Pokemon: A Ketchum Journey. Vol 1

Pokémon Scent-sation

"Whatever he's going to say next, Ash will literally regret it." said Hayley.

"Riolu." said Meeko.

"I don't need that smelly junk to give me energy. I'm full of it." said Ash. "I got tons more energy than I know what to do with."

"Why don't you use some of it to keep your mouth shut?" asked Misty.

"At least for my sake, please." said Hayley.

"If you object to our products so much, perhaps you should leave, since we all sell perfumes here, you must find us offensive." said the manager.

"You should be ashamed of yourself." said a saleswoman.

"You insensitive little worm." said another saleswoman.

"What did I say?" Ash then asks.

"Get out and don't come back!" said the third saleswoman, kicking Ash out.

"I don't want to come back!" shouted Ash, once he stood up. "I'm on my way to the Celadon City Gym."

"I feel bad for him." Hayley tells Meeko. "But something tells me that this is gonna be weird for us."

"Riolu." said Meeko. "Riol, Riol, Riolu."

"You got me on that one, Meeko." said Hayley.

Outside of the gym, Ash was denied entranced. "What do you mean I can't come in?" he asked. "I'm trying to become a Pokémon master."

"I wouldn't let you in if you were the last Pokémon trainer on earth." said the woman.

"Huh?"

"This Gym doesn't allow anyone inside who says that perfume is a stinky rip-off." she tells Ash.

"Why not?" asked Ash.

"We manufacture that stinky perfume right here in this gym." a girl tells Ash.

"Uh-oh." said Ash.

"So, you see, young man..." said the woman as she pulls out a red x stamp.

"Ah!" said Ash as he gets knocked to the ground.

"You're the stinker!"

"But don't you understand? I got to challenge your gym master so I can win a badge." Ash tried to explain. "You've got to let me in."

"Huh?" said the woman before blowing off Ash at the door.

"(Groans) Pretty please with a cherry on top?" pleaded Ash as he bangs on the door when suddenly he heard familiar laughter coming from behind him. Ash turns around to see Hayley and Meeko, laughing at him with his sister holding a shopping bag. "It's not funny." Ash whined.

"Yes, it is." said Hayley.

"Riolu." said Meeko.

"You know that you've gotten yourself into this mess and should've kept your mouth shut." Hayley tells her brother. "But as always, you didn't and ran your mouth."

"I know. Don't rub it in." said Ash, hanging his head.

"Uh-huh. So...I'll try to help you get into the gym." said Hayley.

"You will?" he asked, hopefully.

"I just said that I'll try, Ash. I'm not like Team Rocket." said Hayley. "But you'll owe me big time for this once you get the badge." Unbeknownst to them, Team Rocket ran across the lawn with a ladder in their hands.

"Huh. Looks like the coast is clear." said Meowth.

"Once we break inside, we'll steal the secret formula for their perfume." said Jessie. "Then I'll be as irresistible as Cleopatra."