that, bothered the little Pokémon a bit, causing Treecko to turn away.

As it looked on at Treecko, Torterra took a moment to stare at the tree that the former was using to practice its attacks. It took a few steps towards it before opening its mouth and forming the same orb of energy that Treecko had been trying to use. Unlike Treecko however, Torterra was able to successfully launch the attack, which manage to hit the tree. When the others saw that, they were all quite impressed by the display, especially Takashi.

"Wow…That was amazing."

After taking a moment to admire what just happened, Takashi took a note of the attack he just saw and noticed that it resembled Froakie's Water Pulse attack. This prompted him to look through his PokéDex in order to find out what exactly that attack was. Soon, after about a minute of searching, Takashi managed to find his answer.

"Energy Ball…" He said to himself. "According to this, it's a powerful Grass-Type attack that can lower a target's Special Defense if it makes contact. Wow, that's pretty useful."

During his time in Pewter City, Takashi was taught the importance of Physical and Special attacks and how they affect Pokémon. As the name implies, Physical attacks involve making physical contact with a target while Special attacks are the opposite as a Pokémon doesn't have to touch a target to deal damage to it. For example, Pikachu's Quick Attack and Iron Tail are considered Physical attacks while both Thunderbolt and Electro Ball are Special attacks.

In addition to that, Takashi also learned that a Pokémon's attack or defense can be raised or lowered due to this physical/special split. Because of that, if a move like Energy Ball is used repeatedly on a target then the damage dealt to that target using a Special attack could be even more effective. Although he initially considered all this information to be rather confusing, a little bit annoying, Takashi forced himself to take it into account for future use.

Soon, after putting his PokéDex back into his pocket, Takashi looked back at Treecko and Torterra and saw that the former was once again trying to use Energy Ball again. However, like before, the tiny Grass-Type failed to execute the move. As Treecko slowly got back on its feet, Torterra turned its head and glanced over at Takashi. It then signaled to the Trainer to come over and help, to which Takashi agreed to do.

"Hey Treecko…" He said as he knelt next to it. "Do you mind if I help you. I think I might be able to help you get that attack working."

Treecko glanced over at Takashi and quickly dismissed him. Not only did it not want his help, but Treecko also believed that Takashi wouldn't be able to help him. When he saw this though, Takashi immediately figured out what Treecko was thinking and decided to prove it wrong. With that in mind, he soon turned his attention over to Froakie.

"Froakie…use Water Pulse."

With a slight nod, Froakie turned her focus towards the target tree before clasping her hands together. Then, as everyone looked on, the Bubble Frog Pokémon slowly gathered the moisture that was in the air, which soon turned into an orb.

"You see, Treecko…" Takashi said as he turned back towards the Grass-Type. "I've learned that when using attacks like Water Pulse, or Energy Ball in your case, the biggest hurdle is the gathering on power. Even the slightest misstep could spell disaster. Because of that, it's important to keep your focus as you gathered the power."

After he finished saying that, Takashi saw that Froakie had finished charging up her attack and was ready to fire. Once he gave her the okay, Froakie threw the orb of water that she was holding at the tree, which created a decent hole when it made contact. When Treecko saw that, the Grass-Type was extremely impressed by its power, although it tried its best to hide it. Unfortunately, Froakie noticed its envy and simply let out a small smirk as a result.

"Okay Treecko…Try and use Energy Ball again. Remember that it's all about maintaining your focus."

Treecko glanced over at Takashi again and saw that he was giving it a reassuring smile, confident that the Grass-Type will be able to get it right this time. Though it was still dismissive of him, Treecko decided to try again, if only to see whether Takashi knew what he was talking about.

As it slowly began to gather the natural energy around him, Treecko discovered that it was beginning to lose control of the attack again. Upon seeing that, it quickly became frustrated, which only destabilized the attack even further. It's at that moment that Takashi gently took his hand and placed it on Treecko's tiny shoulders.

"Calm down, Treecko." He said in a soft tone. "You can do this. Just keep calm and stay focus."

Upon hearing him say that, Treecko suddenly felt very calm for some reason. It was like Takashi's confidence in it enabled the Pokémon clear away his doubts and frustrations. Because of that, Treecko managed to stabilize the orb of energy until it was completely formed. It then fired the orb at the tree, which created a hole that was roughly the same size as the one Froakie made when she used Water Pulse.

After taking a moment to realize that it finally managed to execute the attack, Treecko suddenly started jumping around in joy. It had been trying to use Energy Ball for a while and this was the first time that it finally managed to get it right. As it continued to celebrate its accomplishment, Takashi simply smiled as he happy for Treecko. Torterra smiled for the same reasons as Takashi, but it was also happy for another reason as well.

Soon, upon realizing that everyone was watching, Treecko stopped itself and attempted to play things cool, albeit to no effect. Torterra then slowly made over to the little Pokémon before saying something to it, which shocked Treecko greatly. Torterra's words also surprised Pikachu, Pidgeotto, and Froakie, catching them completely off guard. The 5 Pokémon then turned their attention towards Takashi, who looked at them with a confused expression on his face.

"Um…Is everything alright?"

Because he couldn't speak Pokémon, Takashi couldn't understand what they were talking about. However, he was able to tell that what they were discussing involved him in some way. He was about to question them again but stopped when he saw Torterra walk over to him and knock one of the empty PokéBalls from his belt. As the ball hit the ground, the impact causing it to grow to its normal size, Torterra knocked it over to Takashi. It was at that moment that the young man slowly realized Torterra's intentions.

