Pokémon Live! The Novelization Chapter 1: Act 1, a pokémon fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon, Nintendo does.

Author's Note: Hello! This is my very first fanfic on ff.net, and it is a novelization of the musical "Pokémon Live!" I hope you enjoy it!

It is Sunday morning in Pallet Town. But little does Ash Ketchum know he's in for the biggest adventure of his life!

Ash Ketchum was asleep in the bottom bunk of his bed, with his Pikachu at his feet. Mimey was sweeping around the room when Ash heard his mother, Delia, calling him from the outside of his bedroom. She was clearly agitated.
"Ash! Hurry up!" Delia called with urgency. "Professor Oak is waiting! We're going to be late!" Delia entered the room, accompanied by Professor Samuel Oak, the "Pokémon Professor", and saw that her son was still in bed. "Ash! You're not even out of bed yet! I woke you an hour ago! I told you we don't have much time!"
"And I told you," Ash said from his bed, "I don't want to go!"
"You're passing up a rare opportunity, my boy," said Professor Oak, holding some tickets.
"I've got important things to do," Ash said.
"It's not every day a world-renowned Pokémon expert personally invites us to his lecture on sleep disorders among the Snorlax."
"I know all about Snorlaxes!" said Ash. "I've got a Snorlax."
"There's always more to learn," Professor Oak said.
"It'll be fun, Ash," Delia added.
"You guys go. I'll be fine." Ash winked at the Professor. "Just don't bring my mom home too late."
"Ash... I'm not... We're not... I didn't..." Professor Oak was a little flustered by Ash's remark about having a secret relationship with his mom. "This is a serious lecture! Professor Xalrons is a brilliant speaker. And this is the first time he's been in this hemisphere in over a decade!"
Delia turned to Ash. "I really want us to do things together. The way we used to. I miss that."
"Mom!" Ash shouted. "I'm not a baby anymore. I'm a Pokémon Trainer. And if I'm going to be a Pokémon Master, I have serious work to do."
"He's got a point there, Delia," Professor Oak added. "Like it or not, he's growing up."
"And I've got to be ready in case I run into Team Rocket!" Ash turned over.
"I'd prefer it if you stayed away from Team Rocket," Delia argued.
"Oh, Ma... you don't know anything about it."
"I know more than you think. About a lot of things, young man."
Professor Oak looked at his watch. "If we're late we won't get a good seat. And there'll be no time to buy popcorn!"
"I'm coming," Delia said to the Professor. She turned back to Ash. "See you later. Train well!" she said, kissing him good-bye.
Ash wiped away the kiss. "Mom! You don't kiss Pokémon Trainers!"
"You do when they're your little boy," Delia said, following Professor Oak out the door.
"MOM!"
"When they're your son," Delia corrected herself. "But you'll always be my little boy. Be careful."
Ash rolled his eyes and watched as his mom and the Professor walked out the door. When he saw the door close, he threw off the covers. "Finally!" He grabbed a remote control and hit the play button to turn on his stereo. The Pokémon Theme started playing, and Ash, wearing nothing but his pajamas and socks, danced along to it.

"I want to be the very best
Like no one ever was
To catch them is my real test
To train them is my cause
I will travel across the land
Searching far and wide
Each Pokémon, to understand
The power that's inside

(Pokémon! Gotta catch 'em all!)
It's you and me
I know it's my destiny (Pokémon!)
You're my best friend
In a world we must defend!
(Pokémon! Gotta catch them all!)
A heart so true
Our courage will pull us through
You teach me and I'll teach you
Pokémon!
(Gotta catch 'em all!)
Gotta catch 'em all!
Pokémon!"

