My Pokémon Anime Journey | BOOK ONE: KANTO

Sparks Fly for Magnemite

Ari, Misty, and Brock enquired at the Gringey City Police Station, but no dice.
"I'm trying to find out, too, but there's no answer at the power plant!" Officer Jenny said.
"We don't have much time," ululated Ari. "We'll just have to fix the problem ourselves."
"What does the power plant look like?" Misty asked.
"You can't miss it!" Officer Jenny provided directions.
The group thanked her and headed outside.
Ari threw out her arm to stop the others; she'd heard a rustling in the bushes. Could this be Eevee's mysterious assailant?
It turned out to be Eevee herself.
"Eevee! Why wouldn't she stay at the Pokémon Center?" Ari wondered, lifting Eevee into her arms.
"I think Eevee's trying to look out for us," Brock said.
Ari was oddly proud of Eevee's peristance. Like Trainer, like Pokémon, she supposed.

Team Rocket returned to the surface for air.
"We could've suffocated," Jessie said.
"The city has been plunged into darkness by a power failure," Meowth announced.
"A power failure? I can identify with failure." James's self-deprication went ignored.
Meowth spotted movement; the twerps! "We're in luck! We've got another chance!"
"Give us time to rest!" Shouted Jessie. "We nearly drowned in the stinking sewer, courtesy of your ridiculous plan!"
James mustered the energy to shake his fist. "You nearly killed us, you dimwit!"
Meowth glowed at his own cunning, bright enough to make his teeth gleam through the gloom as he smiled craftily. "Don't you worry. This time, we've got a secret weapon."

As Misty followed Ari and Brock into the power plant, she couldn't help but feel they were being followed.
Ari sent out Charmander to illuminate the area with his tail flame.
"Why isn't anybody working here?" Brock pondered. Misty had the same query. Wanting something she could understand, she studied the map provided by Jenny. "It looks like the central control room's down that way."
They pressed on. Misty continued to feel something behind her, a kind of presence, like a buzz that shouldn't have been audible. "Something's following us."
"This place is deserted," Ari said.
"I know I heard something!" Misty insisted. "Ari, you always trust your instincts. I'm asking you to trust mine. Please."
Misty's pleading eyes met Ari's, until the latter looked past Misty's face.
Ari paled. "Misty... there's something right behind you. I saw a shadow move."
Torn between satisfaction and terror, Misty whipped around, but saw nothing. Ari and Brock stood protectively at either side of her.
Then whatever had been following them dropped down.
"What is that thing?" Ari shrieked. The Pokémon truly was bizarre - a levitating metalic orb with one gazing eye. She called upon the Pokédex. Magnemite, the Magnet Pokémon. An Electric- and Steel-type. It floats in air on powerful electromagnetic waves.
"Magnemite caused the blackout!" Misty accused.
Ari frowned. Misty supposed the daughter of an Interpol agent would stand by 'innocent until proven guilty'.
Magnemite circled them, emitting odd beeps, seemingly excited.
"It likes us," said Brock.

Magnemite sped away. The group followed it, only to be blasted by a smell so horrid it was practically raucous. Misty's eyes gushed as her nose burnt.
Two clusters of living sludge appeared.
Ari removed her hands from her nose to retrieve her Pokédex again. Grimer, the Sludge Pokémon. A Poison-type. Born from pollution, this Pokémon thrives in filthy areas.
More and more Grimer appeared, until a small army had amassed. An even bigger and more terrible Pokémon loomed over behind them: their commander. Ari fired up the Pokédex yet again. Muk, the Sludge Pokémon, and the Evolved Form of Grimer. A Poison-type. Exercise caution, as it is covered with a filthy, vile sludge.
"I see why Magnemite ran away!" Misty was going to need her entire stock of Erika's perfume after this.
Her comment angered the Grimer. They charged.
Misty, Ari, Brock, Eevee, and Charmander ran for their lives, almost colliding with two power plant workers.
"The Grimer are here too," one worker said.
The group ran with the workers. They reached the control room and shut the door tight behind them.
"Tell us what's going on!" Ari demanded. "This blackout is a disaster. The Pokémon Center needs that power!"
"There are so many Grimer, they're blocking the sea water intake," one worker delineated.
"The water needs to turn the turbines for the generator to work," said the other.
CRASH!
The Grimer rammed into the door, breaking it off the hinges.
The Trainers waited no time in responding. Misty sent out Starmie, who blasted the Grimer away with Bubble Beam. Ari's Charmander and Brock's Vulpix used Flamethrower in tandem, roasting the Grimer horde.
Some Grimer remained, but then they paused, and made way for Muk.