"Wait a minute…" He said as he picked up the PokéBall. "Are you asking me too…"

Just before Takashi could finish asking his question, he watched as Torterra suddenly started coughing. Its cough soon became so bad that Torterra found itself falling down as it tried its best to take a breath. The sight of this frightened everyone present, especially Treecko, and they all rushed over towards the Continent Pokémon. They then tried their best to help it but were having little success.

"This is bad." Takashi said, knowing that he was pointing out the obvious. "Pidgeotto! Go back to the preserve and get Christopher! We need his help!"

With a quick nod, Pidgeotto complied with Takashi's command and promptly flew back to the Pokémon Preserve. As it did that, Takashi and the others continued doing everything they could to help Froakie. After about a minute, the Continent Pokémon slowly stopped coughing, but it was clear that this event took a massive toll on its stamina. While Takashi was relieved that Torterra was okay, this event reminded him what Christopher said to him about the Pokémon and how its age was catching up to it.

While Takashi was thinking about Torterra's condition, Treecko was busy trying its best to comfort the older Pokémon. Unlike before, Treecko wasn't trying to hide its emotion as it was very worried about Torterra. It was also very clear that Treecko understood what was happening, but it simply didn't want to accept it. Torterra knew this and tried its best to comfort Treecko, despite knowing that its time was soon reaching its end.

As he watched this, Takashi was reminded of how he felt shortly after his father passed away. Although his mother tried her best to help him through it, the loss of his dad was an extremely tough time for him. Although what was going on right now wasn't exactly the same, Takashi still felt that he knew what Treecko was going through right now. This prompted him to kneel down and place his hand on its shoulder again.

"Listen Treecko…I know…"

Before Takashi could finish his sentence, he was stopped when Pidgeotto suddenly came flying back to him. When he turned, Takashi saw that not only wasn't Christopher wasn't with him, but Pidgeotto had a frantic look on his face. Upon seeing that expression, the young Trainer immediately realized that something was not right. Because of that, he immediately decided to return to the Pokémon Preserve.

Just before he left, Takashi looked back at Torterra and realized that he was about to leave it behind. He was about to turn back and help it, but Torterra quickly stopped him. Although it had no idea what was going on, Torterra understood it was a liability at the moment. Because of that, it encouraged Takashi to go on ahead while it would catch up latter. It also told Treecko to go along with them, even though the latter was still concerned for it. Eventually, everyone complied with Torterra's orders and soon rushed back over to the preserve.

After about 10 minutes running, Takashi and the Pokémon were almost at their destination. However, they all noticed something rather odd. The temperature was growing increasingly hot and air was becoming thin too. While wondering what could be causing these changing, they soon arrived at the preserve and it was here that they found their answer.

"What the hell?!" Takashi screamed. "Fire!"

Indeed. All around the Pokémon Preserve, the area was suddenly engulfed in flames. Not only that, but the flames were quickly spreading. If things continued like this then it would only be a matter of time before the entire forest, and all the Pokémon living in it, will be burnt to a crisp. Refusing to let that happen, Takashi decided to do everything he can to stop the flames.

"Pidgeotto…Use Gust!"

"No! Stop!"

Just as Pidgeotto was about to comply with Takashi's command, the two of them suddenly stopped when they hard a familiar voice calling out to them. Upon turning their heads, they saw that the voice was coming from Christopher, who was trying his best to protect some of the wild Pokémon. They then watched as he began shaking his head in disapproval of their actions.

"Don't use Gust to try and blow out the flames!" He told Takashi. "The air will only feed the fire, making more intense. You have to use water, or dirt to put it out."

Once he heard that, Takashi let out a small sigh of relief as he nearly had Pidgeotto do something that would've made things even worse. He then proceeded to take Christopher's advice to heart before turning his attention back towards Pidgeotto.

"Alright then…Pidgeotto, use Sand Attack on the flames!"

Right away, Pidgeotto nodded his head at Takashi before making his way towards a section of the flaming forest. He then began to use his feet and throw some sand and dirt at the fire. Upon making contact, the dirt almost instantly smothered the flames. He then turned his focus towards another section of flames before doing the exact same thing.

As Pidgeotto continued to do this, Froakie decided to step in and give her teammate a hand. With that in mind, after Takashi gave her his blessing, the Bubble Frog Pokémon quickly made her way next to Pidgeotto.

"Froakie, use Bubble!"

Taking a deep breath, Froakie proceeded to fire off a large barrage of bubbles at the flames in front of her, which instantly put them out when it made contact. With the two of them working together, both Pidgeotto and Froakie were beginning to keep the flames in check. Once he saw that, Takashi made his way towards Christopher and helped him carry some of the wild Pokémon to safety.

"What happened here?!" He asked. "Where do all these flames come from?!"

"I'm…I'm not sure?" Christopher honestly answered. "All I know is that I heard a small explosion and that all the Pokémon were running and screaming. Next thing I know, there's a huge forest fire."

As Christopher continued explaining things to Takashi, both Pikachu and Treecko were busy trying to get the younger Pokémon to safety. While doing so though, Treecko suddenly noticed something from the corner of his eye. Upon getting a better look at what it was seeing, an intense anger began to fill up inside of it as it immediately dropped what it was doing and raced over to what it was seeing. When Pikachu saw this, the Mouse Pokémon immediately alerted Takashi before chasing after Treecko.

After seeing both Pokémon rush off, Takashi realized that something wasn't right. Although he didn't want to leave Christopher behind to handle things, something told him that had to follow Pikachu and Treecko. Once he finally caught up with the two of them, Takashi was stunned and his discovered the culprit behind the forest fire.