As Ash was tapping his feet to the rhythm of the showtune, he didn't notice that his door was opening again. Two of Ash's good friends, Misty Waterflower, the girl from Cerulean City with a baby Togepi, and Brock Slate, the girl-crazy but eyeless gym leader from Pewter City, came in.
"Ash?" Brock called. "Are you here?"
Misty took a look at Ash having a shakedown with the song playing on his stereo. "Ash...?" Misty said, surprised.
The song continued to play, and had just reached the end of the first singing of the chorus when Ash turned around and saw his pals standing there in the doorway, watching him dancing in his PJs. A drop of sweat appeared beside his brow. "AH!" Ash said, startled. "Misty! Brock!" He grabbed his remote and shut off the music.
"What are you doing?" Misty asked.
Ash went into his closet to change as he tried to explain. "I'm... It's... It's this special Pokémon Trainer workout. There's a video and everything!" Misty and Brock stared at him, skeptical. Ash came out of the closet wearing his usual clothes. "Aah, forget it," Ash said, putting on his gloves. "I'm done anyway."
"With your workout," Misty grinned.
Ash picked up his TV remote control and turned it on to PBS. "Did you see the commercial for that new Pokémon badge?" Ash asked, changing the subject.
"The Diamond Badge?" Brock answered, sitting on the bed. "I sure did. It's on every channel. Even PBS!" As he was talking, Brock heard a muffled squeak from Pikachu, whom he was sitting on. Ash and Misty didn't hear Pikachu, but Brock did. He tried to adjust himself, and again he heard Pikachu squeaking.
As if on cue to Brock's reply, an message appeared on the TV screen. "We interrupt 'Sesame Street' to bring you this important commercial," the announcer said.
The commercial began. An evil-looking face appeared, hidden in the shadows, with the only unshadowy features being his eyes.
Evil eyes.
"Hey you!" The speaker announced, his voice distorted by computer effects. "Yeah, you sitting on the couch eating Doritos! How'd you like a shot at getting the one-of-a-kind Diamond Badge?" A Pokémon badge shaped like a glittering silver diamond appeared next to the speaker's ominous face, and a URL appeared below, labeled . "Just go to the site with the hyperlink below," the shadowy person continued, "and print out the map to my Gym! I'm waiting..." The commercial faded out.
Mimey brushed around Misty as Ash turned the TV off. "That badge is awesome! I've got to be the one to have it!" Ash pulled the printout map the commercial mentioned off of his desk. "I've already downloaded my map. I'm outta here!"
Under the bed covers, Pikachu had had enough of Brock sitting on him. He readied up an attack.
"Pi... ka... chu!"
The bed lit up as Pikachu shot electricity from his red cheeks, hitting Brock so hard that you could almost see his normally nonexistent eyes.
"Whoa!" Brock screamed, his brown hair standing up. He fell down onto the floor, lifting one leg up. "Ow."
Pikachu popped up from under the covers. "Pikachu!" he said.
"Sorry," Ash said to his Pokémon. "He didn't know you were under there. Come on, Pikachu!" Pikachu moved to his trainer. "We've got a badge to win!"
"Wait!" Misty called from behind. "What about me?!"
Ash turned to face the girl whom he had loved ever since they first met. In Ash's secret words, she had beautiful aqua eyes, soft glowing hair, a heart-shaped mouth, slender arms, a thin stomach, forever-growing legs, soft smooth skin, and most importantly to him, rose red lips that he was dying to have touching his. But Ash had fears that she would smash him with the Hammer she hid in her shorts. But what Ash didn't know was that Misty only did that to flirt with him. In privacy, Misty had told herself that Ash was so handsome with black black hair, a hypnotizing smile, tanned skin, chocolate brown eyes, strong shoulders, and muscular arms that Misty wanted to be held in. But anyway, Ash turned to Misty and said, "You can come, too."
Misty put her left hand over her now closed eyes, as if crying. "I meant, we were supposed to go to the movies for my birthday," she said, in a very sad tone. "Which was three weeks ago!"
"You did promise," Brock told Ash, getting up.
"But..." Ash tried to say.
"YOU FORGOT ALL ABOUT IT!" Misty sobbed. "Just like the last week and the week before!"
"I didn't forget," Ash said, trying to make it up to the girl he loved. "But that was before that Gym Leader came up with the new Diamond Badge. I've got to be the one to win it! Not only for me, but for my Pokémon!"
"What about your friends?" Misty complained.
"Pokémon are my friends, too," Ash answered. "And they're important. To all of us.

A magic feeling... it's grown so strong...
Always leads me... to a place where I belong...
Won't go away... never let me down...
I've got the greatest friends... that ever could be found...

Across every river!
Behind every tree!
On top of every mountain!
They're a part of you and me!"

All: "(One world!) One world... Now and forever!
(Best friends!) Best friends... Loyal and true!
(One dream!) One dream... Put side by side!
There's nothing we can't do!
(One hand!) One hand... Helping the other!
(Each heart!) Each heart... Beating as one!
(We live!) We live... Always together!
Sharing the same bright sun!
(One world!) You & me & Pokémon!"

Misty: "They rush like water... soar like the wind..."
Ash: "They're always with me... every day that I begin..."
Brock: "They burn like fire... they chill like ice..."
Ash: "They take on any challenge... make any sacrifice..."

All: "Across every river!
Behind every tree!
On top of every mountain!
They're apart of you and me!

(One world!) One world... Now and forever!
(Best friends!) Best friends... Loyal and true!
(One dream!) One dream... Put side by side!
There's nothing we can't do!
(One hand!) One hand... Helping the other!
(Each heart!) Each heart... Beating as one!
(We live!) We live... Always together!
Sharing the same bright sun!
You & me & Pokémon!"

