It was getting hard to hold his breath. He was trying to reach the surface but between the pull of the current and keeping a firm hold on the small yellow mouse in his arms he couldn't do much. Suddenly, he felt a tugging and his body rushed to the surface. SPLASH! Next thing he knew he was on dry land coughing and catching his breath.

"Hey, are you okay?" The orange haired girl who had apparently fished him out of the water asked.

"Yeah, I'm ok-" Ash started to answer when the girl cut him off.

"Not you!" She berated as she came closer to inspect the battered Pikachu in his arms. "The pokemon...is it breathing?"

"I...I think so..." He said with an anxious look.

"Well don't just stand there! You gotta get it to the medical center right away!"

Ash jumped to his feet. "You mean a hospital? Which way?"

"Yes, for pokemon. It's that way!" She said pointing him in the right direction.

Just then a chorus of chirps and caws began to raise in volume as a flock of Spearow appeared over the treetops. "Ah, there coming back!" Turning and running up he bank Ash saw a bike. He placed Pikachu in the basket. "I'm borrowing this. I promise to bring it back someday!" He called back as he sped away ignoring the girl's protests.

---

"SPEAROWS! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM!? I'M ASH FROM THE TOWN OF PALLET! I'M DESTINED TO BE THE WORLD'S NUMBER POKEMON MASTER! I CAN'T BE DEFEATED BY THE LIKES OF YOU! I'M GOING TO CAPTURE AND DEFEAT YOU ALL! YOU HEAR ME! Pikachu go inside the Pokeball it's the only way!" Ash looked back from the flock of Spearow bearing down on them and urged the yellow mouse to seek safety inside it's pokeball. Turning back he stared down the flying Pokemon. "COME AND GET ME!" The rain continued to fall and lightning illuminated the scene. Ash was prepared to protect his Pokemon with everything he had. He felt a small weight briefly touch his shoulder as Pikachu sprung forward.

"PIKAAACHU!" There was huge flash and the area became quiet. The rain slowed and stopped and the sky opened up letting the rays of sunshine wash over the land. Ash and Pikachu lay on the ground, the Spearow long gone and the bike he'd borrowed burnt to a crisp nearby. Opening their eyes the pair looked at each other and smiled weakly. "Well, we beat 'em~" Pikachu simply nodded. As Ash sat up he saw something. In the sky a shining Pokemon flew overhead and over the rainbow.

---

"Whoooaa!" Officer Jenny drove straight through the doors to the Pokemon Center and skid to a halt before the front desk. Nurse Joy looked annoyed an frustrated by the sudden disturbance but her face softened upon seeing Pikachu in Ash's arms badly hurt. "Please help!" Ash blurted. Nurse Joy took immediate action, placing Pikachu on a stretcher and rolled him toward the operating room. "Please is there anything I can do?"

"You can try being more responsible! A trainer shouldn't let their Pokemon battle until it's in this condition." Nurse Joy scolded him.

"But you don't know what happened..." Ash tried to explain but that wasn't the nurse's concern at the moment.

"That doesn't matter now. Just wait out here. Pikachu will be alright~" She gave him a reassuring smile and took Pikachu inside.

"Pikachu..." He felt helpless. All he could do was stand there and pray that his friend would be okay.

Misty wasn't sure how she knew it was going to be an important day, she just did. Maybe it was because the day was so beautiful and sunny? Maybe it was the simple pleasure of just kicking back and fishing as long as she wanted? Not a care in the world and all the potential of a good catch.

And then she did catch something, something big.

Only it was a boy and not a water pokemon.

And then everything happened so fast. He had a pikachu and it was hurt. What a horrible trainer! He was abusive! And then he stole her bike! He was an abusive thief! And then the spearow and the storm... It was all too much.

The birds swooped at her so she ran away and hid. She came out after they left and gathered up her stuff like her fishing pole and bag, cursing the boy for taking her transportation. She had to ride out the storm here, protected just by trees. But it wasn't a bad storm after all, aside from that HUGE lightening strike. When it lightened up she rushed after him.

She found the spearows first. All of them were unconscious.

Misty was as shocked as they were. "D-did the pikachu do this?" And then she was angry. These poor birds and that poor pikachu. It wasn't in any condition for more fighting! Especially not enough to take out all these birds! It was so cruel she felt tears in her eyes.

That awful boy needed to be locked up!!! "Especially," she said, "Because he stole my..."

Just then her eyes finally fell on her bike, abandoned and burnt. "Bike!" she finished.

She dropped everything in her arms and stumbled forward.

"W-WHAT!!! No way!" She reached for it and then clenched her fists. "YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THIS!" she screamed at the boy, causing some of the spearow to flinch.

She glanced at them and then, worried they might still be angry when they woke up, shoved everything into a bundle and lugged it all, including her bike, down to the town, blessing the fact that it was downhill and not far. While cursing the fact that she couldn't be on her bike while she did this.

She caught up to the boy in time to see him going with a cop.

"Huh! That's appropriate!" she hurried after them, calling, but they didn't hear. Then, just as she got up to the officer's house, apparently, they came speeding out of the garage and backfired exhaust at her.

"HEY! What's the big idea!!" she cried. Unfortunately they were in too much of a hurry to notice.

<hr>

Misty was miserable and tired and dirty now. So she took a break at the first shop she saw, glancing back out at her bike every few seconds, getting angrier every time she looked at it. She came back out, restored, and practically ran to the pokemon center where she knew he'd still be. It was getting very dark now.

She saw the officer leave, but the boy wasn't with her.

She strode inside, still hauling her bike as evidence, and called out in a loud voice, ""AHA! Now I've got you!" Misty huffed and puffed. "I knew I'd find you here!" More huffing. She stomped over to him and held the bike overhead like she was going to throw it at him.

"Look what you did to my bike, you little punk! If this is how you treat things I can see why your pokemon had to be--"

Suddenly she wobbled, loosing her balance more every second. The bike fell on her and skidded way. Misty spilled onto the floor. Grimacing, she rubbed the back of her head and sat up slowly. Unbelievable!!! Except that she was overwrought and exhausted. If only she'd been more careful it might not have happened. But blaming herself didn't make her any less mad at the boy.