"It's you two!"

With an intense anger burning in his eyes, Takashi looked on as both Gin and Ryo stood before him. In addition to them, Takashi also saw that the thugs had a couple of the Bulbasaurs tied up with rope. It was clear at this moment that not only were the two of them responsible for this forest fire, but they were also using the destruction caused by it to steal the Pokémon at the preserve.

As for Gin and Ryo, the two of them were quite annoyed by Takashi's sudden appearance. This was especially true for the latter, who could still vividly remember how he was forced to retreat from a Trainer who was obviously just starting out. Just looking at him made his blood boil, so much so that he quickly pulled out a PokéBall that he had on him.

"Hey there, brat!" He said as he took a step forward. "I don't know where you were at, but I'm actually glad you came back. Now I can personally repay you back for last time!"

With a firm toss, Ryo threw the PokéBall that he was holding, and everyone watched as a huge blast of light shot out from it. As the light hit the ground and was beginning to take shape, Takashi braced himself as he expected the criminal to bring out his Magby. However, he stunned to see that a completely different Pokémon had appeared before him.

Although this Pokémon looked somewhat like Magby, it was far larger than the Live Coal Pokémon. In addition to that, it had a brighter yellow and red pattern on his body, and it had a long tail with a flaming tip, similar to a Charmander's. Having never seen something like that before, Takashi quickly pulled out his PokéDex in order to look it up.

"Magmar, the Spitfire Pokémon and the evolved form of Magby." Dexter explained. "When angered, Magmar spouts brilliant fire from all over its body. It doesn't calm down until its opponent has been burned to ash."

Following Dexter's explanation, Takashi cringed slightly as Magmar's fierce some description didn't do him any favors. Since it's the evolved form of Magby, that could only suspect that Ryo evolved his Pokémon since the last time he battled. Because of that, the young Trainer knew that this battle will be tougher than last time, especially since he didn't have a Water-Type with him to help.

As for Ryo, a small cocky smile began to emerge on his face as he knew exactly what Takashi was thinking about. Although he was confident that he could win even if he did have to go up against Froakie again, Ryo believed that his victory was all but assured now that the Water-Type wasn't around to help. As a result, he looked over towards his partner and gave him a quick nod.

"Go on Gin." He told him. "I'll take care of things here and catch up with you."

Gin stared at his partner for a moment as it was clear to him that his mind wasn't on the mission anymore. All Ryo wanted to do is get his revenge on Takashi. Although he knew that this wasn't a good idea, Gin ultimately decided to let Ryo have his revenge. At the very least, he could keep Takashi busy while he took all the Pokémon he's captured out of the forest. Because of that, he gently nodded his head at Ryo before continuing on his way.

Upon seeing him leave, Takashi tried to go after him, but both Ryo and Magmar blocked his path. The two of them had no intention of letting them pass and its here that Takashi realize that he was going to have to defeat them if he wanted to go after Gin. However, what Ryo failed to be realizing is that Takashi had two Pokémon with him, Pikachu and Treecko. Although the latter wasn't officially his Pokémon, Takashi could tell that it was eager for a fight and decided to use his superior numbers to his advantage.

"Listen you guys…" He said as he called out to them. "We don't have a lot of time, so we have to be smart. Pikachu…you and I are going to take on Magmar. While we do that, Treecko going to try and stop that Gin guy. How does that sound?"

Believing that to be a good plan, Pikachu nodded his head in approval. However, Treecko wasn't as pleased with Takashi's strategy. Like what Ryo was feeling, Treecko felt rather humiliated by its previous defeat. It wanted to get its revenge and although it had a type disadvantage against Magmar, Treecko refused to back down from it. With that in mind, the Wood Gecko Pokémon dashed towards Magmar at an incredible speed.

"No Treecko…Stop!"

It was too late. Despite Takashi's pleas, Treecko continued rushing towards Magmar, its heart set on settling the score. When Ryo saw this, his cocky smile grew even bigger as he was more than willing to have Treecko be the first of Magmar's victims.

"Magmar, use Fire Punch!" He ordered.

Without any hesitation, Magmar clinched its right fist as it suddenly lit ablaze. The Spitfire Pokémon then began charging towards Treecko as the Grass-Type continued its pursuit. Just when it looked like that Magmar was about to land its attack, Treecko used its incredible agility to leap out of the way and get behind it. Once it was behind its opponent, Treecko quickly used its tail to firmly strike Magmar in the back of the head, causing the Fire-Type to stumble a bit.

Upon seeing that, Takashi was quite impressed with Treecko's display. He then looked on as Magmar repositioned itself to try and attack with another Fire Punch. However, just like before, Treecko used its speed to dodge the attack at the last moment. It then used its tail to strike at Magmar's leg, causing it to trip and fall. As soon as he saw that, Takashi realized that now was a perfect opportunity for Pikachu to launch an attack of his own.

"Pikachu, use Quick…"

Just before Takashi could finish relaying his command, Treecko suddenly turned its attention towards him and Pikachu before firing off a Bullet Seed barrage. Moving quickly, both Takashi and Pikachu managed to move out of the way in time. They then looked on and watched as Treecko was angrily yelling at them, almost like it didn't want them to interfere in the battle. Upon reaching that conclusion, Takashi realized that was exactly Treecko's intention and he knew right away that it wasn't a good one.

"No Treecko!" He told him. "There's no way you can defeat Magmar by yourself. Let us help you!"