Ash: "You & me & Pokémon!"

(One world!) One world... Now and forever!
(Best friends!) Best friends... Loyal and true!
(One dream!) One dream... Put side by side!
There's nothing we can't do!"

Ash: "You & me & Pokémon..."
Misty: "You & me & Pokémon..."
Brock: "You & me & Pokémon..."

All: "One world!"

The three trainers went to the front door of the house. "Well, no further platter chatter," Ash said, turning the doorknob. "Let's get to that Gym before someone else gets that badge."
As the heroes set off on their adventure, there was something going on in all of their heads.
How can I get back in Misty's good book? Ash thought. A good way would be to confess his love for her. ...Provided she wasn't going to hit him with the Hammer.
Who brought our ketchup? Pikachu loved ketchup just as much Misty secretly loved Ash.
I wish I knew if Ash loves me as much as I love him. Misty, who had constantly had dreams of marrying Ash, was worried that if she told him that she loved him, he would break her heart.
How's daddy going to make up with mommy? thought Misty's baby Togepi. Misty was the first person who Togepi saw, so Togepi thought Misty was its mother. Since Misty was in love with Ash, Togepi thought of Ash as its dad.
What's Link got that I don't? Brock couldn't seem to figure out why he never got a date. But at times, the others seemed to know the answer.

Meanwhile...

The secret Gym resided in the middle of Mahogany City. Three trainers came in the front door of this Gym.
"And just who would you be?" asked the mysterious Gym Leader. He was the same person from the commercial. He sat in a chair in the shadows. In person, he had a British accent in his voice. But like in the commercial, you could only see his eyes and mouth.
"Our names are not important," said one of the trainers. "But what is important is that one of us will get the Diamond Badge!"
"Well, then," said the Gym Leader, "let's see what you've got!"
"OKAY!" The trainer, and one of the other trainers, who was obviously his brother, tossed their Pokéballs, and out popped their Pokémon. "Go, Alakazam!" shouted the trainer.
"Go, Venusaur!" The other trainer shouted, in unison with his brother.
"Oh-ho, a challenge!" said the mysterious Gym Leader, grinning an evil grin. "Well, then, I choose... MECHAMEW2!" As the Gym Leader declared his choice, sliding doors beneath him opened up, and out came a black-and-grey-clad mechanical-looking Pokémon whose design looked similar to that of Mewtwo, the 150th Pokémon. Its height was nine feet, and it weighed 4,587 pounds. Its eyes glowed an evil red hue.
"'MechaMew2'? What's that?" said the first trainer.
The trainer's brother looked in his Pokédex. "No data available," it said.
"Well, let's give it a double attack!" the trainer told his sibling.
"Right!" The trainer's brother agreed.
The older sibling turned and made a command to his Alakazam. "Alakazam! Use your Psychic attack!"
"Venusaur, Poison Powder!" the younger one said.
Both Pokémon attacked MechaMew2 at the same time. But right after they did so, MechaMew2 raised its right hand and reflected both attacks at them. The Poison-type and Psychic-type Pokémon both fainted.
"AHH!" the older trainer shouted. "That thing's copied their attacks!"
Having seen that MechaMew2 had copied the attacks in order to defeat them, the third trainer, who was obviously the smartest of the bunch, stepped in front of them. "Guys, you're not thinking clearly." He sent out his Electric Pokémon, Electrode. "Electrode, Selfdestruct!"
It did.
BOOM!
When the explosion cleared, there was a crater where Electrode had been. MechaMew2 was not affected one bit, for the challenging Pokémon had already fainted. Dejected, the trainers left in defeat.
"Well done, MechaMew2!" The Gym Leader commented his marvel. "Soon your collection will be complete..." As he said this, he got up from his chair and stepped into the light to reveal his true identity. An evil-looking Persian followed beside him. Down below, near MechaMew2, the Gym Leader's henchmen appeared as the Gym Leader continued. "...So says Giovanni, Boss of Team Rocket, and soon to be ruler of the world! And this, the MechaMew2, based on the mighty Mewtwo I once owned, is the perfect plan for world domination! This mechanical marvel has one technique: Learn, which allows it to memorize, copy, and return the attack of any Pokémon it battles. The Diamond Badge has done a great deal of luring those stupid trainers to contribute to MechaMew2's collection of attacks!

I was born to rule the world and I almost achieved that goal (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
But my Pokémon, the mighty Mewtwo, had more power than I could control. (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
Still he inspired this mechanical marvel, which learns and returns each attack. (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
My MechaMew2, the ultimate weapon, will tell them Giovanni is back! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

There'll be world domination, complete obliteration of all who now defy me!
Let the universe prepare, good Pokémon beware, you fools shall not deny me!
Now go, go! Go, go!
It will all be mine, power so divine!
I'll tell the sun to shine on only me!
It will all be mine, until the end of time
When this perfect crime makes history!
Team Rocket! This is our destiny!"