Ari said, "Let's all take him on!"
Misty returned her smile. Brock nodded firmly.
Charmander rushed foward, ready to Scratch, but Muk used Harden for defense. Muk endured Vulpix's Fire Spin, then knocked the two Fire-types away with Hyper Beam. This provided Starmie with an opening to use Psywave, but Muk dodged.
"Vulpix, Flamethrower!" Brock ordered. But Vulpix was trying to get as far away from Muk as possible. Clearly, the pampered Pokémon could only withstand so much grossness.
Charmander had also inhaled plenty of Muk's fumes, but that didn't stop him. He'd been reinvigorated by his training with Lena, and likely wanted to avoid another incident like with Erika's Gloom. On Ari's command, he hurled a Dragon Rage at Muk that dealt significant damage.
Then, it all went wrong. With a resounding cry, Muk detonated a Hyper Beam which knocked Charmander, Vulpix, and Starmie out cold.
Before Ari could send out Squirtle, Eevee descended from her head.
"Are you sure?" Ari asked.
"Ve!" Eevee affirmed.
"In that case... Quick Attack!"
Eevee streaked foward, smashing into Muk, but the angered Sludge Pokémon raised its hulking fist in retaliation.
Eevee fumbled the dodge, shutting her eyes in anticipation of the blow.
That was when Magnemite reappeared. It blinded Muk with a sudden Flash, then Paralysed it with Thunder Wave.
As Muk recoiled, Magnemite communicated that it wanted Eevee to climb atop it. Magnemite elevated Eevee above Muk's head where, out of Muk's reach, Eevee pelted Muk with thunderous Swifts.
Ari capitalised on Muk's weakened state. "Poké Ball, go!"
The Poké Ball connected with Muk's gelatinous body. The mucilaginous mound of a Pokémon was sucked inside the capsule, which wobbled before emitting a ping.
Ari celebrated Catching such a strong combatant. "I did it!" She noticed everybody else inching away from her, pinching their nose, and realised why. "The smell comes through the Poké Ball?" Indeed, Muk's effluvia seeped through his new Poké Ball.

The Grimer fled. Ari knew she should've felt accomplished as the generator returned to life with a low hum, but something was wrong.
That something answered to the name Team Rocket; the trio emerged from the sea water intake in a submarine modelled after Gyarados, to which a giant magnet was attached.
"This is our secret weapon!" Jessie cackled. "We can magnetise Eevee and whisk her away."
However, Meowth couldn't remember which button was which. One would magnetise Eevee, and the other activate the magnet.
Then, he concluded that the order didn't matter. This was his plan - there was no way it could be foiled so simply.
So Meowth pressed the red button (because it's always the red button), which activated the magnet, causing every Magnemite and Magneton which inhabited the power plant to be drawn to the submarine. The weight caused the sub to sink.
"Team Rocket's splashing off again!" Jessie and James wailed. Meowth figured they wouldn't put him in charge again for a long while.
The twerp hadn't even lifted a finger.

Carrying on as if Team Rocket held no plot significance, Ari and friends returned to the Pokémon Center.
"Thank you," said Nurse Joy. "You've saved these Pokémon and inspired me to be a better nurse."
"Try to keep the city clean," requested Brock.
"We will," agreed Officer Jenny.
As Ari walked away, she hoped her heroics had helped change Gringey City for the better.
She had a surprise to send to Professor Oak. She wanted to have six Pokémon again... but she didn't want to be as noseless as Meowth.

Oak looked up as a Poké Ball was transported into his lab.
"I wonder what Ari's Caught this time," he chuckled. When the smell pricked his nose, he nearly puked. "What's the idea of sending me a Muk? Yuck!"