Once again, Treecko fired another barrage of bullets at Takashi, informing him that it didn't need his help to win. Even though it knew it was at a disadvantage against Magmar, the tiny Grass-Type was still determined to defeat it. Takashi understood Treecko's feelings, but he also knew that this wasn't the time for personal feelings. For every second that past, the fire was growing more and more intense and they needed to defeat Ryo and Gin before it was too late.

As he attempted to try and convince Treecko again, Takashi felt Pikachu tugging on his jeans. Upon looking down at him, the Mouse Pokémon informed his Trainer that Gin was getting away with the Pokémon. When he saw that, Takashi wasn't sure what to do as he knew Ryo wouldn't just let him go. Fortunately, Pikachu did and thus he began making his way towards the other criminal.

"Pikachu…!" He said as he quickly discovered his intention. "Are you sure?!"

With a determined nod, Pikachu answered Takashi's question as he continued on his way. He would make sure that Gin wouldn't get away with the Pokémon while Takashi helped Treecko deal with Ryo and his Magmar. It was a risky plan, but Pikachu knew that they didn't have any other choice given the circumstances. Takashi knew that too, but he ultimately decided to put his trust in his Pokémon. To that end, he gave Pikachu a quick thumbs up before turning his attention towards Ryo.

Before Gin could get too far, Pikachu jumped up and fired off a Thunderbolt attack by his feet. The sudden strike caught the criminal off guard, causing him to release the Pokémon that he was holding. Before he could go after them, Pikachu got in front of Gin and attempted to intimidate him by releasing electric sparks from his cheeks. However, instead of being intimidated, Gin was rather angry by the mouse's interference.

"You're going to pay for that, mouse!" He said as he grabbed a PokéBall. "Nidoran, come out now!"

After throwing the PokéBall, Gin watched as his Nidoran emerged from it in a blast of light. It then immediately confronted Pikachu, who refused to back away. The two Pokémon then circled one another for a moment before charging each other with incredible determination.

Back over with Ryo, Takashi looked on as Treecko continued to use its incredible speed to outmaneuver Magmar. At first glance, it looked like the Wood Gecko Pokémon had everything under control. Unfortunately, as the battle between them continued, Takashi soon realized that wasn't the case at all. Upon closer inspection, he saw that Magmar was simply luring Treecko into a corner. Once it was trap, Ryo knew that he had Treecko right where he wanted it.

"Good work, Magmar." He said with a grin. "Now…use Fire Punch again!"

Like before, Magmar took its fist and lit it ablaze before charging towards Treecko. Takashi, realizing that such a blow could spell the end for it, was just about to tell Treecko to dodge. But, before he did so, the young man took another look at the grin on Ryo's face. Just looking at it gave him a bad feeling, prompting him to change up his strategy.

"Treecko!" He called out too. "Counter with Bullet Seed!"

Looking at him for a moment, Treecko was confused when Takashi gave him that ordered. The Grass-Type knew that since Magmar was a Fire-Type Pokémon, a move like Bullet Seed would hardly do anything to it. It was a foolish move and Treecko wasn't about to waste time following along with it. As a result, the Wood Gecko Pokémon jumped out of the way to avoid Magmar's oncoming attack. However, it was at that precise moment that Takashi's fears were realized.

"Magmar…use Flamethrower!"

After listening to its Trainer's command, Magmar quickly took aim at Treecko and proceeded to fire a massive stream of flames at it. Right away, the powerful attack did a massive amount of damage, causing Treecko to fall onto the ground and cringe in agony. Ryo then started laughing hysterically as Magmar began making its way over to the fallen Pokémon.

"Nice try, runt!" He said sarcastically. "But your plan was obvious. I knew that you were trying to use your speed against Magmar, so I simply trapped you in a place where you couldn't move effectively. Then, once attempted to dodge, Magmar would retaliate with its Flamethrower. You should have realized that…but since you didn't, you're now forced to pay the price!"

As Treecko struggled to pick itself up, Magmar could right on top of it and went on to grab the Grass-Type by the neck. It then ignited its fist and slammed a powerful Fire Punch right into Treecko's face. The force of the blow sent the Grass-Type flying, forcing Takashi to run up and catch Treecko before it hit the ground. The young man then looked down at it and saw that Treecko had several burn marks all over its body.

Upon seeing its injuries, Takashi immediately grabbed his Potion and attempted to spray the medicine of Treecko's body. However, Treecko angrily knocked the bottle out of the young man's hands before forcing its way off him. It then stumbled on the ground for a second before charging towards Magmar in blind anger, much to Takashi's disapproval.

"Stop Treecko!" He yelled. "You can't win like this!"

Treecko ignored Takashi's pleas as it continued to charge towards its opponent. Even though it was a clear disadvantage, it was determined to win this battle its own way. But, because of the injuries that it suffered, Treecko's speed wasn't as great as it usually was, allowing Ryo and Magmar to take advantage.

"Magmar, use Flame Burst!" Ryo ordered.

Nodding its head in compliance, Magmar fired off an orb of flames at Treecko as the latter continued running towards it. When Treecko saw the attack, it used all its strength to dodge and continue on its way. However, when the orb hit the ground, the impact created several fiery flares that scattered throughout the area. One of the flares hit Treecko's leg, causing it to stumble and fall. This allowed Magmar to get right on top of it.

"This is over…" Ryo coldly told Treecko. "Magmar, end this with Flamethrower!"

Like before, Magmar prepared itself to launch another stream of flames at Treecko. With its leg too injured to move, the Wood Gecko Pokémon clinched his teeth and closed its eyes as it prepared itself to take the attack. But, just as Magmar launched its flames, Treecko felt something grab and move it out of the way. When it opened its eyes, Treecko was stunned to see that Takashi was the one who grabbed it.