A Rocket Grunt brought Giovanni a blackboard with a list of all the techniques that a Pokémon could learn. Beside each attack that MechaMew2 had learned, there was a tally mark. With a piece of chalk, the Rocket Grunt put tally marks next to "Psychic" and "Poison Powder".
"Ah," Giovanni observed, "Mecha-Mew2's attack collection is almost complete, but there are two exceptions... Thundershock and Thunderbolt! Those attacks can only be possessed by electric Pokémon, namely... Pikachu! Well, no doubt I'll regret this, but it has to be done..." He turned around and called out to his two most worthless henchmen. "JESSIE! JAMES! Get your lame butts in here!"
In response to the order, Jessie and James entered, accompanied by their coworker, Meowth. "You bellowed, Boss?" Jessie asked.
"You have one last chance to redeem yourselves," Giovanni told them, a look of evil in his eye.

"Listen up, you scheming fools, no excuses, and no more lies! (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
You've heard my most ingenious plan, I demand the ultimate prize! (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
Now bring me the yellow Pokémon and bear witness as I speak. (Rocket Grunts: "Giovanni!")
I shall possess the awesome power in Pikachu's rosy cheeks! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

There'll be world domination, complete obliteration of all who now defy me
Let the universe prepare, good Pokémon beware, you fools shall not deny me
Now go, go! Go, go!
It will all be mine, power so divine!
I'll tell the sun to shine on only me!
It will all be mine, until the end of time
When this perfect crime makes history!
Team Rocket! This is our destiny!"

Not wanting to be left out of their boss's big musical solo, Jessie and James joined in with their motto.

Jessie: "To protect the world from devastation!"
James: "To unite all peoples within our nation!"
Jessie: "To denounce the evils of truth and love!"
James: "To extend our reach to the stars above!"
Jessie: "Jessie!"
James: "James."

Giovanni: "There'll be total devastation, pure annihilation, or absolute surrender!
I'll have limitless power, this is our finest hour!
Now go, go! Go, go!"

"Uh, right, Boss!" said Meowth, accepting the mission. With that, Team Rocket headed off for what may have become their last mission if they failed to accomplish it.
"It won't be long now," Giovanni said, sitting in his chair. "Soon, MechaMew2 will have every Pokémon attack, and then... the world will be MINE!"

Soon...

Team Rocket was in the forest, digging one of their trademark pits. At least, Jessie and James were. Meowth was just complaining.
"I still t'ink dis ain't a good idea!" the catlike Pokémon griped. "Our pit traps neva woik!"
"Oh, shut up, Meowth!" Jessie shouted. "This may be the one pit that does work!"
James lifted his shovel. "There!" he declared. "It's fully hidden!"
Team Rocket hid in the bushes. In the distance they could see Ash and his friends making their way towards the trap.
"So what's da plan again?" Meowth asked his teammates.
"Isn't it obvious?" Jessie replied, in surprise that Meowth didn't get it. "Once the twerps fall into the pit, we capture Pikachu!"
"Shh!" James shushed, putting his right index finger up to his mouth. "Here they come!"
So Team Rocket got down and kept quiet. Jessie and James grinned with glee as they saw the "twerps" approach the pit. But the grins turned to frowns when they saw the "brats" walk right over the trap without falling in. As the trainers passed, Team Rocket came out of the bushes and investigated the hole.
"What's wrong with this stupid trap?!" Jessie said. "Why didn't it work!?"
"What a rip-off!" James remonstrated.
"Here's da answer..." Meowth said angrily, pulling up the reason why the trap was a dud. "Ya left da supports in!"
"Oh, no wonder it didn't WOOOOORK!!!" Just as James was saying that, the trap collapsed under him and Jessie, and they literally fell into the gap.
Meowth slapped his right paw over his face. "Oy vey..."
Jessie called out an order from the pit. "Meowth, go find Mondo and ask him for a rope to get us out of here!"
"Yes," Meowth sighed as he set off to find Mondo, who had gotten Jessie and James out of all of their previous predicaments. "Da t'ings I do for Team Rocket..."

Up ahead, Misty still felt that Ash was ignoring her, and Ash was trying to find his way to the Gym. Behind them, Brock was trying to pick up all the female trainers on the road.
Misty watched Brock's unavailing semi-quest to get a girlfriend. Misty didn't have to think twice as to what Brock's problem was. There were two real answers to Brock's difficulty: his immaturity, or the fact that he had strange-looking eyes. Why did we have to bring him along? Misty thought, watching as Brock got rejected once more. We could have let Tracey come along. He has eyes, and he's more mature...
Ash pulled Brock by the shoulder. "Stop it, Brock, or we may lose you! We have to stick together, because we're all best friends.

