AG001: Difference between revisions

{{an|May}} is riding her [[Bicycle|bike]] towards [[Littleroot Town]]. Although today is the day she will receive her first {{OBP|Pokémon|species}} from [[Professor Birch]], she admits that she would rather just travel, and is not really interested in training Pokémon. Suddenly, a {{p|Duskull}} appears next to her and scares her. She speeds off, loses control and crashes into a tree. She continues onward, before stopping briefly to take in the view when she reaches a cliff overlooking Littleroot Town.

Meanwhile, {{Ash}} is also arriving in Littleroot Town but all he can think about is trying to heal {{AP|Pikachu}}. He then wonders if there's a [[Pokémon Center]] in town, and hopes that [[Nurse Joy]] can inspect Pikachu to see if he's okay. On the upper deck, {{TRT}} hears the call for Littleroot Town. All are eager to enter this new land except for [[Jessie]], who reminisces about her past and subtly reveals that she has been to Littleroot Town before. She enters a depressed state, and as [[James]] presses for answers, Jessie doesn't elaborate. When the boat docks, Ash disembarks and asks the port attendant where the Pokémon Center is. He is saddened to learn that there is none in the small town. He is about to give up when he remembers Professor Birch, and wonders if he would be able to heal Pikachu. He calls Birch's lab, only to find that he is out doing field work. {{OBP|Joshua|assistant}}, his assistant, tells Ash to stay where he is and that he will alert the Professor to the situation as soon as possible.

Ash waits on a bench, anxious for any word from the Professor. Out of the blue, Ash hears a screeching noise. He looks up to see Professor Birch in a SUV. Birch asks if Ash is the one who called about Pikachu, and he immediately responds. He carries Pikachu into the SUV and they speed off. Along the way back to the lab, Birch quickly diagnoses Pikachu with an electric overload, and Ash adds that he was [[EP274|strapped to Team Rocket's giant magnet]]. If the {{t|Electric}} Pokémon doesn't receive immediate attention, he might explode from all the energy. Their only hope is to drain all of it out of Pikachu. Once at the lab, the Professor attaches a machine to Pikachu's cheeks, while Joshua turns it on. However, Pikachu's electricity levels are so high, they cause the machine to explode. Pikachu then escapes, and Ash runs after him. Upon finding out Ash isn't carrying any other Pokémon, Birch grabs the three [[starter Pokémon]] and runs after the young {{pkmn|Trainer}}. Joshua reminds Birch that the starters are supposed to be for May who is due to arrive that day, and Birch tells Joshua to ask May to wait until he gets back. As he explains this, Ash is desperately calling out and searching for Pikachu, but the Pokémon is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, May arrives at the lab. Joshua tells her that the Professor will be right back, but she ignores him and goes looking for Birch. She is unaware that he has fallen off a cliff and landed on top of a {{p|Poochyena}} while looking for Pikachu. After recovering, he apologizes to the Pokémon, but it just appears to get angrier. Two more Poochyena appear and they all begin to growl at the Professor. He realizes that they're about attack. Although initially proud of his knowledge, he soon realizes that their anger is directed at him, and runs away trying to escape from them.

Pikachu continues to weaken and become frightened. When Ash approaches him, Pikachu's eyes glow red as he furiously attacks him with {{m|Thunderbolt}}, thinking he is an enemy. Birch and May reach the area and see Ash dive off a cliff to save his friend. Luckily, he manages to grab onto a branch, but he is far from danger. Pikachu continues shocking him, and even bites him at one point to try to get away. Eventually, Ash calms Pikachu down, and he slowly realizes who is holding him. The Trainer makes it back up the cliff and meets up with the Professor and May.

Just then, Team Rocket appears in their latest [[Team Rocket's mechas|mecha]], a giant battery robot. When May and Birch inquire about them, Ash informs them about the trio and their evil ways. {{MTR}} brags about the mecha's ability to absorb electricity and grabs Pikachu with one of the machine's arms. Team Rocket then has the machine put suction cups on Pikachu's cheeks to absorb his electricity. As James and Meowth celebrate the fact the machine is filling up with energy, Jessie yells at them, saying that Pikachu is getting stronger. After getting most of the energy drained, Pikachu shocks the machine, and a stray bolt of electricity fries May's bike. Then, the robot blasts Team Rocket off by exploding on them. This time, Jessie is happy, claiming she feels completely recharged thanks to Pikachu. However, the Electric Pokémon collapses on the ground, causing Ash to panic once again.

The next morning May looks at her bike, angry that it has been destroyed. She goes to find Ash and scold him, but when she opens the door, she finds Ash still asleep by Pikachu's bedside. May softens up and watches as Ash mutters a few things in his sleep and Pikachu awakens. The Pokémon soon wakes up Ash, and Pikachu's reassuring nudge instantly cheers Ash up. May then realizes that her bike can wait. Outside, May releases Torchic and Ash soon steps outside. May greets him and Pikachu leaps off Ash's shoulder to meet Torchic. The two Pokémon soon play around, and Ash comments that Pikachu has already made his first friend in the [[Hoenn]] [[region]]. Later, Birch and Joshua inform the pair that their next destination should be [[Oldale Town]]'s Pokémon Center to register for the [[Hoenn League]]. May makes a few remarks about going alone. Then, she purposely says she would have, but Pikachu destroyed her bike. May asks Ash if she could come along with him, and Ash agrees. The pair waves goodbye to the Professor and his assistant before beginning their walk towards Oldale Town.