Unable to stand by and allow Magmar to continue its assault, Takashi decided to step in and save Treecko form certain doom. Although he was slightly burnt due to being so close to Magmar's flames, the young man paid it no mind. He was just glad that he managed to save Treecko before it was too late. When Ryo saw that, the thug was annoyed that Takashi got in the way of his victory. However, because Takashi saved Treecko just now, Ryo now had the opportunity to inflict even more punishment on it, which pleased him greatly.

As for Treecko, the Wood Gecko Pokémon was a bit stunned that Takashi was willing to get hurt to help it just now. Soon though, it attempted to release itself from the boy's grasp as it still had to battle Magmar. Unfortunately, Takashi refused to release it just yet. The Trainer then glared at Treecko before suddenly snapping at it.

"Stop f**king around, damn it!"

Stunned by Takashi's harsh words, Treecko instantly calmed down as he looked back up at him. It saw the angry look that was on his face and Treecko could tell that Takashi was fed up with its attitude. The Grass-Type then listened closely as Takashi began to lecture it.

"Treecko, I understand that you want to get your revenge…but now isn't the time to have an attitude problem!" He told it. "Look around you! The forest is burning and with every second that passes it getting worse. We have to stop it before its too late and in order to do that you have to work with me. So please Treecko…let me help you!"

For a moment, Treecko looked on at Takashi with a stunned expression on its face. It wasn't his words that caught the Grass-Type off guard, but the expression that he was giving it. That look reminded Treecko of the look that Torterra would often give it when older Pokémon was upset with it. Sure it was mad, but Torterra's anger would stem from a place of concern. The same thing was going on now with Takashi. All he wanted to do was help Treecko and save the preserve and Treecko was able to see this in Takashi's eyes.

Upon coming to that realization, the Wood Gecko Pokémon release itself from Takashi's grip and look at him for a few seconds. It then gave him a small nod, telling the Trainer that its finally decided to work with him. When Takashi saw that, he let out a small nod of his own. The two of them then turned their focus entirely on Ryo and Magmar, fully prepared to turn this situation around.

"Alright Treecko…use Quick Attack!"

Gathering all the strength that it could muster, Treecko dashed towards Magmar at an incredible speed. Although, despite the pace that it was moving, Ryo could notice that the Grass-Type wasn't as agile as it was previously. Because of that, he didn't feel the need to be worried as relayed his orders to his Pokémon.

"Magmar, use Flamethrower!" He commanded.

Once Magmar heard Ryo's order, the Spitfire Pokémon locked onto Treecko and prepared to unleash its devastating flames upon it again. However, just as it was about to do so, Takashi used this opportunity to launch a surprise attack.

"Now use Bullet Seed!"

Just before Magmar could unleash its attack, Treecko immediately fired off another wave of energy bullets from its mouth. The bullets quickly their way over to Magmar and struck it in its eyes, blinding the Fire-Type for a moment and causing it to completely misfire its Flamethrower attack. Once the flames missed their target, Treecko continued rushing over towards Magmar before slamming its entire body into its gut. The force of the blow was enough to knock Magmar off its feet.

Ryo was completely stunned by what just transpired as, in practically an instant, Takashi and Treecko were able to turn the situation around. He then watched as Treecko looked up at him and gave him a cocky glare, essentially telling the thug that it had the battle in the bag. Just seeing that, as well as seeing that Takashi was pressuring him again, made Ryo's blood boil, prompting him to yell at his fallen Pokémon.

"What the hell are you doing Magmar?!" He angrily asked it. "Hurry up and use Fire Punch!"

"Dodge and use Pound on its legs!"

Magmar quickly picked itself back up after hearing Ryo's orders and attempted to strike down Treecko with its flaming fist. However, Treecko was able to react in time and avoid the attack. Then, just as Takashi told it to, the tiny Grass-Type proceeded to strike Magmar's legs with its tail, causing it to stumble again.

"Keep it up, Treecko!" Takashi encouraged. "Use Pound attack again!"

With a loud cry, Treecko repeatedly struck Magmar's legs with its powerful tail. With each successful strike, more and more damage was being dealt. Eventually, it soon reached the point that Magmar couldn't stand it anymore and soon fell to its knees. Although the Spitfire Pokémon attempted to knock its opponent away, Treecko was able to avoid the blow before landing another powerful blow on Magmar's face.

Soon, after seeing Magmar on the ropes, Takashi realized that the time was now to end this. To that end, the young Trainer took a deep breath before looking over at Treecko, who responded by looking back at him. Takashi then nodded at the Grass-Type before telling it what to do next.

"Treecko…use Energy Ball!"

Treecko continued looking back at Takashi before turning back to face Magmar. As the Fire-Type struggled to get back on its feet, Treecko used this opportunity to gather the energy to use its Energy Ball attack. In time, as the energy gradually began to build, another sphere of green energy began to emerge just near Treecko's mouth. The orb then steadily grew bigger and bigger as Treecko poured more of its energy into it.

Soon though, just before Treecko could finish charging up its attack, Magmar stood back up. The Fire Pokémon then looked down at the Grass-Type, who was a bit taken back that it was able to get back on its feet. Ryo then looked on with a frantic look on his face as he gave both Takashi and Treecko a thumbs down.

"It's over, fools!" He yelled at them. "Magmar…Flamethrower!"