Here we are, on a new adventure...
Danger lurks somewhere in the darkness.
We are set for surprises, even battle...
We're a team, no one better mess with us...
If we stand as one, there's nothing to fear..."
Misty: "We'll beat the darkness, and we'll stay right here..."
Ash: "Time after time, that's how it will be...
Just you and meeee!"

All: "'Till the end I will be with you!
We will go where our dreams come true!
All the times that we have been through!
You will always be my best friends!"

Misty: "Good friends are those who stick together...
When there's sun, and in the heavy weather...
Yeah! Smile after smile, that's how it will be...
Just you and meee!"

All: "'Till the end I will be with you!
We will go where our dreams come true!
All the times that we have been through!
You will always be my best friends!"

Brock: "I remember when we first met...
We had such fun, oh I never will forget!
Since then, the times are so good...
We've always stuck together like best friends should!"

All: "'Till the end I will be with you!
We will go where our dreams come true!
All the times that we have been through!
You will always be my best friends!

'Till the end I will be with you!
We will go where our dreams come true!
All the times that we have been through!
You will always be my best friends!"

Pikachu: "Pikachu!"

Back in Pallet...

Professor Oak and Delia had arrived at the beat-up building where the lecture on the Snorlax disorders was being held. A big banner was hung high above the door, labeled "THE PLACE WHERE PROF. XALRONS' LECTURE IS - Not Team Rocket's Secret Ambush Site".
"I'm worried, Professor," Delia said, in a rather sad tone. "I may be losing touch with my son. Ash is growing up too quickly."
Professor Oak turned to comfort her. "Well, Delia, I'm afraid you can't do anything about it. But as they say in the song... everything changes."

Oak: "Your heart's beating around the clock
Time tickin' away it doesn't stop
Evolution is takin' place
The world is spinnin' and changin' everyday (Delia: "changin' everyday")
Anything you think of with a name (Delia: "think of with a name")
There isn't anything in life, that ever stays the same...

Everything changes, changes
Things are changin' constantly
Everything changes, changes
It's evolutionary..."
Both: "Everything changes, changes"
Oak: "Changin' all the time"
Delia: "Playin' with my mind"
Both: "Modified or rearranged
Everything has gotta change"

Delia: "You take a chance, you throw the dice
You risk it all," Oak: "it's just a part of life,"
Delia: "(just a part, just a part of life)
You hold on tight, to what you know"
Oak: "You can't hold back, you gotta let it go,"
Delia: "(gotta let it go)
Every little step that you embrace"
Oak: "One road ends,"
Delia: "another begins"
Both: "And takes you to a better place...

Everything changes, changes
Things are changin' constantly
Everything changes, changes
It's evolutionary
Everything changes, changes
Changin' all the time
Playin' with your mind
Modified or rearranged
Everything has gotta change..."

They walked inside the building, with Delia feeling a bit better from Professor Oak's reassurance. But that emotion wound up becoming shock, because once they came in, Rocket Grunts jumped out of the shadows and surrounded them!
"Huh?" Delia asked "Is this a part of the lecture?"
"What's going on?" Professor Oak demanded to know.
"I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT'S GOING ON, OAKIE!" shouted a British-accented voice from behind the Rocket Grunts.
A tall Rocket Grunt picked Delia and the Professor up by their shirts, tied their hands behind their backs, and brought them into visual range of his leader.
"Giovanni," Professor Oak addressed him coldly.
"You are correct, sir!" Giovanni said, pointing at him mockingly. "As you can see, the 'lecture' was really just a clever plan to lure you into my trap, so you wouldn't ruin my greatest achievement!" The Rocket Boss took a look at Delia. "And I see you've brought an old friend of mine!"
Delia was rather upset by that. "Giovanni, everything between us was in the past!"
Giovanni just stood there in a taunting-like manner. "Everything changes, they say, and you, Delia, have changed a lot!"
Delia and the Professor looked at each other as the dictator began his sarcastic reprise.

"Everything changes, changes
Things are changin' constantly
Everything changes, changes
It's evolutionary
Everything changes, changes
Changin' all the time
Playin' with your mind
Modified or rearranged
Everything has gotta change!"

Giovanni pointed to a camouflage-color Team Rocket helicopter outside by the front door. "Now, get into the cages on that helicopter out there! I'm taking you two for a little ride..."

Later that day, not more than an unladen Pidgey's flight away...