With all its strength, Magmar unleashed its flames upon Treecko and, for a moment, it looked like the Pokémon was completely consumed by them. When the attack ended, Treecko was nowhere to be seen and Ryo soon started laughing hysterically, believing that he won. However, as he lifted his head while he was laughing, the criminal suddenly stopped as he was quickly brought back to reality.

Ryo saw that Treecko was standing on top of a large tree branch, the same one that it was sitting up as it watched the sunrise earlier. Before Magmar's flames could connect, the Wood Gecko Pokémon noticed where it was and jumped to safety before it could get hurt. Now that it was out of harms way, Treecko was able to finish charging its attack and proceeded to fire the Energy Ball directly at Magmar.

"Quick Treecko, use Pound on the Energy Ball!" Takashi immediately commanded.

As soon as Treecko fired off its attack, the Grass-Type jumped down from the tree branch and used its tail to send the Energy Ball towards Magmar with far more speed and power. The attack was so fast that Magmar had absolutely no time to avoid and was struck head on. Everyone then watched as Magmar stood still for a moment before falling on its back, completely unconscious.

Upon seeing his Pokémon lying knocked out on the ground, Ryo was at a complete loss for words. This was supposed to be his chance for revenge, but instead he was the one who was defeated. He then looked up at Treecko and watched as the Pokémon was glaring at him. Just seeing that look angered the thug immensely, so much so that he quickly pulled out another PokéBall from his pocket. Takashi noticed this and proceeded to rush over towards Ryo.

"I don't think so, bastard!"

Clinching his fist, Takashi unleashed a devastating punch right onto Ryo's jaw, knocking him as he landed right next to his fallen Magmar. Once Ryo was out of commission, Takashi fell to one knee as he clinched his arm, the strain his punch causing him quite a bit of pain. Treecko noticed this and jumped down to check on him. When Takashi saw that, he simply let out a small smile, assuring Treecko that he was alright. Although visibly relieved that he was alright, Treecko suddenly attempted to act indifferent in order to save face, much to the Trainer's amusement.

Soon, as Takashi picked himself up from the ground, he looked over and found Pikachu finishing his battle against Gin and his Nidoran. After unleashing a powerful Electro Ball attack onto it, Pikachu watched as Nidoran fell to the ground and fainted. The Mouse Pokémon then went on to fire off a Thunderbolt attack on Gin, knocking him out as well. Following this victory, Pikachu noticed Takashi and Treecko and immediately rushed over to them. Takashi then went on to pet his partner's head.

"Great job, Pikachu." He said with a smile. "I'm proud of you."

Pikachu smiled upon receiving Takashi's compliment, but it soon faded away upon looking at the scenery. The flames all around them were growing even worse, so much so in fact that even with Froakie and Pidgeotto helping, they couldn't stop it. Takashi, knowing that he had to try and do something, rushed over to help his Pokémon. Pikachu and Treecko soon joined him, the both of them doing everything they can to put out the flames.

Eventually though, it was quickly becoming apparent that despite everyone working together, the fire still wouldn't go out. The situation was becoming hopeless and Takashi was beginning to wonder if this was going to be the end for him. However, before he could resign to his fate, Takashi suddenly heard a loud thumping noise approaching the area. He then turned his head and saw that the noise was coming for Torterra, who had just arrived.

As Takashi, Treecko, and all the others rushed over towards it, Torterra took a moment to examine the area and was greatly sadden by the destruction these flames were causing. Having been its protector for so long, the Continent Pokémon knew that he had to doing something before all was lost. To that end, Torterra firmly placed its feet into the ground and began gathering all the power that was within it. This resulted in Torterra's entire body glowing a bright green color.

"Wait…" Takashi said as watched was going on. "What are you doing Torterra…?"

"It's using Synthesis…" Christopher revealed as he joined the group. "I think…it's using its energy to restore the forest!"

Stunned by this revelation, Takashi continued to look on as Torterra's body glowed even brighter. He then watched as the Continent Pokémon transferred all the power that it was gathering into the forest itself. This action caused the entire area around them to glow the same bright green color. Upon being enveloped by this glow, the group watched as the flames all around them were slowly being extinguished. In addition, the damage caused by the flames were also being restored by Torterra's energy, which also included the injuries that the Pokémon sustained as well.

Upon seeing his wounds being healed, Treecko looked over at Torterra and saw that it was straining itself well beyond its limits. Although it attempted to stop it, Treecko was stopped by Torterra itself. The Continent Pokémon knew very well what would happen if it continued, but it chose to keep going anyway. In Torterra's mind, this was something that it just had to do and it was going to see it through until the end.

Eventually, after a few more moments, all the flames were gone and the forest was restored to its former glory. Even though this should be a moment of celebration, no one was cheering. Instead, they all sadly watched as Torterra fell to the ground, its body giving off a very weak glow. Treecko, sensing what was about to happen, tearfully pleaded for Torterra to hang on. It then looked back at Christopher, asking him to help. However, all Christopher could do was shake his head, as there was nothing he could.

As its body grew weaker and weaker, Torterra called Treecko over and attempted to calm it down. It then assured the tiny Grass-Type that everything was going to be alright. After that, Torterra glanced over at Christopher, silently thanking him for helping it take care of the forest and its Pokémon. Following that, Torterra turned its eyes over to Takashi. The two stared at one another for a moment before Torterra simply nodded its head at him. Understanding the message, Takashi responded with a nod of his own.

With that, after it finished saying its final goodbyes, Torterra gently closed its eyes and let itself go. As it passed away however, the glow surrounding its body gradually grew brighter. The group then watched as Torterra's body turned into a small, yet brimming tree. When he saw this, Takashi found himself crying a little.