Ash, Misty, and Brock were lost and alone in the forest. "I know exactly where we are!" Brock said, trying to cover up his errors.
"So do I!" Misty answered madly. "Right back at that same gnarled oak tree for the third time! The one with the three branches!"
Ash decided he had had enough of Brock using the map, so he turned to his eyeless friend and said, "Let me see the map, Brock."
"Don't you trust me?" Brock said, trying to get out of it.
"You tried that already," Misty said, putting her right arm up. "Give it to us."
Brock made a beat. "I don't have it."
"You don't have it?!" Ash said, his jaw down.
"What happened to it?" Misty said, having the same anger as the object of her affections.
"I threw it in the river when I was talking to that girl," Brock responded.
"What?!" Ash said, shocked from Brock's answer rather than from the usual attack from Pikachu.
"I couldn't ask her for directions if I had a map in my hand!" Brock tried to reason.
Misty lost it. "You threw away the map?! How could you?!"
"Chill, Misty," Brock urged her.
"I'll chill you!" Misty shouted, balling up her left hand into a fist.
Just then, Ash spotted another trainer nearby. This trainer bared a resemblance to Jessie of Team Rocket, but was male. "Hey, here comes another trainer," Ash told his friends, "I'll bet he's on his way to try for that badge, too. Maybe he can give us directions!" He called out to the trainer. "Hey, you!" But the trainer did not give a response, as if he hadn't heard Ash. Ash ran over to him, and Misty and Brock followed. "I was calling you. You could at least answer! Are you on your way to try to win that Diamond Badge?"
The trainer turned around and moved his hands in sign language. What he was trying to say was Yes! Me will win!
Ash was confused. "Is that sign language?"
The Deaf Trainer nodded.
"You can't speak?"
The Deaf Trainer moved his hands to say Me deaf!
"Great!" Ash kicked a rock.
Brock, being the oldest of the group, got in front of Ash. "Maybe I can help."
Ash was pretty annoyed with Brock for losing the map and causing them to get lost. "You've helped enough already."
"Fine," said Brock, "but it doesn't look like either of you know sign language."
"And you do?" Misty said, doubtfully.
"Watch and learn," said Brock. He waved at the Deaf Trainer.
"That's it?" Misty said, not understanding.
Brock communicated with the Deaf Trainer in sign language. Brock moved his hands to We lost. Your map share ask?
Maybe... the Deaf Trainer signed. But first, that person weird hair. We challenge!
"What'd he say?" Ash asked.
Brock turned back to Ash. "He'll share his map with us. But first he challenges you to a battle."
No, no, no... the Deaf Trainer said in sign language. Me signed weird hair!
Brock corrected his last sentence. "Actually, what he said is, he challenges the guy with the weird hair to a battle."
Ash turned to Misty. "What's wrong with my hair?"
"Nothing," Misty answered. She really wanted to stroke that hair right now.
Ash turned to the Deaf Trainer. "You're on! I can use the practice before I face that Gym Leader." He turned around to brag to Misty. "This'll be a snap." He then turned to Brock. "Tell him he can choose his Pokémon first. My Pokémon and I are evenly matched for battle!"
Will let's see who perfect match! the Deaf Trainer signed, taking out his Pokéball.
"He said, 'We'll see who's perfectly matched!'" Brock translated.
Me choose... the Deaf Trainer then signed his Pokémon's name in fingerspell: J.P. Pink. Round.
Brock gave a shot at translating the fingerspell. "'I choose... J... P... pink... round...'" It didn't take him long to figure out what the Deaf Trainer said. "'I choose Jigglypuff'. He said 'I choose Jigglypuff!'"
Jigglypuff came out from her PokéBall, holding her marker.
Ash and his group backed off, like as if they were encountering the Knights Who Say Ni from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail". "NO!" Ash, Misty, and Brock shouted, in unison.
"Pik!" Pikachu squealed, simultaneously with the others.
Before they could get away, Jigglypuff had started singing her song. The group began to fall asleep.
"The Jigglypuff song..." Ash said, losing his battle to stay awake.
"Anyone who hears it falls asleep..." Misty said, trying to position herself so that she'd fall asleep on Ash.
"But he can't hear it," Brock said, pointing to the Deaf Trainer. "They are perfectly matched!"
"Don't fall asleep," Ash tried to tell everyone. "It'll draw on your face."
The three of them fell asleep. Jigglypuff finished singing and looked at the snoozing listeners, then at the Deaf Trainer. Jigglypuff was furious that no one but her trainer had stayed awake to hear her song. She opened her marker up and drew on Ash and Brock's faces. She put some scribbles on Pikachu, too. She was about to draw on Misty's face, but the Deaf Trainer signed for her to stop. She did so. The Deaf Trainer took out his map and left it on the drowsy-eyed Brock. Having done his part in this story, the Deaf Trainer recalled Jigglypuff and left.
Sometime after the Deaf Trainer had split, Misty woke up. "What happened?" she asked herself. But her attention turned to Ash, and how cute he looked sleeping with Jigglypuff's marks on his face. Misty moved over to him. Look at you, Misty thought as she looked at Ash. Covered in Jigglypuff's drawings, your hair all mussed up. It's so easy to talk to you when you're asleep. Misty gently lifted Ash's head onto her lap, took out a tissue, and started wiping the ink from his face. I wish it were just as easy to tell you how much I love you...

"Out here in the quiet of the night
Beneath the stars... and the moon...
We both know we've got something on our minds
We won't admit, but it's true.
You look at me, I look away...

I wanna tell you what I'm feelin', but I don't know how to start
I wanna tell you, but now I'm afraid that you might break my heart
Oh, why should anything so easy ever be so hard to do?
I wanna tell you what I'm feelin'
And to say that, I love you...

I practice all the things that I could say
Line by line, every word.
I tell myself, today could be the day,
But every time, I lose my nerve.
I look at you, you look away...

Why, why do you turn away?
It must be, you're afraid like me.
I try, but I can't pretend that I
Don't feel for you the way I do.
Can't you see?

I love you..."

Misty finished wiping off Jigglypuff's marks off of Ash's face. She was about to lean in to kiss Ash's cheek when he suddenly woke up. "What are you doing?" Ash asked.
"I..." Misty wanted to tell Ash that she loved him, but she couldn't. "I'm just wiping off the stuff Jigglypuff drew on you."
"Oh. Thanks." Ash got up on his feet. "I had the strangest dream. It seemed so real. Someone was singing this really pretty song."
"It was..." Misty wanted to tell Ash she was singing the song, but had the same difficulty as with confessing her love. "It was probably just one of the side-effects of Jigglypuff."
Part of Ash was happy to drop the whole discussion, but the other part was happy to hear Misty's soft-sounding voice. "I guess so," he said. "We'd better get going. That Gym Leader's waiting."
"Yeah, he is," Misty said. Dang! She thought. Another chance wasted.
Ash looked at the snoring Brock, who was still covered in Jigglypuff's drawings, and saw the map rolled up on Brock's right shoulder. "Hey, look! Jigglypuff's trainer left us his map. This is great!" He shook Brock to wake him up. "Come on, Brock! Time to go!"
Brock woke up, half-asleep. "What?"
Misty was frustrated from not being able to confess her love for Ash, so she let it out on Brock. "This time I'm holding the map!" She headed off with Ash.
"What map?" said the still half-asleep Brock, trailing after them.
"Hurry up, Sleeping Beauty," Ash said, using the term as loosely as possible.

While that was going on...

Jessie and James had fallen asleep in their pit due to Jigglypuff's song when Meowth came back with the rope he got from Mondo. "I got da rope!" Meowth called to his teammates. "I'm gonna tie it to dis tree, den t'row da rest down t'ya, so youse guys can climb up it." He tied the rope to a nearby tree, but didn't get any response. He looked down into the hole and saw Jessie sleeping comfortably on James' chest. "Dey're sleepin'! Takin' a nap! Snorin' away like a couple of Snorlaxes while I do all da woik!" He called down into the pit. "Yo! Wake up!" But the couple just snored away. "Dat's it!" Meowth started to walk away. "I'm t'rough savin' yer butts! Get yerselves outta dis mess! Dey are da two lamest, dumbest, stupidest humans I ever woiked wit'! 'I'm Jessie!' 'I'm James!' Dey never do anyt'ing right..." As Meowth complained about their incompetence, he didn't notice Jessie and James climbing out of the pit. They came up behind him and lifted him up from the ground one arm each. "Hey, what are ya, crazy?! Put me down!"
"Why are you saying all those things?" James demanded.
"Why are you telling everybody we're losers?" Jessie necessitated, in unison with James.
"Because ya are!" Meowth answered to his incompetent teammates.
"Like, no way!" James contradicted. "We're the man!"
"We're cool!" Jessie added.
Meowth sighed. "Look up 'loser' in da dictionary, and you'll find a big picture of da two of youse!"
"Is it a nice picture?" Jessie said dreamly, dropping Meowth.
Meowth groaned with anger. "Youse never do anyt'ing right!!!"
Jessie and James stood there for a while, then both said at the same time: "He's right!" They sank down, and leaned on each other's backs.
"We try! But we get no respect!" James lamented, sounding like Rodney Dangerfield.
"Everybody loves all the Pokémon," Jessie grieved.
"Everybody wants to be Ash."
"Or Misty. What's with that hair?"
"Or even Brock or Tracey."
"But they just laugh at us! Our self-esteem is in the toilet!"
"We might as well quit."
"Yeah!"
"No!" Meowth cried. "Ya can't! If ya quit, what happens t'me?"
Jessie and James just shrugged. "We've always been the worst," Jessie wallowed. "Just once I'd like to be the best at something."
"Me too," James added.
Meowth jumped in front of them and started an attempt at cheering them up. "But we are da best at somethin'!