"Goodbye Torterra…."

3 days have passed since Torterra gave its life to save the forest and both Ryo and Gin were promptly arrested thanks to the timely arrival of Officer Jenny. With the criminals now in police custody, Takashi felt confident that he could leave the settlement and continue on with his Pokémon Journey. Once he was all packed and ready to go, both Takashi and his Pokémon took one last opportunity to help feed the wild Pokémon here before leaving.

After finishing this task, Takashi soon spotted Christopher, who handed him a nice snack that he could enjoy with his Pokémon during their travels. As he gave Pikachu and the others some of this snack, Takashi noticed that Christopher was extending his hand out to him. When he saw that, the young man let out a small smile before taking the Ranger's hand and shaking it.

"Thanks for all your help, Takashi." Christopher told him. "I'll forever be grateful to both you and your Pokémon for all that you've done here."

"We were glad to help." Takashi replied. "But…the one you should really be thanking is Torterra. If it wasn't for it…I doubt any of us would still be here."

Christopher nodded his head in agreement to Takashi's words. He then took a moment to stare out into the sky, thinking about Torterra as he did so. After several decades of service, Torterra's duty had finally come to an end and it could be finally reunited with its original Trainer, Christopher's grandfather. Although he was a bit saddened by its passing, Christopher felt comfort in the fact that Torterra died during what it loved, protecting others. It only proved to him that Torterra truly was the defender of the forest and that, for as long as he lived, he would work hard to live up to its legacy.

Eventually, after the two of them finished shaking hands, Takashi got ready to leave and continue his journey. However, before he could even take two steps, he stopped when saw Treecko sitting down at the tree that was formerly Torterra. He noticed that it had a solemn look on its face, indicating that it was still pretty upset about Torterra's passing. When he saw that, Takashi wondered what he could do to help the young Pokémon, causing him to remember something important.

As he took ahold of an empty PokéBall that he had on him, Takashi started thinking about what Torterra wanted him to do. Although he was reluctant at first, Takashi wanted to honor Torterra's final request and, in addition to that, he felt that could be the only he could do to help Treecko. With that in mind, he walked back over to Christopher and talked about his suggestion. Upon hearing it, the forest ranger nodded his head in approval.

"I think that's a wonderful idea." He told him. "For as long as Treecko has been here, the only one it really connected with was Torterra. With it gone now…I'm worried that Treecko might lose all sense of purpose. But if you're with it…then I truly believe that Treecko can become the Pokémon that Torterra truly believed it could be."

Upon hearing that, Takashi nodded his head in agreement as he felt the same way. He then turned his head towards his Pokémon, and they all agreed as well, albeit in varying degrees. Once that was decided, Takashi firmly grasped the PokéBall that he was holding before making his way over to Treecko. He then sat down next to it while Treecko simply kept looking at the tree.

For a moment, an awkward silence enveloped the area as Takashi tried to come up with the right words to say. Eventually, after some encouragement from Pikachu, he decided to simply say what was in his heart and thus he spoke up first.

"Hey Treecko…" He started off. "I know…things have been pretty difficult for you recently. Trust me when I say that I understand what you're going through. Still, I also know that dwelling on what happened won't change anything. You have to move on…because that's the only way things are going to get better."

Treecko remained silent as he listened to Takashi's words. Although it looked like the Wood Gecko Pokémon was simply ignoring him, it instead paid close attention and realized that he was right. Despite realizing that though, Treecko also knew that simply moving on from Torterra's death wasn't a simple task. After all, it was the closest thing Treecko had to a father. Soon though, Treecko looked up as Takashi held out the PokéBall that he was holding and presented it to the Grass-Type.

"How about it, Treecko…do you want to come with me on my journey?" He asked. "If you do…then I promise that you won't regret it."

Again, Treecko remained silent as he stared at the PokéBall that was placed before it. The Pokémon then looked on at Takashi, who was giving it a warm smile. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Treecko finally came to a decision and promptly stood up. At first, Takashi believed this to be a sign that Treecko had accepted his offer to join him. However, he quickly realized that wasn't the case as Treecko knocked both him and the PokéBall back with its tail.

Upon seeing Takashi hit the ground, Pikachu and the others immediately over to him in order to see if he was alright. Froakie then angrily confronted Treecko, questioning the Grass-Type on its action. By the time Takashi got back to his feet, the young man noticed that Treecko was seemingly goading him, as if it wanted to battle him. Understanding the message, Takashi nodded his head as he grabbed ahold of the PokéBall again.

"Alright then…" He said with a determined look. "If that's what it has to be…I accept your challenge!"

Looking over at his Pokémon, Takashi contemplated which one he should choose to go up against Treecko. Right away, his eyes pointed towards Pidgeotto, being the only Pokémon in his possession that has a natural type advantage. However, before he could choose him, Takashi noticed that Froakie was eagerly pleading her case to battle. Despite being at a type disadvantage, the Bubble Frog Pokémon still wanted to fight. Although he knew it was risk, Takashi decided to honor Froakie's wish and proceeded to nod his head at her.

"Alright then, Froakie. I choose you!"

With a determined nod, Froakie smiled at Takashi before hopping in front of him and confronting Treecko. As the two Pokémon stared each other down, everyone else backed away a little in order to give them some space. Shortly after that, the battle began with Takashi making the first move.

"Froakie…use Bubble!"

Without any hesitation, Froakie unleashed a large barrage of bubbles from her mouth and directed them all towards Treecko. However, instead of avoiding them, Treecko responded by firing off its Bullet Seed attack. Due to its power, the energy seeds were able to easily pierce through the bubbles and make their way to Froakie, who had no choice but to dodge them.

Following this brief exchange of attacks, Froakie watched as Treecko was already rushing towards her at an incredible speed. Although she tried to avoid it by jumping high into the air, Treecko was just as skillful in that regard. In addition, the Grass-Type was able to get even higher thanks to the nearby trees. Once it was high enough, Treecko prepared itself to strike down its opponent with its Pound attack. Knowing that she couldn't avoid it, Froakie attempted to use her Frubbles to at least soften Treecko's attack as it struck her head on.

Upon being hit, Froakie found herself crashing hard onto the ground. Thankfully, as she hoped, she was able to avoid major injury thanks to her Frubble shield. Even so, the force of the crash did make it hard for her to get up and Treecko exploited that by firing another Bullet Seed barrage.

"Dodge it, Froakie!" Takashi yelled.

Hearing his command, Froakie tried her best to move out of the way, but the fall ended up straining her legs a bit. Because of that, the Water-Type wasn't fast enough to get out of the way and some of the bullets ended up hitting her. Due to it being a Grass-Type move, the Bullet Seeds did a lot of damage to Froakie, causing her to fall to her knees. Once Treecko saw that, the Grass-Type decided to end this by using the very attack that Takashi helped it perfect: Energy Ball.

Gathering the energy around it, Treecko quickly condensed it until it formed a glowing green sphere. When Takashi saw that, the young man knew that Froakie would be finished if it connected. He needed to do something to mess up Treecko's concentration before it could launch its attack. After a few seconds, an idea popped into his head and he quickly put it into action.

"Froakie…use Double Team!"

Just before Treecko could finish charging up its attack, Froakie got back to her feet before suddenly disappearing. Then, before Treecko could comprehend what just happened, the Wood Gecko Pokémon suddenly found itself being surrounded by a small army of Froakie clones. Seeing all of them surprised Treecko a good deal, causing it lose focus and disrupt the energy of its attack. This forced Treecko fire the Energy Ball up into the air before it could explode in its face.

With the threat of the attack out of the way, the Froakie clones then started jumping all over the place, making it difficult to determine which one was the real one. Unable to figure out which is which, Treecko just ended up firing randomly at the clones with its Bullet Seed. However, none of the Froakies that it hit was the original, angering the Grass-Type as it continued its futile assault. As it continued to attack in vain, the real Froakie was busy looking down at Treecko from a tree branch.

"Water Pulse…now!" Takashi said as he looked on.

Right away, the original Froakie placed her hands together and quickly formed an orb of concentrated water in between them. She then threw it at Treecko, who just discovered what was happening after turning its head. The attack struck the Pokémon head on, knocking it back just as the Froakie clones vanished from sight. The real Froakie then jumped down just as Treecko was slowly picking itself back up.

"Let's end this, Froakie!" Takashi told her as he got a PokéBall ready. "Use Pound attack!"

Nodding her head in agreement, Froakie dashed over towards Treecko, preparing to launch the final blow. Upon shaking the cobwebs out of its head, Treecko dashed over to his opponent and prepared to meet her head-on. Once they were close enough, Treecko attempted to get in its attack first by striking with its tail. However, Froakie skillfully avoided the blow by kneeling and sliding out of the way. She then got behind Treecko and struck it repeatedly with her palms. The force of the attacks knocked Treecko back onto the ground, struggling to get back up.

With his best, and perhaps only opportunity, standing before him, Takashi threw the PokéBall that he was holding and watched as it struck Treecko. The ball then opened and converted the fallen Pokémon into light energy. After the energy was forced inside the ball and it closed, everyone watched as the PokéBall started wiggling around, the button in the middle flickering a bright red color. Once a few seconds had passed, the ball stopped and the button stopped flickering, indicating a successful capture.

After the ball was over, Takashi let out a sigh of relief before making his way over to an exhausted Froakie. He then took a moment to congratulate her on her victory before picking up the PokéBall that contained his newly captured Treecko. Takashi then raised the ball in the air for everyone to see.

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "I caught a Treecko!"

As his Pokémon all cheered for him, Takashi looked back and saw Christopher clapping his hands at him. The forest ranger then walked over to him and the two of them shook hands.

"Congratulations Takashi." He said with a smile. "I know you'll take excellent care of Treecko."

"Thanks Christopher." Takashi replied. "And I promise that I'll help Treecko become the best Pokémon it can be."

With that said between them, Takashi parted ways with Christopher before looking down at Treecko's PokéBall. He then gently nodded his head at it before turning around and facing the rest of his Pokémon. After smiling at all of them, Takashi brought out both Froakie's and Pidgeotto's PokéBalls and proceeded to return the two to them. He then allowed Pikachu to jump onto his shoulders before getting ready to leave and continued on with his journey.

Before he got to far however, Takashi stopped and stared at Torterra's grave. For a moment, the young man saw Torterra's spirit standing there, looking directly at him. With a slight nod, Torterra vanished from his sight and Takashi immediately understood what the Pokémon said to him. He then walked on and his journey with renewed determination.

"Don't worry Torterra…I promise to take care of it."

Chapter Preview

As Takashi continues his way to Cerulean City, he learns about a unique event that prompts him to take a small detour on his Pokémon Journey. He also encounters a talented Trainer and a battle quickly erupts between them. How will Takashi fair in this battle and what is this event that he wants to see?

Next Time, Chapter 19: A New Rival