We're da best at bein' the woist!
We're statistically number one!
James: "Yeah, a hundred percent..."
Jessie: "...Incompetent!"
Meowth: "Hey, dat's never been done!

We're very good at being very bad.
It's our grade of success dat's sadly been weak."
Jessie: "We'll just have to accept,"
James: "We're completely inept."
Meowth: "Dat's what makes us so unique!"

James: "We're the Hindenburgs of crime!"
Jessie: "We crash and burn each and every time!"
James: "Masters of disaster!"
Jessie: "No one screws up faster!"
Jessie & James: "Hey! At failure we shine!"

All: "We're an imperfect ten!
Team Rocket's blasting off again!
So I guess we're just cursed!"
Meowth: "And youse hoid it here foist!"
Jessie, James: "We're the best at being the worst!

Who'd guess we'd get so far,"
James: "By being completely sub-par?"
Jessie: "As losers we've raised the bar!"
Jessie, James: "Now we're superstars!

We're the best at being the worst!"
Jessie: "At coming in last, we're always the first!"
James: "Our flaws are top-drawer!"
Meowth: "We define Moiphy's Law!"
All: "We're the best at being the worst!

We're totally immersed,
And incredibly well-versed,
We're the best at being the worst!"

Team Rocket was now feeling much better about themselves.
"Thanks, Meowth!" James complimented. "Now let's go capture Pikachu!"
"And deliver him to The Boss!" Jessie added.
Meowth watched his teammates set out to continue their mission. I shoulda been a shrink... he thought, as he began to follow them.

Soon, at Cerulean Blue Lagoon...

The heroic group had now arrived at the Cerulean Blue Lagoon, standing on the seashore. Ash was now carrying the map to the secret gym. They didn't seem to notice a parascope sticking up from the water.
"So, Ash," Brock asked, "which Pokémon are you planning to use against the mysterious Gym Leader?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ash answered. He called to his prized Pokémon.

"(Pikachu!) You know that you're the one so...
(I choose you!) There's no else that I'd rather...
Have you by my side!
'N you can help me win this fight!
Because we need to face the challenge that's ahead!
(Pikachu!) You know there is no other...
(I choose you!) Because you are my brother...
In this game we play!
And if we have to go all day!
So w'can leave the other masters far behind!

I've been training all my life!
Waiting all this time...
For this moment to arrive!
'N now that it's here...
I don't have the fear!
Cuz there's nothing left to hide!

It's me and you!
And there's nothing that we can't do!
Cuz in the Pokémon world!
Even masters hafta learn!
They will always find something new!

(Pikachu!) You know that you're the one so...
(I choose you!) There's no else that I'd rather...
Have you by my side!
'N you can help me win this fight!
Because we need to face the challenge that's ahead!
(Pikachu!) You know there is no other...
(I choose you!) Because you are my brother...
In this game we play!
And if we have to go all day!
So w'can leave the other masters far behind!

I will never doubt the dream...
As long you're with me!
I know we can reach the top!
We're the greatest team!
This game has ever seen!
And we'll never ever stop!

(Pikachu!) You know you are the one!
(I choose you!) There's no else that I'd rather...
Have you by my side!
'N you can help me win this fight!
Because we need to face the challenge that's ahead!"

But...

As Ash and his friends were grooving to the song, down below, under the water, Team Rocket was sitting in their Magikarp submarine. Jessie was watching the action in the parascope. "There he is!" Jessie said, aiming the parascope's vision at Pikachu.
"Now," James ordered, "let's launch the net!"
Jessie pulled a trigger. Outside the submarine, a big net launched out of the parascope. Pikachu was so busy dancing he didn't notice the net coming behind him. But he soon felt it, because the net swooped him up, and took him down into Team Rocket's submarine. Team Rocket was long gone by the time Ash noticed that something was wrong.
"AHH!" Ash shouted, looking at the empty spot where Pikachu had been. "What happened?! Pikachu has vanished!"

Has Team Rocket finally won? Will Giovanni's evil plan succeed? Is it curtains for the Pokémon World? Will Ash find a way to make it up to Misty? How did Giovanni recognize Delia? What is it with Brock's eyes? And why am I asking stupid questions like these? Find out the answers to most of those questions in the next chapter of Pokémon Live!